The Overcoat. From the Tales of Petersburg. Translated by Constance Garnett.
Verona: Officina Bodoni, 1975. Small folio. Limited edition. #66 of 160 copies (including 10 ad personam). Original vellum spine with boards in Fabriano paper, gilt. Top edge gilt, others untrimmed. The Russian text is set in Wadim Lazursky's Cyrillic type 'Puskin', specially cut for the Officina Bodoni. Giovanni Mardersteig's Dante type has been used for the English text. Printed on handmade Pescia paper. Prospectus leaf loosely inserted. In green buckram-covered slipcase as issued. Six etchings by Petro Annigoni who has signed the colophon. Book label of Tatyana and Hans Schmoller on the front pastedown. Fine in fine slipcase. Item #8756
Parallel text with the top half of each page in Russian and the bottom half in English. Gogol spent 1838-42 in Rome and the first draft of The Overcoat was written there. Hans Schmoller edited and translated the bibliography of the Officina Bodoni and was a good friend of the publisher Giovanni Mardersteig.
Price: £975.00