History of the Golden Cockerel Press 1920 - 1960

The Golden Cockerel Press was the most important and productive of the English private presses which started work in the 1920s. Originally a co-operative venture set up as 'a proving ground for literature', under Robert Gibbings it was transformed into a fine press famous for its illustrated books. Eric Gill's Four Gospels (1931) was but one of its successes illustrated by the wood-engravers of the time - Eric Ravilious, David Jones, Agnes Miller Parker, John Buckland Wright and others. Based on interview and the Press's widely-scattered archives, this richly illustrated history discusses and assesses its books. In showing how the market for fine books was created and sustained, it provides many insights into other aspects of the British publishing scene.