Purchase, 1985-1997.
Gift of Frances Wakeman, 1988.
Gift of Alice Schreyer, 1991.
The collection is open for research.
Use of materials from this collection beyond the
exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S.
Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is
required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections
Department, University of Delaware Library,
MSS 554, Geoffrey Wakeman Plough Press collection, Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, Newark, Delaware.
Processed by Maureen Cech, March 2007; encoded by Maureen Cech, September 2010.
English printer and author Geoffrey Wakeman (d. 1987) founded the Plough Press in 1967 in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. Wakeman was a noted professor of printing history, author, and printer, and his work on papermaking, color illustration and printing processes, and binding techniques remains a lasting contribution to the study of print culture.
The Plough Press was a family business; Geoffrey Wakeman and his wife Frances Wakeman (née Docker) ran the press together and later with their son Paul Wakeman. After the death of Geoffrey Wakeman in 1987, Paul and Frances Wakeman took over the Plough Press, with offices in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, and Nottingham. Paul Wakeman joined Oak Knoll Press in Newcastle, Delaware, as its first publishing director in 1988, establishing collaborative ties between Oak Knoll and Plough Press. In 1991, Paul Wakeman established Plough Press USA in New Castle. Plough Press continued with offices in Kidlington and New Castle, until the press ceased production in the mid-2000s.
The Geoffrey Wakeman Plough Press collection consists of approximately 10 linear feet plus oversized material of the records of the Plough Press and the works and research materials of the Plough Press's founder English printer and author Geoffrey Wakeman and spans the dates 1796 to 1993, with the bulk of the material dating from 1970 to 1993.
The collection is arranged into three series: I. Plough Press UK records; II. Geoffrey Wakeman lecture notes, research files, and publications; and III. Oak Knoll, Paul Wakeman and Plough Press USA. Series I. consists of the records of Plough Press UK, divided into three subseries. The first subseries contains material contributing to publications of Plough Press UK, arranged chronologically by publication date of the work. Project files include the materials tracing the development of each project, such as correspondence, research material, proofs, galley proofs, illustrations, research, camera-ready copy (paste-ups), dummies, and printed matter. The second subseries contains material relating to Plough Press publications by Geoffrey Wakeman, arranged chronologically by date of publication, also including material that contributed to the production of each work. The third subseries consists of ephemera relating to Plough Press as well as catalogs from Frances Wakeman Books, the rare book business operated by Frances Wakeman, which specialized in publications pertaining to the book arts.
Series II. consists of Geoffrey Wakeman's research files, lecture notes, and material pertaining to publications not published by the Plough Press, divided into three subseries. The first subseries consists of Wakeman's lecture notes used for teaching classes on a variety of topics related to printing and printing history, such as bookbinding, illustration, and papermaking. Wakeman's research files, which comprise the second subseries, include files on similar print culture topics. Wakeman's original file structure, including file names, has been maintained. The additional ephemera not associated with a particular file was collected into a small grouping at the end, which includes books, prints, catalogs, letters, and articles. The third subseries includes material contributing to Wakeman's publications not produced by Plough Press, including research materials, correspondence, manuscripts, layouts, dummies, page proofs, financial records, specimens, and illustrations.
Series III. comprises material relating to Paul Wakeman, his association with the New Castle, Delaware, press Oak Knoll, and the establishment of and publications printed by Plough Press USA. The first subseries consists of material contributing to the publication of two Oak Knoll titles for which Paul Wakeman designed and printed various components during his tenure as Oak Knoll's publishing director. The second subseries includes items relating to the design and printing of Paul Wakeman's wedding invitation, as well as a wedding gift from Bird & Bull Press owner Henry Morris. The third subseries contains records of Plough Press USA, including material contributing to the production of
Plough Press's publications--original works by Wakeman and others and reprints of classic and obscure texts--pertain to print culture, particularly printers and printing, illustration processes, binding, and papermaking. The majority of Plough Press works are letterpress-printed, hand-bound limited editions. The collection represents a valuable resource in the field of print culture, containing material relating to the production of many of the press's publications, such as correspondence, manuscripts, proofs, galley proofs, dummies, as well as paper, leather, and type specimens, and binder's tools (see Item Appendix); Geoffrey Wakeman's own research files, which include bibliographies and lecture notes on a variety of printing topics; and the business and financial records of the two branches of Plough Press.
