The Dunwich Horror
H. P. Lovecraft, with aquatints by Briony Morrow-Cribbs
The original 1929 text from Weird Tales, embellished with original aquatints. Appended to the story is Lovecraft’s History of the Necronomicon, with a facsimile page from the 17th century Latin edition printed in Spain.
Edition of 50 numbered copies (+ six hors commerce) signed by the artist. Set in Bembo and Desdemona types, with chapter tailpieces created from Bodoni ornaments. Printed with the handpress on Barcham Green handmade papers. Aquatints printed by the artist on Arches wove. Issued in three states (see below). 8vo, 54 pages + prints. 2024
The artist created eight aquatints for this project: a frontispiece; one to face the story’s introductory epigraph; and six that appear within the story. These six were lettered A — F in the plates.
All copies in the edition include the frontis and epigraph prints.
Copies 1— 20 include all six of the lettered prints.
Copies 21— 50 include just three of the lettered prints, but the combination varies from copy to copy, with no more than two copies sharing the same combination.
All copies were sewn and bound by hand, with the aquatints incorporated (i.e. sewn) with the text sheets. All are quarter bindings, with boards covered in an original etching by Briony. These thorny cover etchings are palimpsests – they are proof and unused sheets of Reg Lissel’s handmade paper from previous HM projects, stained and painted black, and then run through Briony’s etching press.
Copies 1—20 were issued with a portfolio containing first-state proofs (i.e. etchings) of the eight aquatints, printed on kitikata paper, and the pamphlet Dunwich Tales, containing some tailpieces that did not appear in the book. This pamphlet was printed on sheets of Reg Lissel’s handmade from previous HM projects, dyed black. Like the etching covering the boards, they are palimpsests.
Copies1—5 (and three h.c.) were specially bound & boxed in quarter vellum by Claudia Cohen. These also included a portfolio of the aquatints printed on vintage Royal Watercolour Society handmade paper, each one fully painted and initialed by the artist; one of the eight aquatint plates (cancelled); and a few additional pieces of ephemera.
Copies 6 – 50 were sewn and bound at HM in quarter Japanese cloth with Briony’s etching over boards. The endpapers in these copies were printed and painted at HM.
Copies 6 – 20 were issued in a clamshell box.
Copies 21 – 50 were issued in a slipcase covered in painted paper.
H.C. copies IV—VI were bound in quarter cloth with some small variations and editions.
Three of the 56 copies (two numbered, one h.c.) were printed on F.J. Head handmade paper, noted on the colophon.