A Rake's Progress. A Poem in five sections

London: Lion and Unicorn Press, 1967.

First edition one of an edition limited to 450 copies only, without the loose Errata slip. Square folio (14.5 x 15.5 ins); unpaginated. Illustrated with 16 reduced half-tone letterpress blocks after etchings by Hockney. Original black cloth boards with black laminate plastic spine binder, lettering to front cover in grey. Spots of foxing to half-title page and some minor water stains to the verso of last text leaf. Text set in 18pt Century Schoolbook and the two-colour halftone plates were made by Engravers Guild Ltd, London. Printed on Dual White Proven Art paper. Of this work Hockney says, "These etchings were begun in London in September 1961 after a visit to the United States. My intention was to make eight plates, keeping the title originally invented by Hogarth, but moving the setting to New York". No dust-jacket, as issued. A couple of very light scratches to boards but still an excellent copy. The Lion and Unicorn Press was founded in 1954 at the Royal College of Art, London. Named after the Festival of Britain's Lion and the Unicorn Pavilion, the Lion and Unicorn Press was established with the aim of producing finely designed and typeset books, illustrated, printed and bound at the RCA.