The collection also offers a wealth of specimens and tools from Wakeman's business dealings and research: leather and cloth samples, paper samples, type specimens, woodblocks, engraved plates, and binder's rollers and engraving tools can be found throughout the collection. Please see the Item Appendix for an index to the locations of the physical objects in the collection.
Oak Knoll records (various accessions)
Bird & Bull Press records (various accessions)
In addition to the records of the Plough Press and the personal research files of Geoffrey Wakeman, approximately 150 books from Wakeman's personal library were included with the collection, which have been cataloged separately in DELCAT. These include a number of classic monographs and periodicals on printing and illustration processes as well as catalogs.
Series I. consists of the records of the English branch of Plough Press, Plough Press UK, divided into three subseries. The first subseries contains material contributing to publications of Plough Press UK, arranged chronologically by publication date of the work. Project files include the materials contributing toward the development of each project, such as correspondence, research material, proofs, galley proofs, illustrations, research, paste-ups, dummies, and printed matter. The second subseries contains material relating to Plough Press publications by Geoffrey Wakeman, arranged chronologically by date of publication, also including material that contributed to the production of each work. The third subseries consists of ephemera relating to Plough Press as well as catalogues from Frances Wakeman Books, the rare book business operated by Frances Wakeman, which specialized in publications pertaining to the book arts.
Material about Thomas Rae and Signet Press; correspondence; typed manuscript; notes; layouts; dummy; prospectus (plate, proofs); proofs; book review/print.
Text notes; notes; proofs.
Printed book/pamphlet in folder (copy #1); various page proofs.
Page of handwritten notes; 1 page of proofs with notes concerning prospectus on verso.
Copies of covers and proof pages.
Correspondence related to entire
Notes; paste-up; galley proofs (cut and marked for pagination); page proofs; illustrations; prospectus.
Galley proof; notes; page proofs; illustrations; prospectus manuscript and proofs.
Correspondence; notes; manuscript; galley proofs; page proofs.
Handwritten manuscript; notes; prospectus (manuscript and proof); page proofs; covers.
Correspondence; handwritten manuscript and notes; various page proofs; binding labels; card specimen; covers.
by Frances Docker [Wakeman].
Contains a set of binder's tools featured in the book: nine engraved brass ornaments, 2 handles with 4 engraved wheels--2 wooden, 2 metal-- and 3 engraved metal ornaments with attached wooden handles.
Correspondence from private press owners featured in the book, including Rigby Graham, Toni Savage, John Mason, Douglas Martin, Duine Campbell, Bryan Foster, Trevor Hickman, and Gordon Atkins.
Material taken from Ann Morris's binder in which it was originally housed in the collection; typed manuscript of text and bibliography; significant amount of handwritten notes and corrections; typed additions stapled/taped in.
Typed manuscript; some of the extensive handwritten notes appear to have been provided by Rigby Graham; also includes handwritten notes of Geoffrey Wakeman.
Notes toward prospectus; proofs of prospectus; illustration samples; page proofs; issue of
Proofs with handwritten corrections (2 p.)
Contributed to the Society of Private Printers for "An Infant's Library" in 1978; rejected proofs; 2 copies of the book.
Correspondence; business correspondence; correspondence with Colin Cohen; financial notes; prospectus (manuscript and proofs); photocopies of publication announcements.
Metal plate, marbled paper samples, leather samples, binding paper.
Financial notes; prospectus; reviews; proofs; cover samples.
Typescript of 1981 additions to sections A-D; Bridson's 1973 typescript of "Printed Pictures: An Idea for a Bibliography of Graphic Reproduction Processes."
Binder's plate; Bridson's 1983 typescript of "Graphic Arts Societies in the British Isles, 1750-1900, working notes for a historical directory (forming a companion to Printmaking & Picture Printing)"; 1983 typed manuscript of
Letter from David Chambers of the Private Libraries Association to Geoffrey Wakeman; handwritten manuscript, proof, printed copies.
