Stories of the | Witch Queen; | Wood-engravings by N.R. Jackson
[Cavan, Ontario]: Peppermint Press, [1985]. Octavo, 20.1 x 12.8 cm. Cased in quarter red cloth and pale teal ‘Ginsen’ Japanese paper over boards. Printed paper label to the spine. Top and fore-edges trimmed, bottom edges untrimmed. Housed in a grey paper covered slipcase. Printed paper label to the slipcase spine, which is also numbered in pencil at the foot. Unpaginated [pp. 92; plus ll. 4: matching but not integral front endleaves; ll. 4: matching but not integral rear endleaves]. Minor sunning to the slipcase spine and light rubbing and wear to its extremities. A fine copy. The text was set in Linotype Trajanus and printed on dampened Hahnemühle mouldmade paper. The Introduction and final section are embellished with calligraphed initial capitals. The text is illustrated with 10 wood engravings by Nancy Ruth Jackson. Each of the five chapters receives an opening headpiece and a full-page engraving. The engravings were printed from the original blocks in various colours: teal, pink, oxblood, two shades of grey, green, yellow, blue, purple, and ochre. From an edition of 250 copies, this being number 14. Inscribed in pencil on the colophon page by the printer Richard Miller: “For Andrew, with thanks | 12[VII]85.”
A copy of the original prospectus and two photographs of Richard Miller in his studio in Cavan, Ontario are laid in. The prospectus is a bifolium printed on all sides (19.4 x 11.7 cm closed): the first recto reproduces the title-page, the first verso and second recto reproduce the first and second pages of the first chapter, and the second verso gives the details of publication and edition. The photos were taken by Andrew Gregg and measure roughly 8.8 x 12.7 cm. Both are annotated in pen on the verso. Item #404
“The Peppermint Press is pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of the first in its series of hand-crafted children’s books, Stories of the Witch Queen… The stories, of understated elegance, are written with warmth, wit, and charm and will delight the usual children of all ages.” — Richard Miller, from the prospectus.
Price: $375.00