A collection of over 130 items relating to the Gregynog Press. The private press was established in 1922 at the house of Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, Gregynog Hall, in Powys, Wales. The Davies sisters bought the house in 1920 in order to set up a centre of excellence for the arts, crafts and music which would enrich the lives of the people of Wales in the aftermath of the First World War. Between 1923 and 1940 the Gregynog Press established itself as one of the leading private presses in Britain, producing high-quality limited edition books. The Library collection consists of the 42 works published by the Press in its first 18 years, as well as a few examples of over 200 items of printed ephemera also printed, mainly programmes and orders of service for festivals and conferences held at Gregynog Hall. There are also a few works relating to the history of the Press, which was re-established in 1978 under its Welsh title, Gwasg Gregynog.

Organisation

The books have been catalogued individually and have the shelfmark 'Greg.'.

Acquisition

The collection was deposited in the Library in 1978, and subsequently donated in 1993, by Mrs Mary M Noble of Edinburgh, a niece of Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, the founders of the Press.

References

'A Paper Read to the Double Crown Club on 7th April 1964 by Thomas Jones, CH', T Jones, Oxford, 1954.

'The Gregynog Press, Selective Check Lists of Press Books', W Ransom, New York, 1963, 152-60.

'Gregynog Press British Modern Press Books', 2nd ed., W Ridler, Folkestone, 1975.

'A History of the Gregynog Press', DA Harrop, Pinner, 1980.

'An Introduction to the Gregynog Press', W Fish, London, 1987.

Online resources

Private press books in the Library's collections

Gwasg Gregynog website