In
1948 the Themersons started a publishing company, Gaberbocchus Press, whose
aim was to produce 'best lookers' rather than 'best sellers'. The first two
books were printed by them on a hand press in their flat on the top floor
of a house in Maida Vale. One was on Jankel Adler, the other told, and then
reversed, a fable by Aesop.
The name Gaberbocchus comes from Lewis Carroll's Jabberwock in a latinized
version by his uncle, Hassard Dogdson.
During the 31 years that the Themersons ran the press 60 titles were published.
These included the first translation of Jarry's Ubu Roi; Jankel
Adler; the English writings of Kurt Schwitters and Raoul Hausmann; first
translation of Raymond Queneau's 'untranslatable' Exercices de Style;
Dietrich Grabbe; Anatol Stern's first Polish futurist poem, Europa;
and the then completely unknown Pol-Dives. Among other authors were Hugo Manning,
Bertrand Russell, C.H. Sisson, Eugene Walter, Stevie Smith, George Buchanan,
Kenneth Tynan, James Laughlin, Henri Chopin, David Miller and Cozette de Charmoy.
The list included several novels by Stefan Themerson; the Semantic Poetry
which he invented; his writings on ethics, and an opera; and two books of
Franciszka Themerson's drawings.
The Themersons were guided by the principle that the design of each book should
be an expression of its content.
In 1979, at the Themersons' request, Gaberbocchus
Press was taken under the wing of Uitgeverij De Harmonie, Amsterdam. De
Harmonie has undertaken several publications since then and continues
to sustain titles in print.
Chronological list of first editions
Stefan Themerson. Jankel Adler - an Artist
seen from one of many possible angles. 1948
Aesop, The Eagle & the Fox & The Fox & the Eagle: two semantically symmetrical
versions and a revised application, (devised by Stefan Themerson). Illustrated
by Franciszka Themerson. 1949
Hugo Manning. The Crown and The Fable. A poetic sequence. 1950
Stefan Themerson & Barbara Wright. Mr Rouse builds his House. 1950
(Translation of a story for children Pan Tom buduje dom by Stefan Themerson,
with 122 drawings by Franciszka. Original Polish version published in Warsaw,
1938).
Stefan Themerson. Wooff Wooff, or Who Killed Richard Wagner?. A
novella with drawings by Franciszka Themerson. 1951
Alfred Jarry. Ubu Roi. Drama in Five acts followed by the Song of Disembraining.
First English translation and preface by Barbara Wright. Drawings by Franciszka
Themerson. 1951
Hugo Manning. This Room before Sunrise. Prose poem. 1952
Bertrand Russell. The Good Citizen's Alphabet. An adventure in wicked
humour. Illustrated by Franciszka Themerson. 1953
C.H. Sisson. An Asiatic Romance. A satirical novel. 1953
Stefan Themerson. Professor Mmaa's Lecture, An insect novel. Preface
by Bertrand Russell. Illustrated by Franciszka Themerson. 1953
Stefan Themerson. The Adventures of Peddy Bottom. A story illustrated
by Franciszka Themerson. 1954
John Conrad Russell. Abandon Spa Hot Springs. With two drawings by
the author. 1954. Black series no.1
Raymond Queneau. The Trojan Horse & At the Edge of the Forest. Translated
by Barbara Wright. 1954. Black series no.2
Franciszka Themerson. The Way it Walks. A book of cartoons. 1954. Black
series no.3
Eugene Walter. Monkey Poems. Illustrated with 8 engravings of monkeys.
1954
Christian-Dietrich Grabbe. Comedy, Satire, Irony and Deeper Meaning.
Drama in five Acts written by Grabbe in 1822, with drawings and collages by
his contemporary Dr S. Willoughby. 1955
Gwen Barnard. The Shapes of the River. A squence of colour monoprints
of the London Thames by Gwen Barnard with Comments by Eugene Walter. 1955.
