ASHENDENE PRESS BOOKS
Why They Are Collectable
Many people decide to collect books that were published by the Ashendene Press between 1895-1935. They were one of the finest private presses and produced many beautiful books. Some were made like pamphlet style booklets, some with flexible, limp covers (like modern day card cover books) with little silk ties to fasten them together and others with strong leather binding. Even wedding booklets with the order of service that the founder of Ashendene Press produced for his own wedding and that of his son. Let’s take a look at why books that were published by the Ashendene Press are so highly regarded and collectable and some of the prices they have achieved at auction houses. As so few copies come up for auction as buyers hang on to them the prices shown will be from sales either in the UK, Europe or America with their respective currency.
Finest Materials Were Used
The Ashendene Press set up by C. H, St John Hornby used only the finest materials for their books. They used the best handmade paper from mulberry trees where the suppliers produced the cream translucent paper (Japanese paper). Parchment paper was made from animal skins. The finest, pure vellum (was calf skin stretched) which was of the most superior quality from J, Batchelor & Sons who used their distinct watermark. Batchelor paper as it became known was made from natural linen and cotton fibres. H. Band and Co. made the vellum for special deluxe copies. These were the small number produced from the main number.
They used custom typefaces with a helping hand from great typographers like Emery Walker. The typefaces used subiaco based on 1460 Italian designs blending Gothic and Roman elements and the ptolemy design based on 15th-century German typeface.
The inks that Ashendene Press used were high density black with accent ink colours of mainly red and blue and hand-applied pigments in gold ink and gold leaf for the initials done by master calligraphers like Eric Gill and Graily Hewitt.
The best materials were also used to bind the leaves and were crafted by great book binders like the Zaehnsdorf’s who were world renowned for their expertise in bookbinding and W.H. Smith bound fine books for Ashendene.
They produced flexible books made of vellum as their standard books. This had little ties to keep them closed. Think of a book with card carvers only Ashendene used real animal skin. Others were made using stiff pigskin and the stronger leather-bound books were more expensive to produce and were not flexible like a leather-bound hardback in books produced today. These are usually worth much more.
Limited Numbers Printed
The Ashendene Press produced their books in very small numbers and they sold them through a subscription service to their subscribers thus making them exceedingly rare as there are more collectors than books available making them a lucrative find. There are only between 150-300 copies of most titles. Some had only 16-50 copies produced which were usually trial prints. Therefore, every book printed at the Ashendene Press is a limited edition. Usually, the lower number of copies that were produced were not for subscribers so were not for sale. These were private deluxe editions and kept by the founder Hornby’s close family, friends, collaborators such as the engravers and binders. These deluxe editions published in the lower numbers are worth much more than the subscriber editions. Signed editions in the subscriber editions usually add extra value and numbered editions, The lower the number printed the more they are sought after.
It is indicated that at least 50% of all remaining copies are held by libraries who keep hold of them and publish them online. Many more copies would have perished or thrown out by future generations who may not have known their true value. It is no wonder that they do not often come on the market and when they do, they usually achieve higher prices than the estimate given by the auctioneer. Private sellers often sell for much more than the auction prices despite buyer premium that public auctioneers charge.
Craftmanship
From the paper which was handmade from animal skins by highly reputable award-winning companies to the letterpress, the fine binding which was crafted by experts in their field and who were world renowned and certainly not cheap make Ashendene Press books highly collectable. It is rare for some much work and expense to go into one book that Ashendene have become a part of history for fine printing books. One of the titles took three years to complete that is how much time and effort goes into producing the finer ones. Every book at Ashendene was produced with so much dedication and passion by the finest, acclaimed artisans. Containing original woodcuts, original engravings and illuminated miniatures by hand which were produced under The Arts & Crafts period where many things were made by hand and not by machines so were not mass produced. The Ashendene Press was one of the finest private publishers of our time and will keep its place in history as a fine book publisher.
Ashendene Press Books & Print Run
The Journal of Joseph Hornby, February–March 1815 Ashendene’s first book printed in 1895 with a print run of just 33 copies.
