Doves Press
Encyclopedia
Doves Press was a private press
based in Hammersmith
, London
. It was founded by T. J. Cobden Sanderson
before 1900 when he asked Sir Emery Walker
to join him (their partnership was dissolved in 1909). Cobden Sanderson commissioned the press's type
, which was drawn under Walker's supervision, and set up the Doves Bindery to bind the books he and Walker printed. The Press produced all its books using a single size of this type, between 1900 and 1916, and is considered to have been a significant contributor to the Arts and Crafts movement
. The founders were associated with William Morris
and the Kelmscott Press. The type, known as 'The Doves Type', was based on types used by Nicolas Jenson
from the 1470s.
The type, punches and matrices
were destroyed by Cobden Sanderson between 1913 and 1917, when he took them to Hammersmith Bridge and threw them into the Thames. The press was named after 'The Dove' an old riverside pub in Hammersmith. The Doves Press was responsible for the Doves Bible (5 vols, 1902–1904), which is considered to be one of the best examples of its type.
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...
based in Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It was founded by T. J. Cobden Sanderson
T. J. Cobden Sanderson
Thomas James Cobden-Sanderson was an English artist and bookbinder associated with the Arts and Crafts movement.He was born in Alnwick, Northumberland, as Thomas James Sanderson...
before 1900 when he asked Sir Emery Walker
Emery Walker
Sir 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...
to join him (their partnership was dissolved in 1909). Cobden Sanderson commissioned the press's type
Typeface
In typography, a typeface is the artistic representation or interpretation of characters; it is the way the type looks. Each type is designed and there are thousands of different typefaces in existence, with new ones being developed constantly....
, which was drawn under Walker's supervision, and set up the Doves Bindery to bind the books he and Walker printed. The Press produced all its books using a single size of this type, between 1900 and 1916, and is considered to have been a significant contributor to the Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
. The founders were associated with 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 Kelmscott Press. The type, known as 'The Doves Type', was based on types used by Nicolas Jenson
Nicolas Jenson
Nicolas Jenson was a French engraver, pioneer printer and type designer who carried out most of his work in Venice. Jenson acted as Master of the French Royal Mint at Tours, and is accredited with being the creator of the first model roman type...
from the 1470s.
The type, punches and matrices
Matrix (printing)
In hot metal typesetting, a matrix is a mold for casting a letter, known as a sort, used in letterpress printing....
were destroyed by Cobden Sanderson between 1913 and 1917, when he took them to Hammersmith Bridge and threw them into the Thames. The press was named after 'The Dove' an old riverside pub in Hammersmith. The Doves Press was responsible for the Doves Bible (5 vols, 1902–1904), which is considered to be one of the best examples of its type.