A Descriptive Listing of Publications

"This descriptive listing has been printed on Curtis Rag White Wove paper from 14 point Joanna types with Michaelangelo titling; the covers are Beau Brilliant or Artlaid Ivory. The edition comprised ordinary copies, 15.9 x 24.4 cm. numbered 1-230 and large copies, 21.9 x 28.5 cm. numbered 1-80. Tipped into copies 1-50 of the latter are 8 specimen leaves from various prior publications; copies 51-80 may include 2 0r 4 such specimen leaves. There may be an unnumbered photo-offset reprinted version issued later."

We'll start this blog with Squires' last publication (#39), because it's the primary reference for all the others.

In August, 1987 Squires issued a one-page announcement for the bibliography, soliciting orders. He died just over a year later, of cancer. I've never been able to find out why he stopped publishing in 1979; I wonder when his cancer was diagnosed, and if was the spark behind picking up a composing stick again to issue a comprehensive listing of his publications.

He called is a descriptive listing "because, lacking some details which I thought insignificant, it is less than true bibliography." In typical Squires fashion, it was issued in several variations: a large paper edition of 80 copies, of which some have 8 sample pages inserted, and others have fewer; a smaller format limited edition, without samples; and an even (slightly) smaller facsimile edition printed offset and stapled in two wraps. The same text setting was used for the large and small issues; the large ones simply have more generous margins.

The binding of the large copies is an interesting affair. He stuck with his preferred single-signature pamphlet format. The samples pages are mounted in sheets of a textured color cover stock (heavier than the text sheets, to hold the weight of the tipped-on samples). All of these sheets folded together, plus the samples, make for an overly thick & heavy signature. It was sewn into a printed wrap of cover stock similar to that used for the mounting the samples, but the text block was too heavy: its own weight would eventually tear it out of the wrap. His solution was to insert a tab of the same cover stock between the cover and signature, to provide extra strength to the spine. Ultimately, given the size and number of pages, the book would have been better printed in sections, but that may have put the binding beyond his skills.

Contrary to the colophon's statement about copies numbered 51-80, the one I have has six specimen leaves. The large paper copies were offered at $50 upon publication, the small ones at $20, and the facsimile at $4. 

In terms of providing any insight to Squires' printing - what and why - the book doesn't help much. It's interesting that in only one of his publications did he mention the kind of press used (a Chandler & Price) - a piece of informtation printers you usually don't have to ask printers about - and the question of why he stopped publishing lingers.