Sent out to the press’s clients, this Curwen Press publication traces the natural history of the unicorn, the company’s logo, noting its scientific name, habitat, and transforming appearance. Founded in 1863 to publish sheet music, the Curwen Press developed into a well-known publisher of the graphic arts and a major player in the early 20th century design revolution in England. Director Harold Curwen is said to have chosen the mythical being as the company’s image in the early 20th century because it represented “tenacity, purity, pride, and unrivalled performance”. (pg. 3) Find Unicornucopia in the Brown Library catalog.
Basil Harley
London: Curwen Press, 1973
Rollo G. Silver Collection of Printing and Publishing History, John Hay Library