The Odyssey of Homer.

One of 530 copies. First edition of Lawrence's translation, one of 530 copies, printed on handmade paper.

Printed in Rogers' Centaur type on Barcham Green grey paper especially milled with a watermark of a Greek galley, the illustrations were drawn by Rogers from designs on ancient Greek vases and printed in black ink on roundels of gold to great effect; the printing of these took seven separate impressions. In Joseph Blumenthal's Bruce Rogers. A Life in Letters, Blumenthal describes this volume; 'I believe the Bruce Rogers Odyssey is indisputably amongst the most beautiful books ever produced. It is difficult to describe a work of genius. In the Odyssey without tricks or accessory decoration, with a classic austerity akin to the timeless proportions of the Parthenon, with only type and paper and ink, with consummate skill, Rogers created a masterpiece'.

Limited edition, one of 530 copies; 4to; unpaginated, 26 wood-engraved roundels depicting Homeric imagery based on Greek vase paintings, printed in black over gold leaf (including title vignette), occasional light offsetting from roundels, endpapers slightly browned at extremities (as usual), else unmarked internally; original black morocco by W.H. Smith, gilt lettering to spine, top edge gilt; a near-fine copy in the slightly worn original slipcase.

O'Brien A141.