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A Night of Islands; title page

Printer: Ganter, Jo, RSA · b. 1963Artist: Maclean, Will, Professor, MBE RSA RSW RGI · b. 1941Printer: Agnew, Michael, RSA · b. 1968Publisher: Booth-Clibborn, Charles BevillePrinter: King, SimonPublisher: The Paragon PressPrinter: Peacock PrintmakersPrinter: Fisher, Beth L, RSA · b. 1944

A Night of Islands; title page

The colophon records that Maclean made the 10 etchings between September 1990 and March 1991, which were printed and editioned at Peacock Printmakers,…

The colophon records that Maclean made the 10 etchings between September 1990 and March 1991, which were printed and editioned at Peacock Printmakers, Aberdeen where Arthur J Watson and Beth Fisher co-ordinated their printing. The monochrome and colour etchings were printed at Peacock by Beth Fisher [who edition the first 20], Jo Ganter [recorded as Gantor on the colophon sheet] and Michael Agnew. The letterpress poems were printed on an Albion Press by Simon King in Cumbria, using the typeface Monotype Baskerville series 169. A total of 55 suites were printed; 40 of these numbered 1-40 were presented in the blue buckram portfolio case, a further 15 sets numbered 1-XV were available as individual prints and there were 10 proof copies.

The 10 monochrome etchings are printed on slightly smaller sheets and each carry the embossed circular stamp of Peacock Printmakers at bottom right (a male peacock with tail erect) they are editioned, titled, signed and dated [1993] in pencil by the artist beneath the plate mark on the recto face. They are not listed on the colophon and appear to be later additions added in by the artist.

The 10 colour etchings have the edition, title, signature and date similarily inscribed beneath the plate mark but on the verso face as the image occupies the entire recto face. The plates are as in the monochrome set but with additional printing covering the borders.

Charles Booth-Clibborn founded his imprint The Paragon Press in 1986 shortly after graduating from Edinburgh University, publishing The Scottish Bestiary that year with plates by artists including John Bellany HRSA, John [Jack] Knox RSA and Adrian Wiszniewski RSA and texts by George Mackay Brown. This was printed at Peacock Printmakers, Aberdeen who effectively bank-rolled the Press, agreeing to withhold billing Booth-Clibborn for a month after publication, by which time the edition had sold so well thatt he account was settled. The Night of Islands by contrast placed a major strain on the Printmakers being on the books at the time of major internal disputes between the Board and Management which impacted seriously on staffing. The Archived publications of the Paragon Press were sold in a dedicated auction at Christies, London, 2008-04-03.

The coloured prints were etched in a mixture of hard and soft grounds on zince plates. Several plates were used for each print. For details concerning the specific techniques and iconography of the indidual prints vide colour photocopy from Elliott, Patrick & Macmillan, Duncan (eds); Contemporary British Art in Print; The Publications of Charles Booth-Clibborn and his Imprint, The Paragon Press, SNGMA/Booth Clibborn Editions, 1995 (pp154-157) in artist file.

The colophon records that Maclean made the 10 etchings between September 1990 and March 1991, which were printed and editioned at Peacock Printmakers, Aberdeen where Arthur J Watson and Beth Fisher co-ordinated their printing. The monochrome and colour etchings were printed at Peacock by Beth Fisher [who edition the first 20], Jo Ganter [recorded as Gantor on the colophon sheet] and Michael Agnew.

The colophon records that Maclean made the 10 etchings between September 1990 and March 1991, which were printed and editioned at Peacock Printmakers, Aberdeen where Arthur J Watson and Beth Fisher co-ordinated their printing. The monochrome and colour etchings were printed at Peacock by Beth Fisher [who edition the first 20], Jo Ganter [recorded as Gantor on the colophon sheet] and Michael Agnew.

The colophon records that Maclean made the 10 etchings between September 1990 and March 1991, which were printed and editioned at Peacock Printmakers, Aberdeen where Arthur J Watson and Beth Fisher co-ordinated their printing. The monochrome and colour etchings were printed at Peacock by Beth Fisher [who edition the first 20], Jo Ganter [recorded as Gantor on the colophon sheet] and Michael Agnew.

The colophon records that Maclean made the 10 etchings between September 1990 and March 1991, which were printed and editioned at Peacock Printmakers, Aberdeen where Arthur J Watson and Beth Fisher co-ordinated their printing. The monochrome and colour etchings were printed at Peacock by Beth Fisher [who edition the first 20], Jo Ganter [recorded as Gantor on the colophon sheet] and Michael Agnew.

letterpress printer of the title, colophon and poetry sheets, printed by hand on an Albion Press, using the typeface Monotype Baskerville series 169.

© Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture