The Beowulf exhibit will be on display at the Mable House Art Center in Mableton. In the foreground is the Red Onion mobile express which will be used to demonstrate letterpress printing on Saturday, April 15 during the Taste of Mableton being held in the park surrounding the Art Center.
The Red Onion Press presents a limited first edition of original illustrations by Bronislaw Bak of the epic medieval poem Beowulf accompanied by a 1910 translation from the original Old English by Frances B. Grummere. Printed from the original hand carved blocks which were lost for 50 years that recently came to light; the wood blocks were used to print a photo ready image for mid-1960’s elementary classroom slide film commissioned by Encyclopedia Britannica. The slide film is no longer available as are the now rare antique viewers. This First Edition of 50 pages contain both the images and the full translation in a tribute to the original work that will now be preserved as well as an art project that provides a great teaching experience to all involved. Each book in the edition will be made available for purchase after publication for $500 each. Starting with this exhibit, a pre-publication 25% discount will be offered to those who wish to purchase. Contact the Red Onion Press for more information at www.redonionpress.org
The colored images shown are replicated from the original hand printed and painted by the artist, Bronislaw Bak. The pages in the edition are printed directly from the blocks in black ink.