Daniel Press
Encyclopedia
The Daniel Press was a private press
run by Charles Henry Olive Daniel (1836–1919) 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 Provost of Oriel College. His typography
was antiquarian in style, and the quality of his printing might be described as vigorous rather than fine. However, he was a great enthusiast for letterpress, and is notable for the early date of his private press activities (starting more than forty years before William Morris
conceived the Kelmscott Press and the so-called 'private press movement' began). The Daniel Press is interesting too for the works printed and published there, including reprints of little-known early-modern texts, major works by Keats
, Milton
and others, and original literature, including poetry by his friend Robert Bridges
. In 1881 he printed The garland of Rachel by divers kindly hands to mark the first birthday of his daughter of that name. Daniel persuaded many of the leading English poets of the day, including Bridges, Austin Dobson
, Andrew Lang
, John Addington Symonds
, Lewis Carroll
and Edmund Gosse
to contribute. He was also notable for making use of the Fell types, and a number of historical ornaments, cast by Oxford University Press
at a time when these were considered highly unfashionable by most other printers and publishers.
In his later years Daniel's printing activities declined and, on his death in 1919, his large Albion press
(acquired in 1887) and types were bequeathed to the Bodleian Library
. Here they were used (by a team of compositors and pressmen borrowed from the University Press) to print an account of Daniel's life and work as a printer and man of letters, with an extensive bibliography written by Falconer Madan
. The press and some of the Fell types are still held by the Library, and are now used for teaching.
Private press
Private press is a term used in the field of book collecting to describe a printing press operated as an artistic or craft-based endeavor, rather than as a purely commercial venture...
run by Charles Henry Olive Daniel (1836–1919) and members of his family. Daniel began printing in 1845, when still a schoolboy, at Frome
Frome
Frome is a town and civil parish in northeast Somerset, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome. The town is approximately south of Bath, east of the county town, Taunton and west of London. In the 2001...
in Somerset, and continued to print books and ephemera
Ephemera
Ephemera are transitory written and printed matter not intended to be retained or preserved. The word derives from the Greek, meaning things lasting no more than a day. Some collectible ephemera are advertising trade cards, airsickness bags, bookmarks, catalogues, greeting cards, letters,...
well into the twentieth century, latterly at Oxford where he ultimately became Provost of Oriel College. His typography
Typography
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading , adjusting the spaces between groups of letters and adjusting the space between pairs of letters...
was antiquarian in style, and the quality of his printing might be described as vigorous rather than fine. However, he was a great enthusiast for letterpress, and is notable for the early date of his private press activities (starting more than forty years before 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...
conceived the Kelmscott Press and the so-called 'private press movement' began). The Daniel Press is interesting too for the works printed and published there, including reprints of little-known early-modern texts, major works by Keats
John Keats
John Keats was an English Romantic poet. Along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, he was one of the key figures in the second generation of the Romantic movement, despite the fact that his work had been in publication for only four years before his death.Although his poems were not...
, Milton
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
and others, and original literature, including poetry by his friend Robert Bridges
Robert Bridges
Robert Seymour Bridges, OM, was a British poet, and poet laureate from 1913 to 1930.-Personal and professional life:...
. In 1881 he printed The garland of Rachel by divers kindly hands to mark the first birthday of his daughter of that name. Daniel persuaded many of the leading English poets of the day, including Bridges, Austin Dobson
Austin Dobson
Austin Dobson was an auto driver from England.Brother of auto racer Arthur Charles, he participated at first edition, in 1936, of the Hungarian Grand Prix with Alfa Romeo....
, Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang was a Scots poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St Andrews are named after him.- Biography :Lang was born in Selkirk...
, John Addington Symonds
John Addington Symonds
John Addington Symonds was an English poet and literary critic. Although he married and had a family, he was an early advocate of male love , which he believed could include pederastic as well as egalitarian relationships. He referred to it as l'amour de l'impossible...
, Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
and Edmund Gosse
Edmund Gosse
Sir Edmund William Gosse CB was an English poet, author and critic; the son of Philip Henry Gosse and Emily Bowes.-Early life:...
to contribute. He was also notable for making use of the Fell types, and a number of historical ornaments, cast by Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
at a time when these were considered highly unfashionable by most other printers and publishers.
In his later years Daniel's printing activities declined and, on his death in 1919, his large Albion press
Albion press
The Albion press is a model of early iron hand printing press, originally designed and manufactured in London by Richard Whittaker Cope around 1820. It worked by a simple toggle action, unlike the complex lever-mechanism of the Columbian press and the Stanhope press. Albions continued to be...
(acquired in 1887) and types were bequeathed to the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
. Here they were used (by a team of compositors and pressmen borrowed from the University Press) to print an account of Daniel's life and work as a printer and man of letters, with an extensive bibliography written by Falconer Madan
Falconer Madan
Falconer Madan was Librarian of the Bodleian Library of Oxford University.Falconer was the fifth son of George and Harriet Madan. He was educated at Marlborough College and Brasenose College, Oxford, where he took part in Oxford and Cambridge Chess matches in 1873 and 1874, and won the University...
. The press and some of the Fell types are still held by the Library, and are now used for teaching.