London Antiquarian Book Fair at Olympia

Sanders of Oxford will once again be exhibiting at this years London Antiquarian Book Fair at Olympia. We will have on display over five hundred prints and maps from the 16th to 20th Century. These include striking Japanese woodblock prints, early portraits, caricatures, maps and fine mezzotints. All items will be listed on our website shortly, but if there is anything in particular you would like us to bring along just let us know.

To view a catalogue of highlights that will be on display at the fair please click here .

The National Hall,
Olympia Exhibition Centre,
Hammersmith Road,
London
W14 

Opening Hours:
Thursday 13th June – 3pm – 8:30pm
Friday 14th June – 11am – 7pm
Saturday 15th June – 11am – 5:30pm

Image: 
Denmark
Lillian Lancaster 
Chromolithograph
Vincent Brooks, Day & Son, Lith. London W.C. 1871. 
Image 202 x 240 mm, Sheet 228 x 276 mm

This map derives from Dr. William Harvey’s ‘Geographical Fun. Being Humorous Outlines of Various Countries.’ It was a series of pictures in which the principal European countries were personified by a figure in keeping with the stereotypical character of its people. Harvey's publication first appeared in 1869, and was published by Hodder & Stoughton. A chromolithographic edition followed in 1871, which was printed by Vincent Brooks, Day & Son. It is believed that the maps were created by Lillian Lancaster; a fifteen year-old girl who envisaged them as a means to entertain her brother who, through illness, was confined to his bed. The works are a prodigious achievemnet for a girl so young. Her amusing draughtsmanship is accompanied by verse written by William Harvey, but accredited to his pseudonym ‘Aleph.’ The stanza for this map reads:

‘For Shakespeare’s Prince, and the Princess of Wales,
To England dear. Her royal spirit quails;
From skating faint, she rests upon the snow;
Shrinking from unclean beasts that grin below.’

Lancaster’s map of the Scandinavian country appears to be a thinly veiled representation of Alexandra of Denmark. ‘Shakespeare’s Prince’ is a reference to Prince Denmark of Hamlet, whilst the ‘Princess of Wales’ appellation alludes to the position that she held from 1863 until 1901; the longest period that anyone has ever possessed the courtesy title. The activity of ice-skating is also pertinent, for it was one of Alexandra’s foremost social activities in addition to dancing and tandem horseriding. 

The firm of Day & Haghe was one of the most prominent lithographic companies of the nineteenth-century. They were also amongst the foremost pioneers in the evolution of chromolithography. The firm was established in 1823 by William Day, but did not trade under the moniker of Day & Haghe until the arrival of Louis Haghe in 1831. In 1838, Day & Haghe were appointed as Lithographers to the Queen. However, and perhaps owing to the fact that there was never a formal partnership between the two, Haghe left the firm in the 1850’s to devote himself to watercolour painting. The firm continued as Day & Son under the guidance of William Day the younger (1823 - 1906) but, as a result of a scandal involving Lajos Kossuth, was forced into liquidation in 1867. Vincent Brookes bought the company in the same year, and would produce the caricatures for Gibson Bowles’ Vanity Fair magazine, as well as the illustrations for Cassells’s Poultry Book, amongst other commissions.

THE BICYCLE. Original posters and advertisements from the late 1800’s to the 1930’s.

Sanders of Oxford are pleased to present the first in a series of mini-exhibitions on subjects we are consistently asked for, but rarely have the material. This first instalment concentrates on cycling and the bicycle. With around 21,000 bikes in use in Oxford on a daily basis, the bicycle is a subject close to the heart of many Oxfordians. On display in the gallery from Wednesday 15th May will be a collection of striking original posters and advertisements depicting the bicycle from the late 1800’s to the 1930’s.

The Golden Age of Cycling reached its pinnacle in the late 1800’s, during the Belle Epoque era1.  This was also a period when poster art was at its height, with artists such as Alphonse Mucha and Toulouse-Lautrec
producing graphic masterpieces. However few artists concentrated purely on the subject of the bicycle, some of the most notable poster artists of the age such as Jules Chéret and Lautrec produced advertisements for the likes of ‘Cycles Humber’ and ‘La Chaine Simpson’ (No 6), though unknown artists produced many spectacular posters as well.