Notes and proofs of prospectus; marbled paper samples.
Cloth binding samples; manuscript; proofs.
Correspondence; notes; text manuscript; negatives; proofs; prospectus.
Correspondence; notes; text manuscript; negatives; proofs; prospectus.
Manuscript of prospectus; orders received; copy of letter sent to Plough Press customers announcing cancellation of the project.
Folders 51 and 52 contain various sets of proofs; faxes and correspondence between Paul Wakeman at Oak Knoll, Barry McKay and Frances Wakeman; two typed manuscripts with corrections by Frances Wakeman.
Folders 59-61 contain various stages of proofs, including rejects; layout notes; paste-ups.
Text manuscript; layouts; carbon copy letters to Rod Pattinson concerning illustrations; photographs and a drawing.
Notes; prospectus proofs; metal binding plate; page proofs.
For correspondence with Bridson, see F33 and F34 of
Typed manuscript with corrections.
Page proofs; prospectus proofs; covers.
Six binders of Geoffrey Wakeman's research, arranged alphabetically by printer's name. These binders contain much information not used in the book.
Notes and layouts.
Page proofs; prospectus proofs; covers.
Page proofs with corrections to layout and text; additions to text.
Maps, drawings; correspondence relating to the maps.
Includes a leather sample.
Material relating to plates (notes, text manuscript).
Complete dummy; inlaid letter from Geoffrey Wakeman regarding the dummy; inlay of prospectus.
Contains five wood blocks used to produce the print "Well done, Neck or Nothing" in Apperley's
Binding samples; brass type; spine labels.
Layout; illustrations; original Bradbury prints; binding samples; binder's plate.
Binding material (binder's plate, samples, bound dummy) .
Includes 1985 letter from Geoffrey Wakeman to Bob Fleck of Oak Knoll regarding sending items from Plough Press, including press diaries, to Oak Knoll. This folder also contains Geoffrey Wakeman's own comments on Plough Press publications contained in this collection.
Geoffrey Wakeman's comments on Plough Press publications contained in this collection.
Includes four photographs of Geoffrey Wakeman and 1986 letter to Nathaniel H. Puffer of the University of Delaware regarding sending items to Morris Library's Special Collections department.
Catalogues 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36.
Catalogues 64; 66; 67; 68.
Catalogues 69; 70; 71;73;74; 75.
Series II. consists of Geoffrey Wakeman's research files, lecture notes, and material pertaining to publications not published by the Plough Press, divided into three subseries. The first subseries contains Wakeman's lecture notes used for teaching classes on a variety of topics related to printing and printing history, such as bookbinding, illustration, and papermaking; Wakeman's research files, which comprise Subseries 2, include files on similar print culture topics. Wakeman's original file structure has been maintained, including original folder titles. The additional ephemera not associated with a particular file was collected into a small grouping at the end, which includes books , prints, catalogues, letters, and articles. Subseries 3 includes material contributing to Wakeman's publications not produced by Plough Press, including research materials, correspondence, manuscripts, layouts, dummies, page proofs, financial records, specimens, and illustrations.
Fifteenth-century illustration
Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century printing materials
Two articles from the Quarterly Journal of the Baxter Society about F. Vincent Brooks.
A variety of items related to Wakeman's research, including books, prints, catalogues, letters, and articles. The collection includes corresponding folders related to the items in this series.
The four items in this folder include a print of Paul Sandby, Esq. (from European Magazine): "From a miniature by P. Jean. Engraved by Joseph Thomson." Published by J. Sewell; Sept. 1, 1796; the second item is "The Printer's Devil," an excerpt from The Quarterly Review Vol. 65, No. 129 (1839); the third piece is "The New Art of Lithotint" in Miss Leslie's Magazine (April 1843) with accompanying colored lithotint of John H. Richards's "Grandpapa's Pet"; fourth, a pamphlet titled "On Making a Magazine More Readable by Thomas Dreier "as published in The Printing Art," d.1917.
The Sample Book of the New York Photo Electrotype Co. by New York Photo Electrotype Co., undated.
