LOST & FOUND

[Montclair, New Jersey]: Caliban Press, 1989. FIRST EDITION. ONE OF 125 COPIES SIGNED by Ely and Berrigan. 235 x 160 mm. (9 1/4 x 6 1/4"). [10] leaves.
UNIQUE BLACK MOROCCO BY TIMOTHY ELY, covers with inlaid red morocco frame enclosing a leather panel with a color illustration onlaid onto a metallic black material, the covers accented with geometric figures in colored metallics and blind tooling, smooth spine, black metallic handmade endpapers, top edges a metallic gray. In the original complementary black leather clamshell box. With three full-page and two smaller hand-painted geometrical illustrations by Ely. With a printed program for "Memo 7 & Other Works," an exhibition of 20 Ely books, including this one, and with a press release from Caliban Press regarding the publication of this title, laid in. As new.

This is a striking one-of-a-kind fine press production of a noted activist's short story, illustrated and bound by one of the most creative members of the American book community now at work. Here in its first appearance in print, "Lost & Found" is the story of a lost traveller who slowly learns what he is searching for. In the words of the Caliban Press press release that accompanies the present copy, as "a personal meditation on Berrigan's own life and a questioning look at contemporary values, 'Lost & Found' eventually poses questions we all must answer." Our author, Berrigan (1921-2016), was a Jesuit priest best remembered for his writing and peace activism--his anti-Vietnam War efforts led to his becoming the first priest on the FBI's most wanted list. The text is accompanied by original artworks and a unique binding by multidisciplinary artist Timothy Ely. In vibrant color, his illustrations take the form of abstract maps labeled with unreadable text. This motif is reflected in the mixed-media cover, created specially for our unique copy by Ely himself (the rest of the edition was bound in paste paper by the publisher). Born in 1949, Ely is known for making books with singular bindings using a variety of materials such as wax, resin, textiles, a range of pigments, and leather. As in the present case, his memorable creations are described as telling visual narratives, often using maps, geometric images, and cryptic scripts. Ely has long been a regular correspondent and admirer of Philip Smith, and there has obviously been a cross-fertilization in terms of technique and style between the two binders--but there is no book maker quite like Ely, past or present. Ely has taught bookbinding, drawing, and creativity workshops in many places in the world from Scandinavia to Central America. His books and other works can be found in various museums and libraries, most extensively in the United States and Europe. Our publisher Mark McMurray studied letterpress printing at the Red Ozier Press and bookbinding with Ely before founding the Caliban Press in 1985. McMurray spent nearly 30 years working as a special collections librarian while running the Caliban Press on the side, then, in 2018, retired from academia to focus on making books full time..