With a boom in bicycle sales in the 1890’s there was ample funding available to the major bicycle
manufacturers to commission more extravagant and impressive posters and advertisements, particularly in America. By 1900 the bicycle boom was over in the United States, but advertising was still dominant, this time due to a more competitive market. American advertisements of the period had a unique style, with catchy marketing slogans. This is in contrast to the elegant and artistic style of French poster designs that promoted a lifestyle as much as a product (No 1). However, British bicycles sales were, in this period, decidedly upmarket, resulting in a more conservative ‘gentlemanly’ approach. What can be seen towards the end of the nineteenth and the start of the twentieth century, is British bicycle advertising directed toward women (No 4). In this era in Great Britain, for the first time, the bicycle allowed women a freedom of movement previously denied.2

The primary printing method of these posters was multi-colour stone lithography, invented by Jules Cheret at the end of the nineteenth century.  For each colour printed, a separate lithographic stone/plate had to be drawn, with precise registration of the paper each time the stones were put through the press. These original posters are printed on very thin paper, similar to newsprint. Acting as the billboards of the day they were only expected to survive for a limited period of time, pasted in public places to advertise a product or event. Their artists and printers knew that they would be rained on, torn down and covered up; therefore it is extremely rare to find them in perfect condition. The process of stone lithography limited the number of posters that could be created; a run of approximately 2,000 was standard. However because they were not created as collectable artworks, or intended to last for more than a month or so, they were not numbered and often they were not signed.3



Click here to download the catalogue.




1.The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque, French for “Beautiful Era” was a period in French history that is commonly dated as starting in 1871 and ending at the outbreak of World War I. Occurring during the era of the Third French Republic, it was a period characterized by optimism and peace both at home and in Europe. The peace and prosperity in Paris allowed the arts to flourish, and many masterpieces of literature, music, theatre, and visual art gained recognition. The Belle Époque was named, in retrospect, when it began to be considered a “golden age” in contrast to the horrors of World War I.
2.Old Bike.Eu. Vintage Bicycle Adverts 1900-1920. [Online]. Available:  http://oldbike.wordpress.com/vintage-bicycle-adverts-1900-1920/. Accessed 30th April 2013.
3. IVPDA. (2006). Starting Your Collection. [Online]. Available: http://www.ivpda.com/cgi-local/content.cgi?p=5. Accessed 30th April 2013.

Oxford Book Fair

The PBFA Oxford Book Fair returns this weekend to the Main Hall at Oxford Brookes University, ourselves alongside nearly 100 other antiquarian book, print and map dealers will exhibiting a diverse range of material from modern first editions through to 16th Century Bibles.

Oxford Book Fair
Main Hall,
Gipsy Lane,
Oxford Brookes University
OX3 0BP

Saturday 20th April, Noon-6pm
Sunday 21st April, 10am-4pm

Pop into the shop to pick up your free tickets.

If you are intending to visit the fair and would like us to bring anything in particular with us for you to view just let us know by emailing: info@sandersofoxford.com

Alternatively jump on the bus or walk down the hill and visit our shop on the High Street, with over 30,000 items available to browse.

'Fat Beasts and 23 Fat Sheep'

We are pleased to present our second specialist catalogue of the year, 'Fat Beasts and 23 Fat Sheep' A Catalogue of Agriculture Prints.

This catalogue is dedicated to Hon. Christopher Lennox-Boyd (1941 – 2012), without whose extensive knowledge and collection it could not have been compiled.

Click here to download the catalogue,

or browse the catalogue page by page.

The Boat Race

The annual Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge universities is this weekend. The Race takes place close to Easter each year on the River Thames in West London between Putney and Mortlake.

The first race took place in 1829 in Henley on Thames following a challenge between old school friends. Since the second race in 1836 the contest has taken place in London.

The 2013 Race on Easter Sunday March 31st will be the 159th contest; Cambridge lead the series with 81 victories to Oxford's 76, with one dead-heat in 1877.

We currently have a good selection of rowing prints in stock depicting not only the boat race but also rowing in Oxford and Eton.

With it set to be one of the coldest March days on record for the boat race, this picture of rowing practice on a frozen Thames may not be as far fetched as it looks

The Jacobites

The Jacobites.
A Catalogue of engraved portraits & satires

Oxford was a stronghold of the Jacobite movement. In the 18th century, Oxford printsellers were providing prints of the exiled Royal Family for the large Jacobite customer base within the University. In fact, it was once said by Willaim Pitt that, “Oxford is paved with Jacobites,” so it is somewhat appropriate that Sanders of Oxford is doing their bit to continue the tradition of selling Jacobite prints in Oxford.

The following work contains a few extremely rare, and in some cases unrecorded prints. This material derives from the library of Viscount Strathallan, whose family were Jacobite supporters. When the chance came to acquire the collection, we could not resist, especially given the success of our previous Jacobite catalogue of 2005. We at Sanders of Oxford hope that you enjoy it. 

Click here to browse the catalogue

Catalogue of recent acquisitions

This February Sanders of Oxford are pleased to announce the release of a broad collection of recent acquisitions. Over the past few months we have been busy collating a selection of fine and decorative prints and maps spanning a diverse range of subjects, engravers and prices.

Whether you are a specialist or a generalist we hope that our current catalogue of rare and unusual material offers something of interest.

Click here to download the catalogue.

or browse the catalogue page by page.