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MICHAEL HAMBURGER — TRAVELLING VILondon: I. M. Imprimit, 1975First Edition • No. 144 of 310 Copies • Ian Mortimer Private Press
A handsome first edition of Michael Hamburger’s Travelling VI, privately printed in London by Ian Mortimer at I. M. Imprimit in 1975.
Issued in a strictly limited edition of 310 numbered copies, this is copy no. 144, one of the copies printed on Glastonbury Antique laid paper.
An elegant example of British small-press poetry publishing of the 1970s, the booklet is finely produced in a restrained format, sewn with cream thread and preserved in its original overlapping printed wrappers.
LIMITED EDITION
The edition was limited to 310 numbered copies.
This copy is numbered:
144 / 310
The booklet comprises approximately 16 unpaginated pages and is printed on laid paper, with the text enclosed in original light-grey card wrappers printed in black and blue.
Production features include:
• First edition
• Limited to 310 numbered copies
• This copy No. 144
• Printed by Ian Mortimer
• Glastonbury Antique laid paper
• Original overlapping card wrappers
• Sewn binding with cream thread
• Small-format private-press production
The combination of limited issue, traditional sewn construction, laid paper, and restrained typography gives the publication the character of a genuine private-press production rather than a conventionally manufactured poetry pamphlet.
MICHAEL HAMBURGER
Michael Hamburger (1924–2007) was a German-born British poet, translator, critic, and essayist.
Although especially celebrated for his translations of major German-language poets including Friedrich Hölderlin, Paul Celan, and Gottfried Benn, Hamburger was also an accomplished poet in his own right.
Travelling VI forms part of Hamburger’s continuing sequence of poems under the Travelling title. The preceding Travelling I–V had appeared through Agenda Editions in 1972, making this privately printed 1975 continuation an interesting component of Hamburger’s poetic bibliography.
CONTEMPORARY PRESENTATION INSCRIPTION
This copy possesses an additional point of interest: a contemporary presentation inscription dated 1975 on the front endpaper.
It reads:
“For all the Wallrich family & its (!) ‘New Departures’ for Toronto, 1975. Warm wishes to you all & all LUCK! Andrey.”
The inscription apparently commemorates the Wallrich family’s departure for Toronto in 1975, with the phrase “New Departures” used playfully in reference to the move.
The signer, “Andrey,” has not been conclusively identified, and no attribution is asserted.
The inscription nevertheless provides an attractive piece of contemporary provenance and places this copy firmly within its original 1975 context.
CONDITION
Near Fine.
An attractive and well-preserved copy.
The original wrappers show only light shelf and handling wear, including slight wear near the upper edge and corners.
The sewn binding remains sound.
Internally clean, bright, and crisp.
The contemporary 1975 presentation inscription appears on the front endpaper as described above.
Please examine the photographs carefully for the precise condition and appearance of this copy.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS
Author: Michael Hamburger
Title: Travelling VI
Publisher: I. M. Imprimit
Printer: Ian Mortimer
Place: London
Date: 1975
Edition: First Edition
Limitation: 310 numbered copies
Copy: No. 144
Pagination: Approximately 16 unpaginated pages
Paper: Glastonbury Antique laid paper
Binding: Original sewn overlapping printed card wrappers
Inscription: Contemporary presentation inscription dated 1975
Language: English
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
A particularly attractive numbered copy of an uncommon Michael Hamburger private-press publication, combining literary interest, limited-edition printing, and a contemporary presentation inscription.
