Women

Joseph Addison’s translation of a poem by Semonides of Amorgos with thirteen etchings by Mona Ryder. Brisbane : Locks’ Press, 1983. Quarto, black cloth with lithographed illustration titled Women on upper board, unpaginated, pp. [18] plus thirteen original etchings, three on folded sheets, one of which is double page, tissue guards, a fine copy. Printed in an edition limited to 30 signed and numbered copies, a fine copy.

A very rare Queensland private press book about women, published and illustrated by women. 

‘Locks’ Press was established in 1979 in Brisbane, Australia. It was a private press, owned and operated by Fred and Margaret Lock. In 1987 Fred and Margaret Lock moved to Ontario. Margaret Lock illustrated most of their work. The Press ceased book publication after 2000, though it continued to produce broadsies until 2013 when it ceased operations and the Locks’ moved to England. Frederick Peter Lock was born on 2 October 1948 in London. Margaret Helen Capper was born in 1950 in Canada. They married in 1974. Fred Lock worked at the University of Queensland from 1974 to 1988.’ – Fryer Library website https://manuscripts.library.uq.edu.au/index.php/fvf762

The Locks’ aim was to rescue ‘unjustly neglected’ texts, reviving here the best known work by one of the lesser known Greek poets, as translated by Addison in the eighteenth century. The satirical story tells the origin of women as created by Zeus, describing them in ten ‘types’ as drawn from models in the natural world. The artist Mona Ryder studied with the publisher Margaret Lock.

‘Joseph Addison’s translation of the satire on women by the Greek poet Simonides of Amorgos (7th century BC) was first published in the Spectator No. 209 (30 October 1711). The text was set by hand in 18 point Bembo, and printed on an Eickhott proofing press by Fred & Margaret Lock. The illustrations were drawn, etched and printed by Mona Ryder, who also drew and printed the lithograph on the cover. The paper is Barcham Green’s Toil light toned laid handmade, 110 gsm.’ – the colophon.

A single example recorded in Australian collections (National Gallery of Australia).

No copies recorded in Australian libraries.