1991.1016.106

Letter to Dorothy Walker from Noel Rooke, dated 5th January1952 commenting on the 'Cambridge University Private Press Types' by Balston, which he has just been reading and praising Emery Walker for his tremendous contribution to printing. Found inserted in the book, The Cambridge University Press, by Balston, Thomas, when acquired by the museum, shelf J2 . Part of the Emery Walker Library.

1952-01-05 - 1952-01-05 1952 - 1952

Arts & Crafts

Letter from Noel Rooke to Dorothy Walker dated 5th January 1952 with a footnote added subsequently probably by Dorothy Walker 7, Queen Anne’s Gardens, Bedford Park, W.4 Tel: Chiswick 5250 5th January ‘52 Dear Dorothy I have just been having immense satisfaction and pleasure from reading Balston’s references to Sir Emery in the “Cambridge University Press Private Press Types”[i] which Brook Crutchley[ii] has sent me. Of course all his contemporaries appreciated all he had done for printing; but they are no more. I have till now regretted that there was no authoritative book on printing which made clear, to the younger men of today and tomorrow, how much they owed to Sir Emery, how great their debt is, & how enduring. As President Elect of the Double Crown Club about 2 ½ years ago I tried in a speech at the a Dinner at Goldsmith’s Hall to call the attention of the younger printers to this – some of them seem to think that good printing began between the two world wars! Brooke Crutchley was there, as far as I can remember; and perhaps Balston. But that was an evanescent effort, leaving no trace, only but perhaps a faint memory in a few cases. This new book does at least make a statement of his great & generous & unselfish contribution to the work of so many important ventures and successes, in a permanent form, which will have to read for generations by anybody interested in the subject; and it is on permanent paper, with the authority of Cambridge University Press behind it. I shall try to persuade Brooke Crutchley to publish the book in a cheaper form, so that young printers in Technical Schools can buy it, or at least read it in their Technical libraries; the present edition, as you [will inserted] have noticed, is limited to 350 copies printed by Brooke Crutchley as a pr Christmas presents to his friends – A delightful gift; but the contents are too important not to be given to the world. [Written in the left-hand margin] Margaret may perhaps be here with us, in a week or two, for a few days. Molly & I would be so pleased if you could manage to come in to tea one day then – we don’t yet know Margaret’s dates. Wishing you a Happy New Year, Yours [sincerely] Noel Rooke[iii] P.S. On p.19 Balston says : “Morris[iv] left his type to his Executors, who decided that they should be used only to print special editions of his own works or of other works of which he might have approved”. I think I remember having heard that Mr. Morris wanted Sir Emery to carry on the Kelmscott Press after him, & tried to persuade him to consent. If that is so, Balston’s statement, while correct as far as it goes, does not give a full statement of Morris’ wishes, or of his confidence in Sir Emery. Is my memory right? Did Mr. Morris try to persuade Sir Emery to carry on the Kelmscott Press? [Written beneath the postscript in a different hand, believed from context to be that of Dorothy Walker] I telephoned to Sir Sydney Cockerell[v] about this as my father did not tell me this and Sir S. said that Mr Morris asked him if he and Walker would carry on The Kelmscott Press after his death and Sir S. had declined as he said he did not wish to feel that The Kelmscott Press was being let down & that he and E.W. could not do it, W.M. being the only person who could. Footnote: [i]This book by Thomas Balston was first published in 1951. [ii]Brooke Crutchley (1907 – 2003) was a printer who spent 28 years of his life at the Cambridge University Press. [iii]Noel Rooke (1881 -1953), wood engraver and artist, son of Thomas Matthews Rooke (1842 – 1942), artist and associate of Edward Burne-Jones. See also 1991. 1016. 211. b and 1991. 1016. 644. [iv]A reference to William Morris. [v]Sir Sydney Cockerell (1867 – 1962), collector and curator of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge from 1908 to 1937. CAW]