La Vita Nuova by Dante Alighieri was published in 1895 limited print run of 45 copies on parchment and 5 larger copies on parchment. One of the 45 copies sold for £5,000 in June 2013 at Christies much higher than its £2,000-£3,000 estimate.
Ye Minutes of ye CLXXVIIth Meeting of ye Sette of Odd Volumes by John Todhunter published in 1896 with a print run of 154 copies on handmade paper. A copy was estimated at £200-£300 and sold for £353 inclusive of buyer’s premium at Chiswick Auctions in September 2025.
Three Poems by John Milton was published in 1896 as a pamphlet style booklet with a print run of 50 copies. A copy was estimated at £800-£1,200 in June 2013 and sold for £2,375. Today the value would certainly be much higher.
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam by Edward Fitzgerald 1896, a pamphlet style booklet had a print run of 50 numbered copies. A copy sold for £2,100 in December 2018 at Dominic Winter Auctions.
The Thoughts of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus by George was published as a pamphlet in 1897 with a print run of just 30 copies on Batchelor paper. Quite rare due to the low number of copies printed and the estimated value is £3,000-£4,500.
The Book of Ecclesiates 1897 had a print run of 27 numbered copies. Number 7 sold for £5,625 inclusive of buyer’s premium at Bonhams in June 2018.
Two Essays of Francis Lord Bacon 1897. Only 16 copies were printed in pamphlet style making it the rarest of the titles. The estimated value is £7,500.
The Prologue to the Tales of Canterbury by Geoffrey Chaucer 1898 had a print run of 50 signed and dated copies by C. H St John Hornby himself. These copies on Batchelor paper. The value is estimates at £4,500-£5,500.
Hymns and Prayers to be Sung and Said at the Marriage of St. John Hornby and Cicely Barclay was published in 1898 as a pamphlet style booklet for his own wedding service to Cicely Barclay About 150 numbered copies were produced on Batchelor paper and signed by the couple. These are quite scarce as many wedding guests left them at the pew in the church. These were not meant for paid subscribers. Copy number 3 fetched £1,125 inclusive of buyer’s premium in November 2012. Needless to say, the value would be much higher today.
Three Elegies Lycidas, Adonais Thyris by John Milton was published in 1899 with a print tun of 50 copies on Batchelor paper. Christies estimated a copy in December 1996 at $400-$600 and copy number 36/50 sold for $2,990. As these do not come up for auction around the world that often today’s value would be much greater as demand outstrips the supply.
The Song-Story of Aucassin and Nicolete Andrew Lang 1900 had a print run of copies on Bachelor paper. In June 2018 copy number 14/40 sold for £1,375 including buyer’s premium. This title would fetch several thousand pounds if a copy came up for auction today.
The Boke off the Revelacion off Sanct Jhon the Devine by William Tyndale was published in 1901 in limp vellum on Batchelor paper had a print run of 54 numbered copies. Forum Auction estimated a copy to be worth £800-£1,200 in January 2026 and it sold for £2,200 on the day.
Inferno by Dante Alighieri 1902 had a print of 135 copies on Bachelor paper and 14 on pure vellum. A copy was estimated to be worth $2,000-$3,000 by Swann Galleries in October 2013 and sold for $4,250 inclusive of buyer’s premium. This book formed the first volume of The Divine Comedy Series, the other two volumes were published in 1904 and 1905. These have in the past come up for auction at a major auction house as a three-volume matching set.
The Song of Solomon 1902 are illuminated and by Florence Kate Kingsford and all 40 copies in the print run are full vellum and leather bound. These copies are estimated to be worth £55,000-£65,000.
Quintus Horatius Flaccus by Quintus Horatius Flaccus 1903 with a print run of 150 on Bachelor paper and 25 on pure vellum. A two-volume set from the 150 copies came up for auction at Christies in June 2013 with an estimated value of £1,500-£2,500 and sold for £3,500. A single volume was estimated in May 2026 at £1,000-£1,500 and it sold for £1,300 at Forum Auctions.
