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P R E S S

[The title page from our new book on Thomas Lowinsky's book illustration replicates the border and layout used for Sidonia the Sorceress, published in 1926 for The Julian Editions by Ernest Benn Ltd and printed by Walter Lewis at the Cambridge University Press]

In his introduction to the catalogue for the Memorial Exhibition of the Work of Thomas Lowinsky Francis Meynell wrote:

As a book illustrator--but I think decorator is the better word for him--Lowinsky had what one might call a proud subordination. He was completely convinced that "the book's the thing' and he rejoiced in the discipline of making his line suit exactly the 'colour' of the type with which it was to be associated, and of making his shapes suit the page. His pride, on the other hand, was shown in his insistence always that part at least of any edition must be printed on a particular hand-made paper, no other; and he could not be kept away from the machine-room when his pages were being proofed for impression and inking. Because of this integration with the text his book designs should be studied and will be admired in the books for which they were made.

Lowinsky was born in India, schooled at Eton, spent a year at Oxford and two at the Slade. He spent the First World War in active service in France and Germany with the Scots Guards, where he also assisted Henry Tonks as a war artist. He was one of the circle of friends and supporters of Charles Ricketts, and a founding member of the Double Crown Club. A man of independent means, Lowinsky was also a man of independent mind. He was intimately involved with the production of most of the books he illustrated, for he worked with his friends, both as authors or publishers: Sacheverell and Edith Sitwell, Frederick Etchells of Haslewood Books, Oliver Simon at Curwen, Francis Meynell at Nonesuch, of course, and through Albert Rutherston for the Shakespeare Head Press.

In The Book Decorations of Thomas Lowinsky, we focus on Lowinsky's particular talent for matching image to text. The book includes more than 90 illustrations in the 122 pages of text, including all of his surviving unpublished illustrations, an autograph poem and an ink sketch made while he was serving in the army, two woodcuts, and all of his patterned paper designs and publishers' devices. Both of his two Double Crown Club menus are reproduced, one of which is hand-coloured as was the original. From his eighteen illustrated books, we have thirty-five illustrations in the text and have tipped in full-page facsimiles of a further twenty six, including another hand-coloured plate, expertly matched to the original by Peter Allen. We were also able to include a previously unpublished studio portrait of Lowinsky.

The book opens with a memoir by Katherine Thirkell, the artist's daughter, recollecting her father as both parent and artist. A charming family portrait drawn in 1925 by his close friend Albert Rutherston provides another glimpse of Lowinsky as a family man. The body of the book is Colin Myers essay which begins with a brief biography before discussing Lowinsky's career as a book decorator. With the zeal of a passionate collector, he traces the development of Lowinsky's book decorations, evaluating prospectuses and reviews, both contemporary and modern, always with the books in front of him. The book concludes with Oliver Clark's meticulously compiled bibliography which includes details of variant bindings and US editions. Nine of the ten facsimile title pages accompany this section.

The book is hand bound quarter-cloth, with boards covered with a new printing of one of Lowinsky's Curwen designs. Measuring 13 x 9 inches, 122 pages, and printed in Fournier types on Magnani acid-free paper. The facsimile pages and plates have been printed on a range of hand- and mould-made papers to approximate the originals. The book is protected in a slipcase. Of the edition of 250 copies, 230 are for sale.