Although The Book of Urizen was composed in 1794, the copy chosen for reproduction by the Trianon Press in 1958 (copy G) is a later watercolored print. Union College holds two copies of this work, which were donated by Hans Rozendaal and Walter Tower. Copy 2 includes the Trianon Press prospectus for their project.
The book of Los, composed in 1795, is related to The Book of Ahania. Blake made one copy of each, then set them aside. The two works represent bits and pieces of Blake’s thought while he was developing his mythology. They also represent his experimentation with printing techniques. For both works he etched the plates with a fine pen, rather than using the relief etching method, which involved the application of acid. Trianon’s facsimile is based on copy A. The Union College copy was purchased by the Friends of the Library.
The book of Ahania, composed in 1795, is related to The Book of Los. Blake made one copy of each, then set them aside. The two works represent bits and pieces of Blake’s thought while he was developing his mythology. They also represent his experimentation with printing techniques. For both works he etched the plates with a fine pen, rather than using the relief etching method, which involved the application of acid. Trianon’s facsimile is based on copy A. The Union College copy was purchased by the Friends of the Library.
Milton was composed by Blake between the years 1804 and 1811; this facsimile was made from copy D in 1967. Union College holds two copies of this work, one of which was purchased with general library funds and the other of which was donated by Hans Rozendaal.
The Trianon Press produced four different versions of Jerusalem. Blake only finished one colored copy of the work, which never sold. A few uncolored versions, or tinted only in black and gray, also exist. This facsimile is of the fully colored version, copy E. Published in 1951, it was not only the first of Trianon’s four versions of Jerusalem, but the first of its reproductions of Blake, which the Press would continue to make over a period of nearly forty years. Trianon produced two different colored versions of Jerusalem in 1951, one in five paper-bound parts and one in a version with all of the plates bound together in a single volume. Union College holds copies of both versions. The version in parts was purchased by the Friends of the Library in 1974; the bound version was the gift of Hans Rozendaal. Union also holds two copies of an introduction to and commentary on Jerusalem, written by Joseph Wicksteed, and published by the Trianon Press in 1953. These copies were donated to the library by Hans Rozendaal and Walter Tower.
This work was composed in 1794; copies B and G, from which this facsimile was made, were produced in the same year. It was purchased by the Friends of the Union College Library in 1969.
The original work was composed in 1793; this facsimile was made from copy M, dating from around 1807. Union College holds two copies of this work, which were donated by Hans Rozendaal and Walter Tower. Copy 2 is a special edition demonstrating the methodology used by the Trianon Press in creating its facsimiles. It includes a set of 25 hand-colored plates showing progressive stages in the stencil work used to color the plates; seven color collotype proofs; and one original guide sheet and stencil.
In this image from All Religions are One (1970 facsimile), a naked male figure sits upon a large rock. This figure is commonly thought by Blake scholars to represent John the Baptist. His feet are crossed and both of his arms are gesturing to the right. He is surrounded by vines, leaves, and other such items of the natural world. Beneath him lies the caption of the frontispiece, which reads “the voice of one crying in the wilderness.”
This work is one of Blake's earliest experiments with illuminated printing. He began working on it in 1788 and returned to it again in 1795. The facsimile is made from a composite of two different copies and was purchased by the Friends of the Union College Library in 1971.
The original work was created in 1790; this facsimile was made from copy D, produced in 1795. Union College holds two copies of this work, which were donated by Hans Rozendaal and Walter Tower.
The Book of Thel, composed in 1789, was the first of Blake's illuminated books to be written in lines of fourteen syllables, a style he would use consistently in future works. This book exists in many copies; the Trianon Press facsimile is based on copy O. It was purchased by the library at Union College with annual funds.
The title page of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1960 facsimile) prominently features the title as part of the artwork. The words are made up of trees, and beneath their branches walk several small human figures. Towards the bottom of the page, plumes of smoke and fire emerge from the centermost layer of the earth. Amidst the natural violence, two lovers embrace in the middle of the page. One emerges from the flames, while the other is surrounded by dusty clouds, perhaps providing a visual representation of the union between the realms of Heaven and Hell.