A Treatyse of Fysshynge Wyth an Angle by Dame Juliana Berners was published in 1903 with limp vellum and cloth ties with a print run of 150 copies on hand-made paper and 25 copies on vellum. One of the 150 copies sold for £1000 at Dominic Winter Auctioneers in July 2026.
Quinti Horati Flacci Carmina Alcaica by Horace published in 1903 in 2 volumes in limp vellum with a print run of 150 on parchment paper and 25 copies on pure vellum. A copy of the 150 copies was estimated at £1,500-£2,500 and the hammer price was £3,500 in June 2013 at Christies.
A Book of Songs and Poems from the Old Testament and the Apocrypha published in 1904 with limp vellum and green ties with a print run of 150 copies on parchment and 25 on pure vellum. A copy sold for £1,900 in March 2025 at Forum Auctions. It had an estimate of £1,000-£1,500. A copy that had been later bound in green morocco attributed to Douglas Cockerell at the W. H. Smith book binery was estimated at £3,000-£4,000 by Forum Auctions in November 2024 and the hammer price was £5,500. The fine vellum 25 copies would be much higher hammer price.
Purgatorio by Dante Alighieri 1904 had a print run of 150 copies on parchment and 20 copies on pure vellum. A copy from the 150 copies on parchment sold for £3,200 in March 2020 at Forum Auctions beating the estimate of £2,000-£3,000.
Un Mazzetto Scelto di Certi Fioretti di San Francesco 1904. The print run was 150 copies on Bachelor paper and 25 copies on pure vellum.
Paradiso by Dante Alighieri published in 1905 had a print run of 150 copies on Bachelor paper and 20 on pure vellum. The estimated value of this volume is £2,000-£3,000 for one of the 150 copies. One of the 20 copies on vellum would be worth more. Having the full 3 volume set would fetch much more as shown in the 1902 Inferno book.
Utopia by Thomas Moore published in 1906 had a print run of 100 copies of Bachelor paper and 20 on pure vellum. In April 2000 a copy from the 100 copies on Batchelor paper was estimated at £1,000-£1,500 and sold for £1,880 at Christies.
Tutte le Opere di Dante Alighieri by Dante Alighieri was published in 1909 with a print run of 106 numbered copies on parchment and an additional 6 on vellum. The book took three years to complete and when a copy came up for auction at Christies in July 2024 it was estimated to be worth £30,000-£50,000. It sold for £37,800.
The Story Without an End by Sarah Austin was printed in 1909 as a pamphlet style booklet with 30 copies on Japanese paper and 6 on pure vellum. One of the 30 copies was valued at between £1,000-£1,500 in June 2013 and resulted in a £1,750 hammer price at Christies.
Publii Vergilii Maronis Opera published in 1910 had a print run of just 40 copies on parchment and 8 on pure vellum. One of the 40 copies was estimated by Christies at £4,000-£6000 and sold for £10,625 in June 2009. The low print run gave this the higher price. So, one of the 8 would greatly exceed that price being so rare.
Le Morte Darthur by Thomas Malory was published in 1913 had a print run of 145 unnumbered copies on parchment and 8 copies on vellum. A copy of this last came for auction at Christies in June 2009 at an estimated price of £2,000-£3,000 and sold for £3,500.
T. Lucreti Cari de Rerum Natura published in 1913 with a print run of 80 copies on parchment paper and 8 on pure vellum. A copy was estimated at £4,000-£6,000 from the 80 copies by Dominic Winter Book Auctions and the hammer price was £6,200 in June 2024. Compare the value from 11 years previously when a copy of the 80 copies on parchment was estimated at Christies for £1,200-£1,800 and sold for £3,000 in June 2013. One of the 8 fine vellum copies would achieve a much higher price.
Poems Written in the YearMCMXIII by Robert Bridges published in 1914 had a print run of 85 copies on parchment paper and 6 on pure vellum. The value is estimated at £1,500-£2,500 for one of the 85 copies on parchment paper.
