Colin Franklin (writer and bibliographer)
Encyclopedia
Colin Ellis Franklin, MA, FSA
(born 8 October 1923) is an English writer, bibliographer
, book-collector
and antiquarian bookseller. Franklin was born in Notting Hill, London into an affluent and influential British Jewish family. His father was Ellis Arthur Franklin (1894–1964), a London merchant banker and his mother was Muriel Frances Waley (1894–1976). His father's uncle was Herbert Samuel (later Viscount Samuel) who was Home Secretary in 1916 and the first practising Jew to serve in the British Cabinet. He was also the first High Commissioner (effectively governor) for the British Mandate of Palestine. His aunt Helen Carolin Franklin was married to Norman de Mattos Bentwich, who was Attorney General in the British Mandate of Palestine. She was active in trade union organisation and women's suffrage, and was later a member of the London County Council.
At school he developed an interest in William Morris
and the Pre-Raphaelites. He studied at St John's College, Oxford
, and worked for some years in publishing in London before moving into antiquarian bookselling. He has specialised in the study of private presses and the book-arts, but has also written on Shakespeare, Japanese books and prints, Lord Chesterfield, Elizabeth Barrett Browning
and on printing techniques and media.
He is Honorary President of the Oxford University Society of Bibliophiles
and has also been President of the Private Libraries Association and the Double Crown Club
. He is the brother of the influential biophysicist Rosalind Franklin
.
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
(born 8 October 1923) is an English writer, bibliographer
Bibliographer
"A bibliographer is a person who describes and lists books and other publications, with particular attention to such characteristics as authorship, publication date, edition, typography, etc. The result of this endeavor is a bibliography...
, book-collector
Book collecting
Book collecting is the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever books are of interest to a given individual collector. The love of books is bibliophilia, and someone who loves to read, admire, and collect...
and antiquarian bookseller. Franklin was born in Notting Hill, London into an affluent and influential British Jewish family. His father was Ellis Arthur Franklin (1894–1964), a London merchant banker and his mother was Muriel Frances Waley (1894–1976). His father's uncle was Herbert Samuel (later Viscount Samuel) who was Home Secretary in 1916 and the first practising Jew to serve in the British Cabinet. He was also the first High Commissioner (effectively governor) for the British Mandate of Palestine. His aunt Helen Carolin Franklin was married to Norman de Mattos Bentwich, who was Attorney General in the British Mandate of Palestine. She was active in trade union organisation and women's suffrage, and was later a member of the London County Council.
At school he developed an interest in William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
and the Pre-Raphaelites. He studied at St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
, and worked for some years in publishing in London before moving into antiquarian bookselling. He has specialised in the study of private presses and the book-arts, but has also written on Shakespeare, Japanese books and prints, Lord Chesterfield, Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era. Her poetry was widely popular in both England and the United States during her lifetime. A collection of her last poems was published by her husband, Robert Browning, shortly after her death.-Early life:Members...
and on printing techniques and media.
He is Honorary President of the Oxford University Society of Bibliophiles
Oxford University Society of Bibliophiles
The Oxford University Society of Bibliophiles is a book collecting and bibliophile club run by, and primarily for, students at Oxford University. It was founded in 1950 by a group of young bibliophiles headed by John Granger, Bent Juel-Jensen and R. John Rickett, and the first meeting was held in...
and has also been President of the Private Libraries Association and the Double Crown Club
Double Crown Club
The Double Crown Club is a dining club and society of printers, publishers, book designers and illustrators in London that was founded in the 1920s...
. He is the brother of the influential biophysicist Rosalind Franklin
Rosalind Franklin
Rosalind Elsie Franklin was a British biophysicist and X-ray crystallographer who made critical contributions to the understanding of the fine molecular structures of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal and graphite...
.
Select bibliography
-
- Franklin, Colin. Exploring Japanese books and scrolls. San Francisco: Book Club of California, 1999. Reprinted London: British Library, 2005.
- Franklin, Colin. Book collecting as one of the fine arts. Aldershot: Scolar, 1995.
- Franklin, Colin. Lord Chesterfield: his character and Characters. Aldershot: Scolar, 1993.
- Franklin, Colin. The Gehenna Press: the work of fifty years, 1942–1992: the catalogue of an exhibition curated by Lisa Unger Baskin. With a bibliography by Hosea Baskin and notes by Leonard Baskin. [Dallas]: Bridwell Library and Gehenna Press, 1992.
- Franklin, Colin. Gogmagog: Maurice Cox and the Gogmagog Press. With David ChambersDavid John ChambersDavid John Chambers is an English bibliographer, printing historian, printer and book-collector. Throughout a career in insurance, latterly as a non-marine underwriter for AS Harrison Syndicate 56 at Lloyd's of London, and more recently in retirement, Chambers has studied books and ephemera...
and Alan Tucker. Pinner: Private Libraries Association, 1991. - Franklin, Colin. The private presses. Second edition, Aldershot: Scolar, 1991. (Originally published London: Studio Vista, 1969).
- Franklin, Colin. Shakespeare domesticated: the eighteenth-century editions. Aldershot: Scolar, 1991.
- Franklin, Colin. Elizabeth Barrett Browning at the mercy of her publishers. [Waco]: Armstrong Browning Library, 1989.
- Franklin, Colin. Poets of the Daniel PressDaniel PressThe Daniel Press was a private press run by Charles Henry Olive Daniel and members of his family. Daniel began printing in 1845, when still a schoolboy, at Frome in Somerset, and continued to print books and ephemera well into the twentieth century, latterly at Oxford where he ultimately became...
. Cambridge: Rampant Lions PressRampant Lions PressThe Rampant Lions Press was a fine letterpress printing firm founded by Will Carter and continued by his son Sebastian . It started life as a private press in 1924, when Will was still a schoolboy. After the war, his interest in printing was such that he decided to try to establish the Press on a...
, 1988. - Franklin, Colin. The Ashendene PressAshendene PressThe Ashendene Press was a small private press founded by Charles Henry St John Hornby . It operated from 1895 to 1915 in Chelsea, England, and was revived after the war in 1920...
. Dallas: Bridwell Library, 1986. - Franklin, Colin. Printing and the mind of MorrisWilliam MorrisWilliam Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
. Cambridge: Rampant Lions Press, 1986. - Franklin, Colin (editor). Gordon Craig'sEdward Gordon CraigEdward Henry Gordon Craig , sometimes known as Gordon Craig, was an English modernist theatre practitioner; he worked as an actor, director and scenic designer, as well as developing an influential body of theoretical writings...
Paris diary, 1872–1966. North Hills: Bird and Bull Press, 1982. - Franklin, Colin. Fond of printing: Gordon Craig as typographer and illustrator. San Francisco: Book Club of California, 1980.
- Franklin, Colin. Themes in aquatint. San Francisco: Book Club of California, 1978.
- Franklin, Colin. Emery WalkerEmery WalkerSir Emery Walker was an English engraver and printer.Born in London, Walker took an active role in many organisations that were at the heart of the Arts and Crafts movement, including the Art Workers Guild, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and the Arts and Crafts Exhibition...
: some light on his theories of printing and on his relations with William Morris and Cobden-Sanderson. Cambridge: University Printing House, 1973.