Golden Cockerel Press

Golden Cockerel Press
Company type	Private press
Industry	Publishing
Founded	1920
Founder	Harold (Hal) Midgley Taylor
Defunct	1961
Headquarters	England, United Kingdom
Products	Handcrafted limited editions of classic literature with original artwork, often wood engravings

The Golden Cockerel Press was a distinguished English fine press active from 1920 until 1961.

History

This private press specialized in producing handcrafted limited editions of classic literature, utilizing hand-set type and printing on either handmade paper or vellum. A distinctive feature of its publications was the inclusion of original artwork, frequently wood engravings, created by renowned artists such as Eric Gill, Robert Gibbings, Peter Claude Vaudrey Barker-Mill, John Buckland Wright, Blair Hughes-Stanton, Agnes Miller Parker, David Jones, Mark Severin, Dorothea Braby, Lettice Sandford, Gwenda Morgan, Mary Elizabeth Groom, and Eric Ravilious.

Hal Taylor's foundation (1920–1924)

Established in 1920 by Harold (Hal) Midgley Taylor (1893–1925), the Press originated in Waltham St Lawrence, Berkshire, where Taylor had initially tried his hand at fruit farming. He acquired an army surplus hut that served both as a workshop and living quarters. The Press began as a cooperative venture involving four partners—Hal Taylor, Barbara Blackburn, Pran Pyper, and Ethelwynne (Gay) Stewart McDowall—who initially resided in Beaconsfield and commuted daily to the workshop. Most of the startup capital, approximately £2,800, came from Taylor’s family trust to finance equipment acquisition.

Their inaugural prospectus declared: "This press is a co-operative society for the printing and publishing of books... Its members are their own craftsmen... without recourse to paid and irresponsible labour." Early outputs included The Voices, a literary magazine, and Adam & Eve & Pinch Me, a collection of short stories by emerging writer A. E. Coppard, which garnered both critical acclaim and commercial success. Nevertheless, initial enthusiasm declined due to problems such as inadequate proofreading that displeased authors. By mid-1921, Blackburn and Pyper had departed; the cooperative transitioned into a more traditional private press employing staff members Frank Young, Albert Cooper, and Harry Gibbs. In 1923, the Press published The Wedding Songs of Spenser featuring colour wood engravings by Ethelbert White. This marked its first illustrated book and set a precedent for future publications.

As Taylor’s tuberculosis worsened, Coppard temporarily assumed management duties. With Taylor’s health continuing to deteriorate, the business was offered for sale early in 1924.

Robert Gibbings period (1924–1933)

In February 1924, Robert Gibbings purchased the press for £850, acquiring its huts, machinery, and goodwill, along with £200 for the partly completed The Lives of Gallant Ladies. He leased the property for £40 per year. The successful sales of Gallant Ladies, which brought in over £1,800, marked a prosperous era for the Press.

The experienced printing team—Frank Young, Albert Cooper, and Harry Gibbs—maintained high standards of craftsmanship. Moira Gibbings assisted Robert with day-to-day operations while his connections with prominent wood engravers (he was a founding member of the Society of Wood Engravers) and writers facilitated the publication of both contemporary and classical works.

Gibbings’ first independent project was Rochefoucault’s Moral Maxims (1924). Following a conflict between Eric Gill and Hilary Pepler, Gill transferred Enid Clay’s Sonnets and Verses (1925) to Gibbings. Subsequently, he commissioned wood engravings from distinguished artists including John Nash, Noel Rooke, David Jones, John Farleigh, and Mabel Annesley.

Throughout his tenure, Gibbings published approximately 71 titles in editions typically ranging from 250 to 750 copies; most were leather-bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe. Notable productions included the four-volume Canterbury Tales (1929–1931) and the Four Gospels (1931), both illustrated by Gill. Limited runs on vellum were also issued: 15 copies of the Canterbury Tales and 12 copies of the Four Gospels. The Canterbury Tales project occupied more than two years but earned significant critical praise and generated £14,000 in revenue.

