Events coming up:
PBFA Book Fairs are in spring – summer mode with 4 events in June ending with one of the highlights in the SW region with the fair in Bristol to be held at The Passenger Shed, Station Approach, Bristol BS1 6QH in association with The ABA on Friday 29th June between 1-7pm and Saturday 30th June between 10-4 pm. Admission £2. www.pbfa.org and info@pbfa.org
Enid Marx: Print, Pattern and Popular Art- House of Illustration
Enid Marx (1902-1998) was a textile designer, printmaker and illustrator who, alongside her contemporaries Eric Ravilious and Edward Bawden, defined mid-century design and 20 years after her death this is the most comprehensive retrospective of her works, including papers for Curwen and designs for King Penguin.
Where: 2 Granary Square, King’s Cross, London. N1C 4BH – U
http://www.houseofillustration.org.uk/whats-on/current-future-events/enid-marx-print-pattern-and-popular-art
Edward Bawden at Morley Gallery – 18th-23rd June
An exhibition of works by Edward Bawden, together those with artists and designers he studied with . In addition, over twenty contemporary artists, illustrators and designers will each unveil a new work specially commissioned for this exhibition. Opening times: Mon-Fri 11.00-18.00 Sat 12.00-16.00 at The Morley Gallery, 61 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7HT. Admission free. Private view: Thursday 19th June 18.00-20.30. RSVP – neiljennings20@gmail.com.
https://www.morleycollege.ac.uk/events/1472-morley-gallery-standing-a-little-outside-life-edward-bawden
Letterpress Printing Conference University of Leeds July 19th-20th 2018
This is the final of 4 conferences that began last September under the generic heading of Letterpress Printing: Past, Present, and Future and is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is a research network that brings together scholars, printers, museum professionals and amateurs to explore the significance of letterpress printing today. Featuring a key note lecture by Professor Johanna Drucker from the UCLA, this two-day conference explores the survival, legacy and relevance of letterpress printing in the digital era. For details see https://letterpress.leeds.ac.uk/ and follow the link.
Society of Bookbinders Education & Training Seminar
The 9th SoB Education & Training Seminar will be held from Thursday 30th August to Saturday 1st September at the University of Chester with SoB members only on Thursday. There will be talks augmented by demonstrations including Philippa Räder, Head of the Royal Bindery, Royal Collection Trust, Windsor Castle giving a demonstration on Friday 31st August on how to create a Victorian Letter Folder as found in the Royal Archives.Details to be found on https://www.societyofbookbinders.com/events/seminar/index.htmlYork Antiquarian Book Seminar (Y.A.B.S.)The Y.A.B.S. is a 3 day event to be held at The Bar Convent, 17 Blossom Street, York YO24 1AQ between 10-12th September 2018.It for those in the book trade ranging from booksellers, librarians and collectors from beginners to the seasoned professional to learn current software applications and the art of selling to the pubic and institutions. It is a comprehensive and in-depth approach to the book industry with the key note speaker from America, Lisa Unger Baskin, the noted bibliophile, collector of women’s literature and political activist.For details see https://www.yabseminar.com/OVERSEAS
Ireland – The National Print Museum, Haddington Road, Beggars Bush, Dublin D04 E0C9.
The home of printing presses and history of print in Ireland is conveniently situated near the centre of Dublin and the port.
From the 17th May until the 30th September 2018 the museum will be exhibiting “Print, Protest, and The Polls: The Irish women’s suffrage campaign and the power of print media, 1908 – 1918”. The exhibition will show the relationship between the contemporary political protest and the developing print media of both side of the campaign for women’s’ rights at the ballot box.
USA – Oak Knoll Fest XX: October 5th – October 7th, 2018
Oak Knoll Press who are well known among the British letterpress community have their annual book and printing festival and this year the theme is “Bringing it on Home ” in which Printers, booksellers, and collectors will discuss that theme in a free symposium on Saturday 6th , focusing on the importance of fine press book fairs that help expand the knowledge of the books arts.
For details see https://www.oakknoll.com/fest/
Early Private Presses 1730-1900, by David Chambers
This is the first comprehensive study of the private presses in the British Isles that were active in the 18th and 19th centuries. It will be printed in early 2018. In two volumes: Vol. 1 The Presses, c 300 pp, 75 illus. Vol 2: Bibliography, c. 300 pp. Cloth boards, imperial octavo. Both volumes will be issued as the free member book for the two years 2017 & 2018 combined. (To be included in the distribution of free copies of this standard edition, the PLA membership subscription must be paid for both years.) It is priced at £80 for both volumes, trade discount 25%. Special editions also available, 30 copies, both volumes bound in full morocco, in slip cases, with selected original leaves taken from 14 volumes of the presses concerned, price about £750. A further 70 copies will be issued with both volumes bound in quarter morocco, in slip cases, with original leaves from the same volumes, price about £375. 25% discount to PLA members or the trade. Postage extra. Join today and receive for free or reserve your copy using our order form. If you would like the prospectus pdf emailed to you, please send us a request using the contact form. The book description is on the publications books page.The Private Library: Quarterly Journal update
The Spring and Summer 2016 issue is a double issue and has not yet been sent out as it is still in proof, but it will consist of 128 pages on the Caradoc Press. As always, our quarterly journal is free to members yet can be purchased as a series or in individual copies. Please use the on-line order form to purchase your copy.
Join today!
Become a member today and join an ever growing community of book enthusiasts…at last count over 450 individual members and over 80 institutional members! The year 2016 marked our 60th anniversary and the momentum of enthusiasm for all things PLA continues to grow. 2017 was the beginning of what we are confident will be another 6 successful decades for the PLA and 2018 will offer exciting new publications as well as fairs and events for our members.
We want to encourage all bibliophiles – anyone who loves books – to join at an annual subscription of only £30. You will receive our well-respected quarterly journal, packed with interesting articles on all manner of subjects relating to books. Members also receive discounts on all our publications and a complimentary members book every 2 years. Students and anyone under the age of 26 will receive membership at only £15…so all young book collectors should sign up today!
Current News & Events
Welcome to The Private Libraries Association
Founded in 1956, the Private Libraries Association is an international society of book collectors – collectors of rare books, fine books, single authors, special subjects, and, above all collectors of books for the simple pleasures of reading and ownership.
The Association publishes a well regarded quarterly journal, The Private Library. It prints essays on members’ libraries, specialised collections, the work of the private presses, illustrators and, indeed, any aspect of the mania likely to appeal to collectors. Reviews of new books are a regular feature.
A series of illustrated books on specialised aspects of book collecting has been issued over the past fifty years, those still in print described in our current Books Catalogue. Also available is the annual bibliography Private Press Books, the definitive checklist for worldwide private press output from 1960 to 2008, which has been published by the Private Libraries Association since 1959.
Become a member today! Members receive the journal, free books, discounts and access to the exclusive members’ Newsletter and Exchange List, which is issued quarterly. A new feature, established in 2017, is a member page on-line exhibition. Members who wish to submit images and a short description of books from their collection are warmly invited do so. Any member interested in submitting photos of their collection should contact our Hon Secretary, Jim Maslen, via the contact form. In addition, as correspondence within the Association is encouraged, a Members’ Handbook is issued about every three years, listing member contacts and collecting interests. A new handbook will be issued in 2018.