The Aldine Press: Catalogue of the Ahmanson-Murphy Collection of books by or relating to the Press in the Library of the University of California, Los Angeles; incorporating works recorded elsewhere.
This massive tome is the culmination of a four-year project; containing some 1,370 quasi-facsimile bibliographic descriptions of the printed work (1495–1589) of Aldus Manutius, his heirs, and related material. It includes a lengthy introductory essay (by editor Nicolas Barker), illustrative matter (378 typefaces, printer’s devices, and reconstructed watermarks), and referential information (tables, concordance, and indexes).
The typographic demands of a catalogue on this scale were large, and we were fortunate in finding two artists equal to them. Matthew Carter, Carter & Cone Type, Cambridge, Massachusetts, designer of Wilson (Greek) and Miller (roman), the first entirely successful match of Greek and roman type in digital form, adapted them to the needs of the project (renaming them Manutius). The reconfigured founts required many special characters, whose varying shapes and number tested his skill and patience to the utmost. To the success of his work the ensuing pages are the best tribute. Their elegance, a notable achievement in a work of severely technical character, is due to Gerald Lange, of The Bieler Press, Marina del Rey, California, who had chief responsibility for the book’s typographic design. This again was a task that went far beyond the normal task of laying out printed matter. His enquiring mind looked beyond its original form to the reasons for thus presenting it; this Socratic approach immeasurably improved the logic of its arrangement. His sure but unassertive sense of design has given it further grace. To both we are especially grateful. —Nicolas Barker
The typographic considerations involved in the production of this book were detailed in an article by Gerald Lange in Printing History: the Journal of the American Printing History Association, 2001.
Published by the University of California Press in 2001. One of the earliest uses of Adobe’s new PDF software for the production of negatives (I spent several weeks testing it out for them!). Printed on Mohawk Superfine, an acid-free paper, in an edition consisting of 425 copies. The book measures 9 by 12 inches (with cloth covered slipcase) and weighs over eight pounds. 673 pages. ISBN 0-520-22993-2. LC 00-064851.
Out-of-print from publisher, $500 (plus shipping). We have a limited number of these available in original shipping boxes for dealers (3 books per shipping box, $1,095).
