THE CHARLES QUENTIN POPE FINE PRINTING COLLECTION

Turnbull Library Record, Volume XV, 1 November 1962, Page 13

THE CHARLES QUENTIN POPE FINE PRINTING COLLECTION

The Library’s most considerable recent acquisition was the occasion of grief as well as satisfaction, for the opportunity to acquire the 200 odd volumes gathered by Charles Quentin Pope resulted from his death last year. He had been a good friend of the Library, and on one occasion he gave a particularly well-informed talk on the aims and results of modern fine printing, to the Friends of the Turnbull Library. Mrs. Pope, remembering this, offered the collection to the Library, and the basis of negotiation reflected well upon the quality of the books and the discrimination of their owner. For Charles Pope was a journalist of unusual ability. It was he who compiled the first of the "modern" Anthologies of New Zealand Verse, in his "Kowhai Gold" 1930. For many years he was a specialarticle writer on "The Evening Post", and correspondent

for overseas newspapers. This last opened to him anon the opportunity of wider pastures when he became Pacific reporter for the Chicago Tribune. Only occasionally then did he get back to Wellington, and his calls to chat about books became fewer.

From a survey of the collection it is apparent that he started gathering examples from the late 1920's and discontinued upon the outbreak of war. Therefore some of the early issues of the presses that were starting to make reputations, are to be found here.

The largest groups are examples from the Nonesuch and Golden Cockerel presses, but there is a large group from the Limited Editions Club, which had its books printed by a wide range of distinguished printers. Where Quentin Pope was obviously seeking representation, he has secured specimens, often up to a dozen or so, from the following presses: Greynog Random House Grabhorn (California) Cambridge University Windsor Press Eragny Riverside Monastery Hill Spiral Harbour Leo Hart High House Peter Pauper W. E. Rudge, Mt. Vernon Lakeside Perpetua Halcyon

The stamp of great typographers is upon most of these volumes, as for instance Sir Francis Meynell and the Nonesuch Press, but there are several that owe their character to the genius of Eric Gill, F. W. Goudy or Bruce Rogers. From this it is apparent that English and American examples of fine printing are in almost equal numbers, but it is similarly clear that no continental printing is included. This is the more regrettable, since the Library’s own collection is markedly weak in the work of the modern foreign presses. At the same time, it should be noted that there are some attractive tomes from the Australian Limited Editions Society, which produced some exemplary work in its first years, but has been inactive for some time.

In the present holdings of about 500 volumes of modern fine printing, the Library has therefore a useful and representative nucleus for the study of modern book production.