APRIL 2026
Book launch: Enid Marx
During the unpacking of the Incline Press workshop in the new building at Creetown, I found two scruffy boxes of engravings which turned out to be an animal alphabet carved by Enid Marx and printed by Graham in 1996. The first publication of these blocks had been in 1985 by Douglas Cleverdon as a Clover Hill Edition, entitled An ABC of Birds and Beasts. I believe Marco (as her friends called her) had died before the Incline Press version was finished and I expect Graham put the blocks away not knowing what to do with them.
I got in touch with the family who care for Marco's legacy and who had bequeathed most of her work to the V&A in London, and they are delighted to discover this collection and immediately suggested I reprint them. In fact, they couldn't be more encouraging for Marco's work to reach new audiences, and we are also working with Compton Verney on their upcoming major exhibition of Marco's work in July this year.
We agreed that Marco's idiosyncratic text was reprinted, and I chose to closely follow Graham's design, as his book is a jewel and my printing legs are still very wobbily. So it is something of a pastiche, but made with love.
Book launch: Enid Marx
During the unpacking of the Incline Press workshop in the new building at Creetown, I found two scruffy boxes of engravings which turned out to be an animal alphabet carved by Enid Marx and printed by Graham in 1996. The first publication of these blocks had been in 1985 by Douglas Cleverdon as a Clover Hill Edition, entitled An ABC of Birds and Beasts. I believe Marco (as her friends called her) had died before the Incline Press version was finished and I expect Graham put the blocks away not knowing what to do with them.
I got in touch with the family who care for Marco's legacy and who had bequeathed most of her work to the V&A in London, and they are delighted to discover this collection and immediately suggested I reprint them. In fact, they couldn't be more encouraging for Marco's work to reach new audiences, and we are also working with Compton Verney on their upcoming major exhibition of Marco's work in July this year.
We agreed that Marco's idiosyncratic text was reprinted, and I chose to closely follow Graham's design, as his book is a jewel and my printing legs are still very wobbily. So it is something of a pastiche, but made with love.
Some Birds and Beasts and Their Feasts
The book is printed with 25 alphabetical images, directly from the original wood engraving, plus one zinco on the frontispiece. The letter U was missing from the set, so I carved an acrylic replica copied from the Incline Press edition.
The book was printed under siege conditions (the builders were replacing all the roofs, ceilings, wiring, plumbing etc.) and the workshop had not been unpacked, so I had to use the type I could find rather than the type Graham used: Fry's Ornamented, Lectura and Verona. The paper is a very old handmade Barcham Green, dampened and printed on an 1846 Albion press. The pattern wrapper is printed on yellow Hahnemuhle paper supplied by John Purcell, and the repeat plate was made by Lyme Bay Press from another Marco block found in a drawer. The book measures 11.5 x 15cm, postage is free to UK customers.
The book is printed with 25 alphabetical images, directly from the original wood engraving, plus one zinco on the frontispiece. The letter U was missing from the set, so I carved an acrylic replica copied from the Incline Press edition.
The book was printed under siege conditions (the builders were replacing all the roofs, ceilings, wiring, plumbing etc.) and the workshop had not been unpacked, so I had to use the type I could find rather than the type Graham used: Fry's Ornamented, Lectura and Verona. The paper is a very old handmade Barcham Green, dampened and printed on an 1846 Albion press. The pattern wrapper is printed on yellow Hahnemuhle paper supplied by John Purcell, and the repeat plate was made by Lyme Bay Press from another Marco block found in a drawer. The book measures 11.5 x 15cm, postage is free to UK customers.
- The main edition is 160 hard back copies at £150
- 5 copies have been made on the last of the Clover Hill paper, with thanks to Pat Randle of Nomad Press £175
- 50 further copies are in an slip case at £180
- 50 copies are in loose sheets for binders at £60
Enid Marx (1902-1998) studied painting at the Central School of Arts and the Royal College of Art in the 1920's, and started out with printing textiles by hand in a workshop over a cowshed on Hampstead Hill. Later, she taught wood engraving at The Ruskin School of Art, Oxford, with Paul Nash, Barnett Freedman and Eric Ravilious, and along with Edward Bawden they were known as the 'Curwen Group' of artists. She also illustrated children's books during the war, and designed fabrics for Utility Furniture which were used on London buses and tubes for decades.
In 1945, Marco was the first woman engraver to be designated the Royal Designer for Industry and made a wide range of work, including postage stamps, book plates, patterned paper, calendars and zoo posters. She was a pioneer of English popular art and worked with the great houses such as the Curwen Press, Penguin Books and Chatto and Windus.
Marco taught at Maidstone, Bromley and London schools of art, and was the Head of Department of Dress, Textiles and Ceramics at the Croydon School of Art before her retirement. Incline Press printed several of her books, illustrated with engravings, woodcuts and lino blocks. Graham told me that she was massively enthusiastic about his great adventure of setting up a private press, and her influence and creative generosity was a huge inspiration and help to him.
These engravings will be returned to the family, who hold the copyright of all images.
In 1945, Marco was the first woman engraver to be designated the Royal Designer for Industry and made a wide range of work, including postage stamps, book plates, patterned paper, calendars and zoo posters. She was a pioneer of English popular art and worked with the great houses such as the Curwen Press, Penguin Books and Chatto and Windus.
Marco taught at Maidstone, Bromley and London schools of art, and was the Head of Department of Dress, Textiles and Ceramics at the Croydon School of Art before her retirement. Incline Press printed several of her books, illustrated with engravings, woodcuts and lino blocks. Graham told me that she was massively enthusiastic about his great adventure of setting up a private press, and her influence and creative generosity was a huge inspiration and help to him.
These engravings will be returned to the family, who hold the copyright of all images.
OCTOBER 2025
Pamphlet launch: Grounding
Grounding is a simple two sheet booklet and the first publication from the new print workshop in Creetown. This short poem is written by artist Laura M R Harrison who lives and works in rural Cumbria.
The hand carved engraving is of a sprig of Hawthorn by Helen Moss, and printed on the Arab press and gear left to her by Graham Moss of Incline Press.
Pamphlet launch: Grounding
Grounding is a simple two sheet booklet and the first publication from the new print workshop in Creetown. This short poem is written by artist Laura M R Harrison who lives and works in rural Cumbria.
The hand carved engraving is of a sprig of Hawthorn by Helen Moss, and printed on the Arab press and gear left to her by Graham Moss of Incline Press.
