THE ALPHABET AS A WORK OF ART

[Baskin, Leonard] ; Gehenna Press

Cancelleresca Bastarda [Gehenna Press] [Limited Edition - 100 Copies] [Signed by Baskin] [Typography]

Northampton: The Gehenna Press, 1965. Limited Edition.
A PROFOUND TYPOGRAPHICAL HOMAGE FROM THE PRIVATE PRESS OF LEONARD BASKIN AND HIS TYPOGRAPHY.
This 1965 Gehenna Press production is widely considered Baskin’s most refined exercise in pure typography. Utilizing Jan van Krimpen’s Renaissance-inspired 'Cancelleresca Bastarda' typeface, Baskin displays eleven aphorisms and alphabets in a vibrant palette of red, black, and green. Handset and printed on heavy wove paper with deckle edges, the volume is housed in hand-marbled paper boards by the master binder Peter Franck. This is a work where the alphabet itself becomes the primary subject of art.

KEY FEATURES
+++ Limitation: One of only 100 numbered copies (No. 69), signed by Leonard Baskin in the colophon.
+++ Typography: Printed entirely in Jan van Krimpen’s elegant chancery script, 'Cancelleresca Bastarda', in multiple colors.
+++ Fine Craft: Bound in hand-marbled paper by Peter Franck; includes the rare publisher-attached paper jacket/guard at the inner hinge.
+++ Press History: One of the few Gehenna books devoted exclusively to the art of type and letterforms.
+++ Specs: 16 leaves printed rectos only; 5.125 × 6.375 in.

CONDITION: Very Good -- Bindings are tight with minor rubbing to the spine. The marbled paper boards by Peter Franck show light handling. The text block is clean with strong, crisp color impressions of the red, green, and black forms. The original paper jacket—attached at the inner edge by the publisher—is present and shows light wear at the spine. A sophisticated and well-preserved copy of a scarce typographic high-spot.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE --
The Gehenna Press was a pivotal force in the mid-20th-century revival of the book as a 'total art form'. Leonard Baskin, primarily known as a sculptor and graphic artist, used the press to challenge the boundaries of commercial printing.

In this specimen, the choice of 'Cancelleresca Bastarda' is a nod to the great 16th-century writing masters, yet Baskin’s bold use of color and space is purely modern. The collaboration with Peter Franck, one of the most respected binders of the era, ensures that the book is a tactile masterpiece from the cover to the final leaf. For the collector of Baskin or the history of the letterform, this is an essential acquisition.

SUBJECTS: Gehenna Press, Leonard Baskin, Jan van Krimpen, Typographic Specimens, Fine Press Movement, Peter Franck Marbled Paper, Fine Press, Typographic Art.

Item #21197

Price: $1,200.00