Barbara’s first limited edition book, and her first printed and bound entirely by hand. A series of 10 short essays about plants that have been variously used throughout history for both their beneficial and lethal effects, each accompanied by a botanical wood engraving.
The book (4 x 6.5 inches, 50 pp.) was set by hand in 12-point Garamont, cast by Jim Rimmer at his Pie Tree Press & Typefoundry. The text was printed with the HM handpress on dampened, all-cotton paper. The engravings were printed from the original blocks on gampi paper. All papers were made specially for this project by Reg Lissel. The edition of 45 press-numbered copies (including five hors commerce) was signed by both Barbara and Shinsuke, and issued in two states:
Copies 1–10 were specially bound Terry Rutherford, sewn on four vellum slips (two natural, two dyed green) and laced through a limp vellum case. The title was hand-lettered on the spine by renown calligrapher Martin Jackson. The frontis in these copies was hand-printed by Shinsuke on gampi, mounted on Rives BFK, and signed. The book was contained in a clamshell box covered in paste paper made specialy by Terry.
Copies 11–40 (and the 5 A.P.) were bound at HM: sewn on vellum slips, with a sewn headband; lined; and laced into a heavy handmade paper wrap, with a slipcase.