Two human figures, nude save for branches that act as loincloths, are both positioned horizontally in this images with their faces obstructed from view. The figure on the ground appears to be female, and hovering inches above her is a male figure. Blake scholars theorize that these figures are intended to be Adam and Eve fleeing from the Garden of Eden. They cling to the verdant field beneath them as the sky is streaked with flames. The flames transform into smoke that forms the word “SONGS” at the top of the image. Several orange-colored birds fly throughout the words of the title.
The Song of Los, composed in 1795, was color-printed rather than watercolored later. This technique was more efficient and subject to less variation, but it produced thicker, denser areas of color than when watercolor was added later. The Trianon Press facsimile was made from copy B. It was purchased for Union College by the Friends of the Library.
Plate 46
An old man with a long beard and a dirty blue robe walks through the streets of, presumably, London. He is using a crutch, as well as getting assistance from a small boy. The streets are dim and dirty. A beam of light shines down upon the old man and the boy. In the bottom sector of the plate, a man clothed in green warms his hands by a raging fire. The smoke billows up into the top half of the plate.
An elderly couple appears to have died recently. They lie side by side in a bed with their arms stretched out flat at their sides. At the foot of the bed, on either side, is a woman in a green dress. Both women appear to be distressed and have their hands in front of them in prayer. The sky is a beautiful mix of blue, yellow, and pink. The words that comprise the title are surrounded by delicate pink flowers, as well as two figures with legs extended in a sort of dance pose. The picture beautifully juxtaposes joy and agony-- surely two key components of ‘experience’.
This image from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1960 facsimile) continues the themes of fire and smoke seen throughout the illustrations in this illuminated book. The majority of this particular plate is black text on white, however, smudges of orange and black can be seen in the background.
At the top of this image from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1960 facsimile), a nude female with flowing golden hair is laying down with her limbs outstretched. She is surrounded by flames, some of which drape across her body, although she does not appear to be in pain. At the bottom of the plate, a larger nude female is giving birth. Her child's body language mirrors her own, as both of their arms are reaching towards the sky. In the bottom left corner of the plate, a nude child is mid-stride and appears to be running towards the corner of the plate. He seems to be kissing a spirit-like human with outstretched arms.
In this image from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1960 facsimile), a nude male falls head-first into a dark cavernous abyss. Alongside him, in a similar falling position, are his belongings - a horse, chariot, sword, and light blue cape. With arms stretched in front of his head, the man is inches from the flames that line the bottom of the illustration on this plate. Blake scholars theorize that this image likely refers to the falling of the Messiah from Heaven, in which he “fell & formed a heaven with what he stole from the Abyss”. This formation of a new heaven likely refers to the creation of Hell by Satan.
The artwork on this plate from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1960 facsimile) is concentrated at the bottom, as the text takes up the majority of the space. The landscape is divided between two different forces of nature. On the left, dark seas rage beneath a burning yellow sun with a red center. On the right, flames blaze fervently and dark smoke clouds the background. The words “The voice of the Devil” are, ironically, surrounded by naked angels whose horns seem to herald the following poetry. The sky behind the angels is a pastel yellow.
In this image from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1960 facsimile), the text says "Rintrah roars," but the imagery is mysterious. A woman in a yellow gown stands at the base of a tree with one arm around the trunk. The other arm is extended to a woman robed in green who is in the tree among the branches. Behind them, the sky shifts in color from red to blue. A curling vine descends from the top of the tree and surrounds the words of the poetry. Towards the bottom of the plate, upon bright green grass, lay two nude human figures whose features are essentially indiscernible.
This work has a complex publication history. Songs of Innocence was composed in 1789 and Songs of Experience in 1794, after which the two were often combined, sometimes with an additional, unified title page. The order of poems within the combined publication varies considerably, as does the number of poems selected for it (and for later reproductions). Thus not all of the poems in the series are included in all versions. The coloration also varies from copy to copy. The 1955 version by the Trianon Press was made from copy Z. Union College holds two copies of this facsimile, which were donated by Hans Rozendaal and Walter Tower.