In 1931, the Golden Cockerel typeface—designed by Gill specifically for this press—was introduced in A. E. Coppard’s The Hundredth Story.

Some illustrations produced by the Golden Cockerel Press were considered provocative at the time; measures such as anonymizing translator and illustrator names were taken to avoid accusations of obscenity. Works like Song of Songs (1925) and Procreant Hymn (1926), illustrated by Gill, contained particularly explicit imagery. The press defended its publications as works from a private publisher rather than commercial booksellers.

Sales remained robust during much of this period. Gibbings secured advantageous distribution agreements with retailers including Bumpus in London and Random House. He bought out his initial partner Pike using funds provided by Mary Wiggin and later acquired Wiggin’s share through a loan from Barclays Bank.

However, economic difficulties emerged in the early 1930s; declining sales in America during the Great Depression caused financial pressures. The press gradually became inactive, leading Gibbings to sell it in 1933. His final publication was Lord Adrian by Lord Dunsany, featuring his own wood engravings.

Christopher Sandford era (1933–1959)

The press was purchased for £1,050 by Christopher Sandford, Owen Rutter, and Francis J. Newbery. Gibbings had facilitated the introduction between Rutter and Sandford, while Newbery took charge of the Chiswick Press, to which production was transferred. Under this new leadership, the Golden Cockerel Press evolved from a private press into a commercial publishing enterprise. Sandford assumed responsibility for management, editorial decisions, and design; Rutter focused on identifying and editing manuscripts; and Newbery supervised operations at Chiswick.

The inaugural title released under this management was The House with the Apricot (1933) by H. E. Bates, featuring wood engravings by Agnes Miller Parker, a project initially envisioned by Gibbings. The first significant publication was The Glory of Life (1934) by Llewelyn Powys, a large quarto edition embellished with wood engravings crafted by Gibbings.

Though early financial losses were apparent, the partners remained committed to long-term development, including an unsuccessful bid to acquire and close their rival, the Gregynog Press. To keep the press financially stable amidst internal disagreements, they invested personal funds, resulting in Anthony Sandford replacing Newbery as partner. Anthony introduced a more commercially driven approach, emphasizing profitability. The press produced unlimited editions aimed at the Christmas market; however, these too struggled commercially, with Rutter noting considerable unsold inventory. Anthony Sandford departed in 1938.

World War II brought both difficulties and increased book demand; by 1943, most of Golden Cockerel’s stock had been sold. Following Rutter’s death in 1944, Sandford continued alone, supported by funds from selling his share in Chiswick Press.

Sandford pioneered the use of colour illustrations through lithography and colour collotype, moving away from the original tradition of wood engraving characteristic of private presses.

During Sandford’s leadership, approximately 120 titles were published. Prominent illustrators included John Buckland Wright and Clifford Webb, who contributed wood engravings to eight publications each. Sandford also engaged his wife Lettice Sandford and artist Dorothea Braby for several projects.

Thomas Yoseloff era (1959–1961)

In 1959, due to financial difficulties, Sandford sold the press to American publisher Thomas Yoseloff, then serving as director of University of Pennsylvania Press. Yoseloff completed two works commissioned under Sandford’s direction in 1960: a translation by David Gwyn Williams of William Cynwal’s poem In Defence of Woman (O Blaid Y Gwragedd), illustrated by John Petts, and Poems and Sonnets of Shakespeare, edited by Gwyn Jones with illustrations by Buckland Wright. In 1961, under Yoseloff’s guidance, the press released Folk Tales and Fairy Stories from India by Sudhin Ghose as well as Moncrif's Cats, a translation by Reginald Bretnor of François-Augustin Paradis de Moncrif’s 1727 work Histoire des chats.

These publications marked the final output from Golden Cockerel Press; by late 1961, Yoseloff discontinued operations due to escalating expenses and challenges in acquiring the skilled craftsmanship essential for producing the press’s finely crafted books.

References