Designs by Mr. Bentley for Six Poems by Mr. T. Gray

We present the Rambler Press edition of Thomas Gray, modeled on the celebrated fourth edition of his works – an enlarged version following the three earlier impressions of 1753, and enriched with further Odes. This handsome publication gathers the best-known writings of Gray, most notably his immortal Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, a cornerstone of eighteenth-century English poetry. Our Rambler Press edition, inspired by the grandeur and ambition of the original, recalls the historical and artistic significance of that early printing, uniting Gray’s refined verse with the distinctive design sensibilities of the period.

The original volume was brought into existence only after considerable persuasion by Gray’s friend Horace Walpole (1717–1797). Gray himself, famously private and self-critical, disliked the idea of promoting his own work. He insisted instead that the title emphasize the role of designer Richard Bentley, whose inventive illustrations were as much part of the book’s identity as Gray’s poetry. The resulting publication, with its lavish engravings and elegant layout, became a landmark in eighteenth-century book design. Indeed, Walpole’s experience in seeing Gray’s poems so splendidly issued is thought to have inspired him to establish his own press at Strawberry Hill just a few years later.

Bentley’s designs, as later noted by the scholar Hanns Hammelmann, were “a turning-point in British decorative art.” Their ingenious use of visual puns and intertextual allusions created a striking interplay between image and text, exemplifying the union of the “sister arts” of poetry and design. The British Museum, in commenting on their own first-edition copy, has emphasized just how provocative and original these illustrations were in the context of mid-eighteenth-century publishing.

The Rambler Press edition revives this tradition of elegance, scholarship, and artistry. Faithful to the spirit of the 1750s yet designed for the modern collector and reader, it reflects both the timeless beauty of Gray’s verse and the historical significance of its original presentation. More than a simple reprint, this edition stands as a tribute to the dialogue between poetry and design, literature and art – the very qualities that made Gray’s Elegy and its companion works a touchstone of Enlightenment culture.

DESCRIPTION

Our edition was published in 2017. The book measures 175 × 250 mm and comprises 112 pages. It is printed on high-quality cotton paper, set in Monotype Bell, and features a handcrafted binding presented in a protective slipcase. The edition is limited to 25 copies and is published in English.