DONEDIN EXHIBITION

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 151, 30 June 1925, Page 5

DONEDIN EXHIBITION

THE BOOK SECTION

SOME NOTES ABOUT AN HISTORIC ORGANISATION

(FROM ODB OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, 22nd May.

Mr. E. CrParmyeli, who for several years has .had charge of publicity arrangements in connection" with : educational books brought out by the Oxford ■University.: Press, is going to' New Zealand by. the Ruahine in July to- organise the important exhibit by this old-esfab-lishe'd publishing house at the Dunedin Exhibition. He-will be accompanied by his.-.wife.:;". „'.'..■"■.'."::' ■'•-. ';.'- '-..'•■' '■'■'' '"•'■'- :■ :

Mr. Parnwell isv a young man, very keen,-'and much interested in his coining trip to; New Zealand. It is his intention to make: a'complete - tour, -first. of -'th* North Island,then "of the -.'South'/ He is looking forward to meeting many^people connected with .education, authors; journalists,; and leaders in: the public life of the commiinity,' so as to establish" friendly;, relations ; with' '/.them,- and., not only give them, some idea of the work: already don_e;by;the Oxford University Press, but' learn how it .can best serve New Zealand's needs in the future. : .:■■ ■;.•: . v

.This corporation has no' shareholders' nor debenture-holders, and subserves no private interest. While'some of the financial product 'of its labours,-after expenses have been met,; goes ;to business development, practically all., the. rest, is used to bring'out expensive .'works of historical and educational value which could never possibly pay for themselves. ■. The, buyer,; of >an Oxford book is,.'therefore^ aiding .the learning and; scholarship of rthe Empire. v: '■■;'... -.v; - ;: : iOK■..;/ ■://■:-■.'■■■;•■ •.....■ 'Vi It is interesting to learn that .in the last; century* the revenue-devoted to learning':was supplied mainly .from;.the.: sale of Bibles r and Prayer Books; but changing conditions led the managers of. the Press to the conclusion that if the' promotion of education anil^research were to keep pace: with, the growing volume• and range of the'demand, ■■. itvwould be necessary to expand the general activities of/the business in.niuny ■.directions. ; In •prudent pursuance of; 'a. far-sighted: policy, 'the overseas branches' of the' Press were: established ;to . increase the; sale: of Oxford books ;■ now; departments of \ the publishing^ business ;were .create^, -such as the very extensive series of cheap edi-' tions of the English -Classics, and, more recently,' the ; Oxford ;{■ elementary school bpoks,'the Oxford .'books for boys and' girls, and the; Oxford:.medical publications; and in. the. course, of years the, .publications .of .the. Learned Press itself' have gradually..become -more: popular in' character and addressed; to a wider audience. ;As: a result, the; Oxofrd -University ■ Press-to-day, possesses; a;business of such magnitude and ; variety .as ; will," it may • be hoped, enable it .to : surmount the for-., midable; obstacles;, which.;, the increasedcost of. manufacture, opposes to the production of all; works,of learning. -'. ';...' ■.'-.'-•; BOOKS IN IMMENSE VARIETY . Although . the /Oxford i > University ■■ Press does not publish; contemporaryfiction, and brings out: serious books for the most' part,. its stock is .a. greatly diversified bney; made.' up -of - some ■ ten thousand .volumes/I'suited'to all" tastes and ages—from the great "Oxford Dictionary"; to;"Noby;.'Dick," from:' "Mo-; hammedan Architecture" .'to "The Bog Book .for; Tinies."; .Sid©; by , side . with Bibles, ■ learned works,: and. sclwol books there is a very: interesting section de-. Voted to.books for children. ; These., are most attractively .got up, wearing* alluring jackets of high artistic .merit. Therd is, 'for instance, a dainty series of pic-" ture-folders.' on: linen" for,.' very '. small children. Jhere are, too, many popular .'series,* including ;the famous World's ■Classics in'handy size.,, A new departure is the publication o£: Music, which promises to, develop'well. . r.; .;.. ,'.:. .. Mr. Parnwell says that the exhibit at Dvinedinig to be .arranged as a library,containing upwards; of: two thousand publications carefully 'chosen so that, there .will be some to interest every visi-; -tor of rio matter- what age' or taste. Visitors will be able to take books from ; the shelves,- and "examine them at ■•: their: leisure.' 'Arrangements will be made for the , comfort, of ■ all ■ who . like to spend some_ time in the library, as, of course, it-.,-will, not. be possible to allow , the books to; be taken away. People need riot feel that by" inspecting the books they are under: obligation to give an order. -The library -idea is in being at the London headquarters of the Oxford University Press, in/Warwick Square, (and here, too, visitors ; are: welcome whenever they like to look in. . ... ESTABLISHED; IN THE FIF-; JTEENTH CENTURY The Oxford University. Press has a wonderful history. The first, ibook printed at Oxford is the very rare commentary on the Apostles' Creed' attributed .to St. Jerome, the colophon of ivhich is dated 17th! December, Anno domini Mcccclxviii. It is considered improbable that a book was printed at Oxford so early-as 1468; and the bibliographers are on various grounds agreed that ,an x has been omitted. If so, Oxford must be content to date the beginning of its Press from the year 1478; while Westminster, its 6nly English precursor, produced its first'book from Caxton's press in. 1477. The first University printer was ; Theodoric Hood, who came to England from Cologne) and looked after the Press until about 1485. . The-seconds Press lasted from 1517 until 1520, and was near Merton College. ■■; Some twenty-three books are known to have been issued from these Presses; they are for the most part classical or theological works in Latin. After 1520 there is a gap in the history, which begins again in 1585. The Chancellor, of that time was Queen Elizabeth's favourite, the- Earl._pf Leicester, who in the first issue= of the new Press is celebrated as its founder. THE PAPER MILL The official history states that" "the, first mention of paper-making in or near Oxford is a stoiy of one Edwards, who, about 1670, planned to erect a mill at Welve'rcote, and was encouraged by Fell." In 1718 Jiearae, the antiquary, ■wrote . that, "some of the best paper in England is made at Wolvercote Mill." It was bought by the University Press in 1870.; The mill stands on a branch of the Thames, on the e-dge of the 1 quiet village of Wolvercote, and near the ruins of Go'clstow Nunnery. The waterwheel has long ' ceased to play more than a very minor part in the driving of the mill, which now has-too modern papermaking machines, 72 ariU 80 inches wide respectively. -■ The power -used is partly steam, but a large part of the plant has quite recently been electrified. Most varieties of high-class printing paper are liiado at Wolvercote, which, besides feeding the University Press, does a considerable trade with other printers. The paper made for the Oxford Dictionary, and somo other books,-is of the finest rag, and is probably as durable as the best hancl-mude paper of former times. But the mill is be=t_ known _for its "Bibl6" papers,

exceptionally thin, tough, and opaque, with a fine printing surface. It is not unlikely that Mr. Parnwell will speak on the. Oxford University Press and its extensive work if he finds that people are interested.

One may note, by the way, as a point of Dominion interest, that Mr." Kenneth Sisam, B. Litt., 1910, New "Zealand Rhodes Scholar, is junior assistant secretary to the delegates '. of the Oxford University Press. . . .