MY WALLET OF PHOTOGRAPHS: THE COLLECTED PHOTOGRAPHS OF J.M. SYNGE ARRANGED AND INTRODUCED BY LILO STEPHENS

Author: Synge, J.M.
Title: MY WALLET OF PHOTOGRAPHS: THE COLLECTED PHOTOGRAPHS OF J.M. SYNGE ARRANGED AND INTRODUCED BY LILO STEPHENS
Publication: Dublin, Ireland: The Dolmen Press, 1971
Edition: First Edition

Description: Hardcover. Quarto, 11" x 7 1/2." pp. 72. Original blue dust jacket with black lettering in protective mylar cover. Light blue boards with black spine. Gilt lettering to spine and gilt JMS to front cover. Slight rubbing to bottom edge. Text is hand-set 14 point pilgrim type on green, handmade laid paper. Frontispiece of Synge's camera pasted in. 53 black and white photographs on glossy white paper labelled with red type. Limited edition 1/1050 copies. Dolmen Editions XIII. Very clean copy with sound binding (Miller 173). NEAR FINE.

The acclaimed playwright and poet J.M. Synge (1871-1909) was a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival, belonging to the vibrant literary circle of W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory at the turn of the century. Synge is best remembered for his writings, but he was a keen photographer too. The present collection of photographs taken in Dublin, Wicklow, Galway, the Aran Islands, and the Blasket Islands speaks to Synge's interest in Irish peasant life and folklore. As the compiler Lilo Stephens writes, the photographs "reveal that Synge...possessed a strong sense of composition and an eye for the 'candid' photograph of people at work, at the fairs and markets in Irish towns" (inside flap). Lilo Stephens, the wife of Synge's nephew and biographer Edward M. Stephens, compiled the photographs from unretouched prints of the original negatives left to Stephens.

My Wallet of Photographs was designed by Liam Miller and printed by The Dolmen Press in Dublin. The Press, founded by Miller and his wife Josephine in 1951, printed Irish poetry and literature using a small handpress and high quality paper. Each book, including the present copy, was expertly designed with meticulous attention paid to page layout, typography, and illustrations. The Press's commitment to a high standard of printing and its exclusive focus on Irish authors and artists had a lasting influence on Irish publishing. The Dolmen Press publications, including My Wallet of Photographs, exemplify the rich culture and heritage of Irish craftsmanship, literature, and book design.
**SUGGESTED PRICE $200***.

Seller ID: 85137