Design Features: Mise-En-Page
On each page of the two poems, there is at least one, sometimes two illustrations in direct conversation with the content of the poem. The paper is hand laid paper, which can be seen when directly putting a light beneath a page, exposing the chain lines of the paper. On Recto 1 and Verso 1, one can see the watermark of what I may presume as the watermark of The Elston Press, but I am still unsure about it. The typeface used by The Elston Press is Caslon Old Face. This typeface was invented by William Caslon I in the 18th century, under the Serif typeface category. H.W. Caslon and Sons Foundry reproduced the typeface after William Caslon I death. Caslon Old Face regained popularity in the 19th century with followers of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Other design features are the incipit letters on the opening page of each poem, with interwoven cherub designs and rubrication of the incipit letters, main titles and titles found on the margin on the top left or right corner of each. The style of this book is a mix of woodcut illustrations with hand-pressed text. One can actually feel how each illustration and word embosses the recto or verso of the prior page. The cover of this book is a cloth covering, which makes one think that maybe it was recovered because this type of cover was an uncommon design choice of The Elston Press. Most of their books were made of Japanese Vellum and more intricately designed.
The layout remains consistent throughout the book with a rectangular shape and about 1-inch margin all around. There are two blank pages between L'Allegro and Il Penseroso to separate the poem from one and another, but still keeping them in conversation with each other as Milton intend.
All of the illustrations and design elements were done by Helen Margurite O'Kane. They follow this simplistic, blank ink style reminiscent of Renaissance and Antiquity era sculpture and painting. With nude figures, cherubs and floral flourishes. As well as, a nod to the Arts and Craft Movement ideal of going back to handcrafted design. In the illustration, the landscapes recalled more of an English design rather than Italian. There are little surprises within each woodcut, one can find animals and small details on human figures. Overall the design is very clean and simplistic.
References
Otis Thompson, Susan. American Book Design and William
Morris (New Castle: Oak Knolls Press, 1996), quoted in J. Sheldon, "The Elston Press." Fine Pressed Books, last modified April 11, 2004. http://www.elstonpress.com/elston.html.
"Recasting Caslon Old Face." Typefoundry, last modified January
4, 2009. http://typefoundry.blogspot.com/2009/01/recasting-caslon-old-face.html.
"The Arts and Crafts Movement." The Art Story, last modified
2018. https://www.theartstory.org/movement-arts-and-crafts.htm.
