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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Black + White + Grey. The Lives + Works of Eric Gill + Robert Gibbings. Online exhibition
Date Created
Date of creation of the resource.
29 May 2015
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
In 1946, artist Robert Gibbings (1889-1958) visited his friend John Harris, who was then University Librarian at the University of Otago. Gibbings gave Harris five printed vellum sheets: three of Chaucer’s <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> (1929-31) and two of John Keats’s <em>Lamia</em> (1928). Both these titles were printed at The Golden Cockerel Press, which Gibbings owned from 1924 to 1933. One of the ‘Canterbury’ sheets contained an important addition: illustrations executed by Eric Gill (1882-1940), sculptor, stone cutter, engraver, and typographer. This vellum sheet is a small representative of the work that Gibbings and Gill did together, including the collaboration that resulted in <em>The Canterbury Tales</em>, and <em>The Four Gospels</em> (1931), which has been called ‘the typographical masterpiece of the 20th century’ (John Dreyfus). Both Gibbings and Gill were sons of clergymen; Gibbings visited New Zealand; Gill’s father was born in the South Seas in 1848; both wrote extensively on a wide range of topics; both were members of the Society of Wood Engravers (founded in 1920); both were talented artists; and both were prolific wood-engravers. And importantly for this exhibition, both made and designed books, although at first they were both typographically naïve. Their bookish collaboration lasted from 1925 to 1931. Both men have had a lasting influence in the artistic world. Gibbings created some outstanding limited edition books through his The Golden Cockerel Press. He also left some marvellously lyrical travelogues on places such as Tahiti and Ireland. Gill’s legacy is perhaps more evident. His sculptures are found in institutions throughout the world; his line illustrations are frequently reproduced; and importantly, there are his typefaces such as Perpetua and Gill Sans (the typeface used for this exhibition); the latter often used by modern-day book-makers and designers today. This exhibition is based on holdings within Special Collections. It is an overview, offering a glimpse into the lives and work of these two gifted artists.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Special Collections, University of Otago
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
An Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber, Comedian, and Late Patentee of the Theatre-Royal. Vol. 1
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colley Cibber
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1925
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Special Collections PR3347 A81 1925
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Books
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Waltham St Lawrence, Berkshire: The Golden Cockerel Press
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
In August 1924 the Gill family moved to Capel-y-ffin in Wales. Gill visited Gibbings at Waltham St Lawrence often, and on one occasion (30 November 1924) wrote in his diary: ‘Talking with Gibbings re: printing etc. all day./ After supper drew Mrs Gibbings (nude) 11.0-3.0 am./ RG and self nude also./ V. exhilarating and good.’ They became fast friends. And to help Gibbings out with the unillustrated books planned for printing, Gill offered to do lettered designs – engraved initials or engraved titles – that enhanced the overall aesthetics of these publications. In this edition of Colley Cibber’s autobiography – said to be the worst Poet Laureate ever – Gill created thirteen initials, printed in blue. Thus his lettering skills did not rust. Indeed, he completed some 964 individual examples of inscriptions in his long career.
Colley Cibber
Engravings
Eric Gill
Golden Cockerel Press
Robert Gibbings