News

PMM at 60

By Jeremy Knight

10th January, 2023

Desert Island discs, the long running radio programme, asks its interviewees “what book would you take to your desert island,” along with seven records. Later this year, The Book Collector will be celebrating the 60^th anniversary of the ground-breaking exhibition Printing and the Mind of Man with a special issue. So, we thought we would like our readers to contribute and ask you “which books do you think should have been included but were left out?”. Ideally you will give a couple of lines about each title. Your choice can span the globe rather than just the West.

Sixty years ago, at a time of heightened tension and the threat of war with Russia, London hosted two displays to coincide with the 11th International Printing Machinery and Allied Trades Exhibition. Stanley Morrison was the formidable driving force along with Percy Muir, who were inspired by a truly short lived exhibition held during the war at Cambridge in 1940 –  The Gutenberg Quincentenary Exhibition of Printing –  and expanded its scope. The result were two exhibitions that changed the way book collectors and dealers looked at books – the  Earls Court exhibition display focused on the technical side of printing and how influential the printed material was, the one at the British Museum looked more at fine printing and how attractive books were.

Ian Fleming, our founder, had a largely forgotten, but vital role in the 1940 and 1963 exhibitions, he was the major private lender, drawing on books he had bought in the 1930s with the guidance of Percy Muir who was instrumental in building his collection, now at the Lilly Library, Indiana University. In 1940 he lent 27 titles, which was increased to over 40 in the expanded exhibition. Other private lenders contributed one or two books, Munby lent three, the same as Keynes, and the Duke of Devonshire 16, which isn’t surprising, but none matched Ian’s contribution. Just one aspect that will be explored in our celebratory issue.

One reason for the impact of PMM has been the original catalogue published in 1963, which included the printed materials and machinery shown at both venues. The 1967 hardback catalogue, however, focused on books and printed materials that were exhibited at Earls Court only. These were the books of profound influence, and it is this catalogue that most people refer to. PMM entered the lexicon of the book world and to read both catalogues is a journey of discovery.

The 60th anniversary has given us the opportunity to reflect on the exhibition and catalogues, to mine the private correspondence and ephemera that has survived, to tell the story of a culturally important event that took place in a time of post war recovery. It has also given us the chance to ask you for your ideas – what printed materials would you include, if the exhibition took place this year? Please email info@thebookcollector.co.uk by 31st March 2023.