Before Photocopying

Wakeman, G. ; Delamotte, P.H. ; Cowell, S H. ; Jordan, C.J. The Art of Anastatic Printing : Three Mid 19th Century Accounts...with an Introduction by Geoffrey Wakeman. Plough Press, Kidlington, first edition, 1986.
Limited edition of 150 numbered copies. Consists of an introduction ([4] pp), 3 pamphlets and [1] leaf of plates with [1] leaf of descriptive text from an Ilam Anastatic Drawing Society annual volume Reprint (pamphlet 1). Originally published: On the various applications of anastatic printing and papyrography / by Philip H. De La Motte. London: D. Bogue, 1849 Reprint (pamphlet 2). Originally published: A brief description of the art of anastatic printing / as practiced by S.H. Cowell. Ipswich: S.H. Cowell, [1858?] Reprint (pamphlet 3). Originally published: A treatise on anastatic printing. / by C.J. Jordan. London: Printed for the author, 1853 Contains: On the various applications of anastatic printing / Philip de la Motte; A brief description of the art of anastatic printing / S. H. Cowell; A treatise on anastatic printing / C. J. Jordan. From the introduction: "Anastatic printing was originally intended to be a facsimile printing process by which old documents could be reproduced, and can perhaps be considered as a forerunner of modern photocopying. Very much before its time, it failed to live up to expectations in this respect. ..While Philip Henry de la Motte (1821-1899) produced the earliest book on the subject, his interest quickly waned and he turned to photography, and eventually became Professor of Fine Art at King's College, London. His book is the most idiosyncratic of the three and the only one produced lithographically. ..C. J. Jordan's pamphlet is the scarcest of the three. He was one of the inventors of electrotype, but the others, Thomas Spencer, A. Adams and M. H. von Jacobi have tended to be given the credit. Although one may regard anastatic printing as little more than transfer lithography with a new name, it must have appeared more significant to contemporaries. It is not often in the history of printing that a new process has three separate publications written about it within ten years or so of its announcement. In spite of not living up to its early expectations, anastatic printing remained around the printing scene, mainly as a convenient method of short run publications for amateur drawings until the end of the century. The Anastatic Drawing Society ran from 1855 to 1886, issuing annual volumes of members' drawings, and the Ilam Anastatic Drawing Society was similarly active from 1859 to 1873."

Portfolio, cloth and marbled paper, 30 cm, Copy No. 66. Fine.

[SW: ANASTATIC PRINTING.wykbooks 11705 Lithography - Metal plate processes Zincography Copying processes Electrostatic printing Wakeman, Geoffrey;Delamotte, Philip Henry;Cowell, S. H.;Jordan, C. J.]

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