ESSLEMONT, David. GENTLEMAN, David. ~ The Wood Engravings of David Gentleman.
No. I of 10 special copies each bound individually by David Esslemont, there were 300 ordinary copies. Over 300 wood engravings by David Gentleman, mainly printed from the original blocks. Printed in Monotype Baskerville on Zerkall mould-made paper. Oblong 4to., original painted white alum-tawed goatskin binding using yellow, black, pink and red acrylics with gilt tooling, in the original black cloth box with an extra folder containing five signed prints by Gentleman, a set of his stamps and two of his covers for Penguin Books. An extremely good copy.
With an introduction by Fiona Maccarthy.
Inserted loose is a letter from David Esslemont presenting this first special copy which describes his binding process:
“My design is loosely based on a detail from one of the Charing Cross engravings [the engravings on which the designs in Charing Cross underground station are based]. The broad fields of colour echo DG’s own use of colour as in the postage stamps and book covers. I have created the design in my favoured white alum-tawed goatskin using stencils and the old toothbrush in places - with acrylic inks.”