William Daniell R.A. A Voyage Round Great Britain 1814-1825 by The Tate Gallery (1977).
William Daniell's A Voyage Round Great Britain 1814-1825. Ian Bain (1966); 4 inlaid letters between Geoffrey Wakeman and Ian Bain, dated. 1968, 1970.
This folder contains three items: The Modern Collotype Process by Cotswold Collotype Co. Limited with inlaid letter from Cotswold Collotype, dated. 1 Aug. 1977; Cotswold Collotype Co. Limited brochure, with inlaid letter dated. July 1970; and Specimens of Hand Press Collotype Book Illustrations by The Autotype Company (1908). See also F 44 Collotype in Series 2 of this Collection.
The People's Handbook Series A Collection of Gems in Lithographic and Half-Tone Work (1893)
Reprint of Anastatic Printing for Sir Thomas Phillipps by Geoffrey Wakeman from the Journal of the Printing Historical Society No. 5 (1969). Two inlaid letters asking for reprints of this article.
Bertram Rota Winter 1973 Trade Catalogue; Deval and Muir Trade Catalogue #48, with inlaid letter to Geoffrey Wakeman, dated. 1978.
Items of the Ilam Anastatic Drawing Society. This material was originally laid in a copy of "A Brief Description of the Art of Anastatic Printing by Cowel" (Special Collections | NE 2550 .C68 1881). Includes: printed copy of "The Ilam Anastatic Society; printed copy of "Instructions for Using Anastatic Ink, and Instructions for Making Chalk Drawings for Transfer"; printed copy of "Members of the Ilam Anastatic Drawing Society"; autographed letter (9 November 1867) to Lady Llanover from Rev. G.R. Mackarness.
Exhibition Catalogue of English Colour Plate Books, National Library of Wales, d.1980. Inlaid letters addressed to Geoffrey Wakeman, dated. 1980.
Reprint of "Victorian Books with Original Photographs" by Rolf S. Schultze; notes; two letters from Dorothy Schultze (July 30 and August 13, 1969).
Reprints; tear sheets of reviews and articles; programs/pamphlets by Geoffrey Wakeman.
Includes correspondence with Gavin Bridson and David Robert Alexander Lindsay, 28th Earl of Crawford; order slips; prospectus, tear sheets; clipping of Crawford's obituary; tear sheets of Wakeman's "Henry Bradbury's Nature Printed Books," source unclear.
Correspondence; research notes; photocopies; 2 typed mss; reprint of article from London Bibliographical Society.
Proofs with letter from Brewhouse Press.
Review and illustration with letter from Brewhouse Press.
Page from Domesday Book referenced in introduction.
Includes photographs
Correspondence; 3 manuscripts (handwritten, typescript w/corrections); galley proofs; offprint of article that appeared in Matrix 6 by The Whittington Press, 1986.
Series III. contains material relating to Paul Wakeman, his association with New Castle, Delaware, press Oak Knoll, and the establishment of and publications printed by Plough Press USA. The first subseries consists of material contributing to the publication of two Oak Knoll titles for which Paul Wakeman designed and printed various components during his tenure as Oak Knoll's publishing director. The second subseries includes items relating the design and printing of Paul Wakeman's wedding invitation, as well as a wedding gift from Bird & Bull Press owner Henry Morris. Subseries 3 contains records of Plough Press USA, including material contributing to the production of Notes Towards an Account of Paper Mills in Oxfordshire and the posthumous publication of Geoffrey Wakeman's Developments in Functional Bookbinding.
Proofs of a variety of title pages and versos for the Oak Knoll edition and final repro pulls of title pages, verso and spine type. Paul Wakeman designed title page and title page verso, front cover/spine blocking type for book. Book also sold as sets of sheets. Paul Wakeman printed the envelopes for these sheets.
Original copy written by Tom Doherty of Oak Knoll Books; proofs; final repro pull of ad; "A Day in Old New Castle" program in which the ad appears on page 34. Paul Wakeman designed, handset and printed repro pulls for this Oak Knoll ad.
