Albert, Ernest & the Titanic

Dublin, Ireland: Distillers Press, 2012. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine in Fine Slipcase. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Binding by Tom Duffy, The Five Lamps, Dublin. Hand set in newly cast Garamond (Hand & Eye, London) and Grotesque light and Grot no. 8 (Stephenson & Blake, early 20th century).
"This book tells the story of RMS Titanic's ill-fated on board printers, Abraham 'Albert' Mishellany and Ernest Corbin as they travel on the ship's doomed maiden voyage.
In his foreword for the book, Irish author Colm Tóibín writes: "As we mark the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic, we are reminded of the amazing gallery of prose and poetry prompted by the events of 1912. However, as well as the passengers, we cannot forget the skilled craftsmen who worked on the ship."
The result of two years of research and production, the book includes ink made from coal from the wreck site and the accompanying typeface, 'Horizon' was developed for this project. [Artist Statement]
"Working towards his Master's degree at NCAD, Jamie Murphy applied himself to making a book that relates, in visual form, the story of the Titanic's two resident printers. An oceanliner is a world in microcosm, requiring an entire support system and all manner of skills, designers and printers among them.
Abraham "Albert" Mishellany and Ernest Corbin designed and printed "the restaurant menus, stationery, note pads, programmes of events" and even the tickets. In the aftermath of the disaster, these ephemera, as with virtually everything associated with the Titanic, became much sought after mementoes and have sold for thousands at auctions.
Murphy has commemorated the printers in the medium of linocut, one of the most basic printmaking techniques. The book he has made with the images, plus the kind of letterpress methods employed by his subjects, also uses powder from coal salvaged from the site of the wreck." [Irish Times]
This was the first of Murphy's 'big books', selling out at publication almost immediately and extrodinarily hard to find on the market.
Winner of the RDS Printmaker Award 2012 & the NUI Art & Design Prize 2012." Tight, bright, and unmarred. Slipcase tight and bright. Grey cloth boards, exposed glueless binding, in blind lettering, paper label. Oblong 4to. 176pp. Illus. (b/w plates). Limited numbered edition, this being __ of 30 (with six additional copies for private distribution).