Boccaccio Il Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio was published in 1920 with a print run of 105 copies on parchment and 6 copies on pure vellum. A copy of the 105 copies sold for £9,562.50 inclusive of buyer premium at Bonhams in December 2021.
Refugees in Chelsea by Henry James was published in 1920 as a pamphlet style booklet with a print run of 50 copies on parchment paper and 6 on pure vellum. One of the 6 vellum copies came up for auction at Forum Auctions in July 2023 and was estimated at £4,000-£6,000 and it sold for a staggering £18,000.
Vita di S. Chiara Vergine by Waler W. Seaton was published in 1921 with a print run of 236 copies on parchment paper and 10 copies on pure vellum. A copy from the 236 on limp boards with cloth ties sold for £960 in December 2023 at Bonhams.
I Fioretti di S. Francesco by Francesco di Assisi published in 1922 with limp vellum and green silk ties had a print run of 240 on parchment paper and 12 copies on pure vellum. A copy of the 240 was estimated at £500-£700 and sold for £600 at Forum Auctions in March 2026.
The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser was published in 1923 and had a print run of 180 copies on parchment and 12 copies on vellum. A two-volume edition on parchment was estimated at Christies at £15,000-£2,000 and sold for £4,375 in June 2013. As few copies were printed collectors tend to hang onto them so they do not come up for auction very often and when they do, they sell well.
The Golden Asse of Lucius Apuleius by William Adlington (translator) was published in 1924. The print run was 165 on Batchelor paper, 16 on vellum and 3 copies on Japanese paper. Forum Auctions estimated one of the 165 copies at £1,200-£1,800 in July 2025 and it sold for £1,600 on the day.
The Young King & Other Tales by Oscar Wilde was published in 1924 with a print run of 65 on Batchelor paper and 7 copies on pure vellum. In March 2025 Forum Auctions estimated one of the 65 copies at £1,500-£2,000. It sold for £8,000. One of the rarer special 7 copies would be worth much more.
The Minor Poems by Edmund Spencer published in 1925 with a print run of 200 unnumbered copies on parchment paper and 15 copies on pure vellum. One of the 200 copies was estimated at £1,000-£1.500 in May 2026 at Forum Auctions and sold for £1,500.
The History of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes was published between 1927-28. The print run was 225 on parchment and 20 copies on pure vellum. A copy was estimated to be worth $3,000-$5,000 and sold for $5,250 in June 2020.
Hymns and Prayers for Use at the Marriage of Michael Hornby and Nicolette Ward a wedding service booklet produced in 1928 for his Hornby’s son’s marriage like he produced for his own. Again, this booklet was not meant for paid subscribers. A copy of this booklet is valued at £200-£300.
Thucydides The History of the Peloponnesian War by Benjamin Jowett 1930 where the print run was 260 copies on parchment and 20 copies on pure vellum. One of the 260 copies was estimated at £1,500-£2,000 in May 2025 and sold for £1,800 at Forum Auctions.
The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach (Commonly Called the Book of Ecclesiasticus) was published in 1932 with limp vellum and silk ties had a print run of 328 on parchment paper with limp boards and 25 copies on pure vellum. A copy from the 328 was estimated to be worth £1,500-£2000 in July 2026 by Forum Auctions. It sold for £1,400.
Les Amours Pastorales de Daphnis et Chloe by J. Amyot published in 1933 had a print run of 290 on H. Gage Cole paper and 20 copies on pure vellum. A copy of from the 290 copies sold in June 2014 at Bonhams for £1,187 including buyer’s premium. A copy sold in July 2026 with a hammer price of £1,300 at Forum Auctions.
A Descriptive Bibliography of the Books Printed at The Ashendene Press published in 1935 with a print run of 390 copies on parchment paper all numbered and signed by Hornby. A copy was estimated to be worth £800-£1,200 by Forum Auctions and it sold for £1,100 in September 2023.