The Reading Room Press

An Advertiser’s Alphabet 

by A.S.J. Tessimond and Ceri Richards

Lying in Tessimond’s archive, not much more than a cardboard-box, has been a stapled booklet signed by both Tessimond and Richards on the first page and dated 1930. Tessimond appears to have entered alphabetically, words relating to his trade as an advertising copywriter such as ‘Brand Name’, ‘Habit’, and ‘Psychology’. Richards has painted 25 (there is no ‘A’) delightful gouache vignettes while Tessimond has added his own interpretaion of the art and guile of the advertising business.

The images have been scanned and printed digitally by the Senecio Press, one per recto page, onto BFK Rives 180gsm paper. The text is printed letterpress in Lutetia with Romulus Open for display. The format is larger than the original. The introduction is by Mel Gooding, the artist’s son-in-law and acknowledged expert on Richards. The black and white design painted on the cover of the booklet is reproduced in reduced form on the Buggra Butten paper covers. Casebound by Chris Hicks. 

150 copies. Out of print