Chiswick Press: Book of Common Prayer, 1844

In the Victorian era, English printing sank to a depressingly low level, almost the only relief being provided by the collaboration between the publisher William Pickering and Charles Whittingham (the younger) of the Chiswick Press. The most important result of this, was the revival of the types cut by William Caslon during the first half of the 18th century, which included not only the famous ‘Old Face’, but also the beautiful ‘Black-Letter’ used for Pickering’s great series of folio Prayer Books.

Actual page size – 35cm x 24cm, printed on both sides. Mounted on grey board.

Original Leaf from a Famous European Book, each work with one-page letterpress index, the idea is that each leaf is mounted and subsequently framed to provide a unique wall decoration.

This was an old fund-raising exercise perfected by the Folio Society

Taken from the Book of Common Prayer. And the administration of the sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies of the church, according to the use of the united church of England and Ireland: together with the Psalter of Psalms of David.

The Chiswick ‘Book of common prayer’ was one of a set of seven editions of different historical versions, ranging from Edward VI, 1549 up to the ‘modern’ Victoria edition of 1844.  It was done for the publisher, William Pickering of London, by Charles Whittingham the younger at the Chiswick Press. It is bound in vellum, with gold tooling and dark Morocco labels on the spine.