Based on the introduction to the 2016 Dover edition the linocuts had been lost so that 1975 and later editions were all done from photos of the earlier editions.
1975 Celestial Arts; Millbrae, California
Note: this cover illustration was not used for the covers of the earlier editions. Since Patri was alive and participating in this reprint it must be assumed it better reflects his theme of the book – a man escaping the confines of his collar.
8 1/2 x 5 1/2 Inches
The paper is matte, off-white. The black ink has a brownish tinge (similar to the 2nd handmade edition) and the orange is similar to that in the 2nd and 3rd versions. All-in-all, a nice reprint.
2007 Col Blanc
as the 2nd and 3rd editions.
Col Blanc is a French language edition based on the 3rd edition (1941 Pisani) with its introductions and afterword. It also includes Patri’s introduction to the 1975 Celestial edition. Added to Col Blanc is the editor’s introduction to this French edition.
- Publisher: Divers Interforum (Zones); Paris, France;
- 8 x 5 1/2 inches
- unpaginated, printed recto and verso
- The paper is matte white. The story images are done with an ordinary black ink while the interior/dream sequences are done in a brownish orange ink.
1987 Private edition?
This may have been done in a small run. It was described as a private edition in the introduction to the 2016 Dover edition.
2016 Dover Publications; Mineola, New York
- hard cover with a DJ
- noticeably larger than prior editions; 11 1/4 x 8 5/8 inches
- unpaginated,
- printed recto and verso with black and orange images. I personally find this edition the least pleasing of the reprints with the white paper too white and the black ink too glaring
- this was done from photos and lacks some of the crispness of the original images
- the introduction said all the blocks were missing and the 1975 Celestial reprint was done from photos of a handmade book.
- contains an introduction by his son, Tito Patri, and his step-son, George Rey. It is interesting for its biographical information; births, marriage, etc BUT it contains factual errors eg:
- a reference is made to Masereel and Lynd Ward creating narratives of linocuts – all of their books were cut from wood not linoleum. They may have made the occasional print from linocuts but none come to mind.
- it claimed the pages of Patri’s hand made books “were bound by inexpensive plastic spirals”. It is easy to understand confusion in the recollection of events witnessed as children but in fact the binding of the 1st edition was a white metal comb and the 2nd was a wire comb.
- it referred to the Pisani edition as a 2nd edition when in fact it was the 3rd edition.
