The Golden Cockerel Press - ClassicLiterature.com

The Golden Cockerel Press
The Golden Cockerel Press was one of the most prominent English fine/private presses of the 20th century, operating from 1920 to 1961. Founded by Harold (Hal) Midgley Taylor in London as a cooperative venture, it initially focused on hand-printed books and literary works. It gained its greatest fame and acclaim under the ownership and direction of Robert Gibbings (from around 1924–1933), who emphasized high-quality typography, limited editions, and especially superb wood engravings and illustrations. The press produced around 200–214 titles in total (depending on how bibliographies count variants), often in small runs of a few hundred copies, many signed or specially bound.

The books are highly collectible today for their craftsmanship, artistic illustrations (particularly by artists like Eric Gill, Robert Gibbings, John Buckland Wright, and others), and elegant design—typical of the private press movement inspired by William Morris and the Arts and Crafts tradition.

Here are some of the most notable and famous books from the Golden Cockerel Press:
The Four Gospels (1931) — Printed in a large folio format with powerful wood engravings by Eric Gill. Widely regarded as one of the press’s masterpieces and a landmark in 20th-century book illustration and fine printing.
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (4 volumes, 1929–1931) — Illustrated with wood engravings by Eric Gill. This is another iconic Gill collaboration, celebrated for its bold, modernist interpretations of medieval text and imagery.
Works illustrated by Robert Gibbings, such as Glory of Life by Llewelyn Powys (1934), featuring his distinctive wood engravings of nature and animals.
The Song of Songs (illustrated by Eric Gill)
Various titles with engravings by artists like John Buckland Wright or Dorothea Braby
Literary works like Count Stefan by A.E. Coppard (1928, with wood engravings)

Later period books (post-1930s) often focused on historical voyages, memoirs, or limited editions, such as those related to the Bounty mutiny or Napoleon’s memoirs.

The press also issued its own bibliographies (e.g., Chanticleer, Pertelote, Cockalorum, and Cock-a-Hoop), which are themselves collectible for their illustrations (including by Eric Ravilious).

Many feature hand-set type, handmade paper, and original bindings, making them exemplars of interwar British fine printing.

The best places to find Golden Cockerel Press books online are:
eBay Books