Oak Knoll menu designed by Paul Wakeman; variety of proofs and a finished numbered copy; this menu contains references to books published and distributed by Oak Knoll. Calligraphic numbering of the cards done by Andrea Kruzel Wakeman; folder also includes picture by Robbie Fleck and message by Bob Fleck, Jr., and a card entitled "Just Desserts" by Tom Doherty. Also includes empty Oak Knoll Wine bottle with a label designed by Bob Fleck.
Paper samples from Henry Morris.
Includes final copy of invitation
Roller-Printed Paste Papers for Bookbinding (Bird & Bull Press, 1975; copy no. 4), inscribed to Paul and Andrea Wakeman from Henry and Pearl Morris; card to Paul and Andrea Wakeman inlaid in front of book.
To accompany copy of Roller-Printed Paste Papers for Bookbinding; the shirt Henry Morris wore when pictures were taken of him for illustrations for the book with Bird & Bull badge on his lapel. Morris wrote on the back of this shirt: "This historic shirt is shown on p. 26 of Roller Printed Papers...1974. It was also worn when printing other later Big Hits. Copy No. 1 of an edition of 1. Signed H. Morris 10-16-93 For Paul & Andrea". In smaller writing at the top of the shirt, Morris also wrote: "The shirt was published in 1969. No 19,031 of an edition of 300,000. Signed Dan Ratby."
1991 announcement stating move to the United States, with offices in both United States and England.
Includes correspondence; catalogues; samples; price lists.
Includes correspondence; catalogues; samples; price lists.
Correspondence; catalogues; pamphlets.
Henry Morris; Roy Ferber; Frances Wakeman
Piece of type taped into a proof.
Edited by Paul and Frances Wakeman. Begun by Geoffrey Wakeman as Illustrations of English Trade Bindings. See also Wakeman's lecture files on Loughborough Parish Library for the issue mentioned in Paul Wakeman's introduction. Illustrations of English Trade Bindings was incorporated into Functional Developments in Bookbinding as the first essay; the second essay is a reprint of Graham Pollard's article mentioned in the introduction and in Geoffrey Wakeman's Loughborough Parish Library lecture files. The plates in this book refer to the slides on binding: used in Loughborough Parish Library lecture (noted in intro). The third essay in the book taken also from the same lecture.
Manuscript and notes from Illustrated Trade Bindings, which was incorporated into Functional Bookbinding as the first essay. See also Loughborough Parish Library Lecture, F16-19, Series 2 of this Collection.
First paste-up with inserted samples; proofs from Illustrated Trade Bindings.
Illustrations; spec sheet showing plates were originally to be printed in color; paper samples for illustrations; layout for plates; set of finished plates; correspondence; captions to slides/plates.
Photocopied pages of articles on bookbinding; several typed mss of Paul Wakeman's intro showing various stages of correction; various correspondence between Paul Wakeman, Tom Doherty, Frances Wakeman, Mirjam Foot, Bernard Middleton and Henry Morris. Correspondence between Paul and Frances Wakeman regarding various aspects of production; various stages of corrected proofs; typescript of version of Geoffrey Wakeman's notes on Loughborough Parish slides. See also F17, Series 2, of this Collection
Corrected galley proofs; notes regarding illustrations for Illustrated Trade Bindings; proofs; photocopy of Geoffrey Wakeman's manuscript with Frances Wakeman's notes; typed manuscript of Paul Wakeman; photocopy of Graham Pollard's article; photocopy of Geoffrey Wakeman's text for the slides used to make the plates in book with some of Frances Wakeman's additions.
Note from Henry Morris regarding type; marbled paper samples; binding samples for inserts; layouts; letters from Frances Wakeman; templates for binding inserts.
Proofs of Functional Developments in Bookbinding
Models for the accompanying binding samples that form the basis of three of the text entries in Illustrations of English Trade Bindings: Ovid's Metamorphoses (1655) (as seen on p. 18 in Functional Developments in Bookbinding); Volume IV of A Collection of Poems in Six Volumes by Several Hands (2nd ed.) (1758) (p. 22); Volume II of A Collection of Poems in Six Volumes by Several Hands, a new edition corrected with notes (1782) (p. 24).