In our January blog we acknowledge a wonderful gift the Library received last year: a selection of material relating to the Daniel Press from the estate of the late Penelope Tuerk, great-granddaughter of C H O Daniel (Provost of Worcester 1903-1919).  It is a treasure-trove of 37 items, comprising manuscripts, early proofs, fine printed volumes from the Daniel Press, and related archival material (letters, photographs, etc.).

Although it might be inimical to select from such an interesting collection, two items in particular cry out for attention: Rachel Daniel’s own copy of The Garland of Rachel; and a manuscript book bound in embroidered boards with the cover title ‘List of Daniel Press books’.

We have written about the Daniel Press before (see “‘Beauty is truth’: Katherine Adams and the Daniel Press at Worcester College”).  Set up by the Rev C. H. O. Daniel, first at Frome in Somerset, and then from 1874 to 1906 in the grounds of Worcester College Oxford (see Madan, The Daniel Press, page 41), this much-admired private press published beautiful small volumes in limited print runs.  The texts were (from 1876) printed in Fell type, with printed floral ornaments, and beautiful miniation (red capital letters) painted by Daniel’s wife Emily.  Such delicate design can be found in the volume the Daniels crafted to celebrate the first birthday of their eldest child Rachel in 1881.

The dedication to Rachel Daniel

Inspired by a 17^th-century French manuscript, La Guirlande de Julie (see Peterson & Peterson, page 27), Henry Daniel sought poetic contributions from his literary friends, with the 17 contributors including: Robert Bridges, Poet Laureate 1913-1930; Charles L. Dodgson, i.e. “Lewis Carroll”; Sir Edmund W. Gosse, ‘perhaps the most eminent man of letters in late Victorian and Edwardian England’ (Peterson & Peterson, page 40); and the novelist and poet Margaret L. Woods.

Title-page of The Garland of Rachel

The Library already has a good collection of Daniel material, so it was wonderful to receive in September 2019, from Rachel’s granddaughter Penny Tuerk (1947-2018), Rachel’s very own copy of The Garland of Rachel (described in Peterson and Peterson’s census of the Garland as no 3.33).  Bound in vellum, a note loosely inserted in the handwriting of C H O Daniel argues for the provenance:

“To Rachel, setting out on her way through the world.  With the blessing and love of her father & mother.  Sept 27. 1901″

The date gives away the occasion: Rachel’s 21^st birthday.  Although the loose insertion means that there is ‘no irrefutable evidence that it has always been associated with this book’, there is ‘a very strong tradition in the family that this copy of the Garland was given to Rachel by her parents on her twenty-first birthday’ (Peterson and Peterson, page 103).  The family provenance of the book and the rest of the gift to Worcester can also be seen in the inclusion of two notes in Rachel’s childish hand to her parents – both of them with the theme of Rachel promising to be good!

A letter from Rachel Daniel to her mother

The coup of Rachel’s own copy is further enhanced by the inclusion of a green Morocco leather volume with spine title ‘MSS. OF GARLAND OF RACHEL’ (Peterson and Peterson, no. 3.36, the ‘Tuerk manuscript’): the contributors’ original manuscripts for their submissions; together with a volume containing an early proof of the finished text (Peterson and Peterson, no. 3.39, the ‘Tuerk proofs’).  That is, the nearly-finished text – for not all contributors escaped without an edit.  Most radically changed was the offering of Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll.  Verses beginning “Oh pudgy podgy pup!” were deemed far too frivolous and Carroll was impressed upon to produce a replacement, although not before someone had set the first poem in proof.

So, within this gift, we have not only Rachel’s copy of the Garland but also the original manuscript and a rare proof copy.  The boxes delivered to Worcester back in September also included a copy of The Garland inherited by Rachel’s sister Ruth from their mother Emily (Peterson and Peterson, no. 3.34).  This gift means that Worcester College now owns three copies of The Garland of Rachel, of which only 36 copies were ever printed.  This print run is noted in the other item that begs attention within this treasure-trove: a manuscript book titled ‘List of Daniel Press Books’.

Details of the Garland from the manuscript list

This volume is bound in embroidered covers of green silk with floral motifs.  Indeed, its decoration captures something of the delicacy of the Daniel Press products it lists, the decoration extending even to the smallest details: the clasps on the covers have ‘CHD’ (for C H Daniel) and ‘1903’ (the year of compilation?) inscribed on them.

The book itself is not a Daniel production: a small note on the rear free endpaper records: ‘M.S. by E. C. Reynolds | worked and bound by her | at The Gables | Abingdon Berks | May 14. 1903.’ Edith Claudia Reynolds was the wife of Samuel Harvey Reynolds (1831-1897), a Fellow of Brasenose College and friend of Daniel.  Are we to assume this was a gift made by Mrs Reynolds for her friend the Daniels?  Certainly, the provenance through the Daniel family suggests this.  In creating the book, Mrs Reynolds has not just produced a beautiful object, but included useful information on the print runs and prices of Daniel Press books.  The Library hopes that this and other material in this collection will be useful to researchers, who are welcome to make appointments to consult it.

Mark Bainbridge, Librarian

Bibliography

• Madan, F., The Daniel Press: memorials of C.H.O. Daniel (Folkestone, 1974)
• Peterson, W.S. and S.H. Peterson, The Daniel Press and The Garland of Rachel (New Castle, DE, 2016)