C.H. Sisson. Versions and Perversions of Heine. English version of
14 political poems by Heinrich Heine. 1955. Black series no.4
Pol-Dives. The Song of Bright Misery/Le Poème de la Misère Claire.36
illustrations by Pol-Dives from magic lantern slides, accompanied by an explanatory
parallel text in French and in English. Translation by Barbara Wright. Preface
by Stefan Themerson. 1955. Black series nos. 5-6
Patrick Fetherston. Day Off. A story with drawings by Patrick Hayman.
1955. Black series no.7
The Gaberbocchus Independent. Broadsheet about Gaberbocchus with extracts
from books and reviews. 1955
Stefan Themerson. factor T. An essay on human nature and another on
beliefs, concluded with the Semantic Sonata and an index. 1956. Black series
nos.8-9s.
J.H. Sainmont. Camille Renault (1866-1954): world-maker. 1957.
Black series no.10
Axel Stern. Metaphysical Reverie, 1956. Black series no.11
Beverly Jackson Huddleston. A Line in Time. Cartoons. 1957. Black series
no.12
The First Dozen by various authors. (The Black Series in a single volume)
1958
Raymond Queneau. Exercises in Style. The story of a minor brawl in
a Paris bus, told in 99 different ways. First English translation by Barbara
Wright. 1958
Stevie Smith. Some are more human than others. A sketchbook with handwritten
comments and drawings by the author. 1958
Stefan Themerson. Kurt Schwitters in England: 1940-1948. The first
publication of Schwitters' English poems and prose, written during the last
8 years of his life. 1958
George Buchanan. Bodily Responses. Poetry. 1958
George Buchanan. Green Seacoast. Autobiographical essay. 1959
James Laughlin. Confidential Report & other poems. 1959
Harold Lang & Kenneth Tynan. The Quest for Corbett. Written for radio.
Presentation by Franciszka Themerson. 1960
Edmund Héaford. Gimani. Prose journal. 1961
Eugene Walter. Singerie-Songerie. A masque on the subject of Lyric
Mode with illustrations by Zev. 1961
George Buchanan. Conversations with strangers. Poems and notes. 1961
Oswell Blakeston. The Night's Moves. A thriller. 1961
Stefan Themerson. Cardinal Pölätüo. Novel. 1961
Raoul Hausmann & Kurt Schwitters. Pin and the story of Pin. Edited
and introduced by Jasia Reichardt. 1962
Anatol Stern. Europa. Facsimile reproduction of one of the first Polish
futurist poems, 1925. Translated from the Polish by Michael Horovitz and Stefan
Themerson. 1962
Bertrand Russell. History of the World in Epitome (For use in Martian infant
schools). 1962
Franciszka and Stefan Themerson. Semantic Divertissements. 1962
Oswell Blakeston. Fingers. Prose with drawings by Herbert Jones. 1964
Stefan Themerson. Bayamus and the Theatre of Semantic Poetry. A semantic
novel. 1965
George Buchanan. Morning Papers. 1965
Stefan Themerson. Tom Harris. Novel in two parts. 1967
Patrick Fetherston. Three Days After Blasphemies. Poetry. 1967
Stefan Themerson. Apollinaire's Lyrical Ideograms. 1968
Franciszka Themerson. Traces of Living. Drawings. 1969
Stefan Themerson. Special Branch. 1972
Stefan Themerson. St. Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio, or Brother Francis'
Lamb Chops. An opera. 1972
Cozette de Charmoy. The True Life of Sweeney Todd. 1973
Stefan Themerson. Logic, Labels & Flesh. 11 essays. 1974
David Miller. South London Mix. Poetic prose. 1975
Stefan Themerson. On Semantic Poetry. 1975
Henri Chopin. The Cosmographical Lobster. A poetic novel. 1976
Stefan Themerson. General Piesc, or the Case of the Forgotten Mission.
A short novel. 1976
Stefan Themerson. The Urge to Create Visions. Essay on film. 1983
Stefan Themerson. The Mystery of the Sardine. A novel. 1986
Stefan Themerson. Hobson's Island. A novel. 1988
Nicholas Wadley, ed. The Drawings of Franciszka Themerson, 1991
Stefan Themerson. Collected Poems. 1997
