Friday’s Library Snapshot …
I am in between tasks at Special Collections; soon I begin work reclassifing the Cole Collection. It is at present only on a card catalogue. Nice, but can only be used onsite. But until then I remember a collection I worked on and get organised …
One of my favourite collections of books here at the library is the Gibbings Collection.
Robert Gibbings (1889-1959) was a wood engraver, artist and author. He founded the Society of Wood Engravers in 1919 and took over the Golden Cockerel Press at Waltham St. Lawrence, Berkshire from 1924-1933.
In 1936 he became a senior lecturer in the Typography Department at the University of Reading.
The collection comprises of 300 books written and/or illustrated by Robert Gibbings. There are some books printed at the Golden Cockerel Press and others at the University of Reading, School of Fine Art.
In 1939 Robert built a little boat and sailed down the River Thames. On the way he stopped at nearby public houses; talking and engraving as he went.
This book, documenting his journey, was very popular in the 1940s among people who wanted to escape the harsh reality of England at the time…
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Coat Hanger Doll's House 