The Auto-biography of Luke Hansard, written in 1817

Oblong 4to. 7 5/8 x 8 3/4 inches. (160) pp. Half-title, title page printed in red and black inks with a lion and unicorn vignette, section heads printed in red, color portrait of Luke Hansard tipped-in, 19 woodcut illustrations of various sizes throughout the text, appendices, bibliography, list of subscribers, index,and prospectus with SIGNED woodcut print by John Lawrence enclosed in pocket on the rear paste-down; text clean, unmarked. Red cloth spine, patterned paper with the John Lawrence illustrations over boards, printed paper spine label, clear plastic dust-jacket, housed in the original blue-cloth-covered slip case with a printed paper spine label; binding square and tight. SIGNED by the illustrator. GIL921-010. Fine.

LIMITED EDITION of 250 copies. The colophon reads: "There are 250 copies of this first full printing of Luke Hansard's Autobiography, illustrated by John Lawrence's wood engravings and informed by Robin Myers' notes. It was printed on a 1963 Heidelberg Cylinder Press for the text, and an 1853 Albion hand press for the engravings. The paper is mouldmade Alice Zerkall. The Hansard text was set in Van Dijck by Ronset, the last job to be set before their hot metal closure in November 1988. Bill Hughes at Solo-Type set the hanging shoulder notes in 8pt Garamond italic, and Jonathan Stephenson & Geoffrey Bamford set the rest of the text matter in Van Dijck at The Rocket Press. A signed print by John Lawrence accompanies each copy of the book, which is dedicated by the printer to his mother, Heather Lawrence, who was a fine scholar and who saw the beginnings but not the end of this pleasurable effort. Simon Lawrence, Christmas 1990."

Luke Hansard was an English printer who printed the Journals of the House of Commons from 1774 until his death in 1828. He was born in Norwich and apprenticed to the Norwich printer, Stephen White. When his apprenticeship was completed, he headed for London, entering the printing office of John Hughs, printer to the British House of Commons. He became a partner in the business in 1774, taking over all operations of the business by 1800. Among those whose friendship Hansard won through his profession were Edmund Burke, Samuel Johnson, and Robert Orme.

REFERENCE: Number 25 in the online Bibliography of the Fleece Press (fleece press dot com). Worldcat shows 44 copies; some of these are the Printing History Association paperback reprints.