{Ed. Note: Thanks to LibraryThing user UK_History_Fan for sending pictures of the Limited Editions Club (LEC) and Heritage Press (HP) editions, which I use below, as well as for his comments comparing the LEC and HP editions.}

I often get asked to do more comparisons between Limited Edition Club (LEC) books and the Heritage Press (HP) and Easton Press (EP) books that sprang from them. It is not easy to do, as I typically only have one version; also it is not really a fair comparison as in general the quality and intrinsic collectible value (limited editions, signatures, quality of paper, letterpress, etc., etc.) of the LEC inevitably makes it the more desirable volume to have if you are a fine press collector. That is no criticism of Heritage Press, as their objective was geared more towards providing very nicely done classics at an affordable price point to a much wider audience. To this day, there is no better quality to value ratio than Heritage Press volumes.

Comparing the editions allows one to see how good of a job HP did in their re-creation of the LEC on which it is based. The answer, very often, is they did a fantastic job (as one would expect from HP, since it was George Macy creation). While certainly the exception, it is not unusual that Macy collectors find a few of the HP books actually more desirable then their LEC counterparts. There is no question or conflict here — if you want fine press and the niceties that go along with such, LEC is your only choice; if you like classics and simply want nice editions at inexpensive or moderate cost, go HP. The compare and contrast in this article focuses on Daisy Miller, by Henry James.

Here are some comments from UK_History_Fan comparing the LEC and HP editions that you will see below.

• This is one of the nicest HP books I’ve yet seen from the Connecticut period. It is a reprint of an earlier HP edition that had marble boards for covers with a white spine. I don’t have a picture of this older HP edition but I suspect the marbled endpages in the LEC match the HP covers. I am not sure which came first, but since the LEC dates from 1969, I would imagine the first edition of the HP was published first. Perhaps someone can chime in with the facts here?

• The photo reproductions in the HP edition are nearly identical to the LEC. Any apparent differences in the photos are probably due to lighting and/or user error on my part with the camera. I do still prefer the LEC given that it is bound in full leather, has marbled endpages, was printed letterpress, and has the artist signature. However, there is nothing wrong with the HP edition; it is one of the finest examples of their later publications, and I fully intend to keep both books.

• The most significant differences between the two editions is the binding (leather vs. faux silk) and the quality of the paper used (the LEC is clearly superior to that in the HP and the letterpress printing is tactile).

Henry James, (1843–1916) is regarded as one of the most influential writers of the last couple centuries, due to his significant role in 19th-century literary realism. His novels often explore the interactions between Americans and Europeans, with point of view of the characters driving the story.  His methods allow delving deeply into self-awareness, experience and perception of the characters. He felt strongly that stories should be representative and realistic, portraying a world that would resonate with readers.

Though born in America, James spent most of his life in England, and became a British subject the year prior to his death. He was a prolific writer, with his most famous works being Washington Square (1880), The Portrait of a Lady (1881), The Wings of the Dove (1902), The Ambassadors (1903), The Turn of the Screw (1898) and Daisy Miller (1878), reviewed here.  There is no questioning the importance of James in the literary canon, though I often find myself agreeing with Oscar Wilde when he said of James that he wrote “fiction as if it were a painful duty”. Earlier in life I found James a painful duty to read. In fairness, I was much younger then and he deserves me to give it another go with much more life experience under my belt. I did recently re-read The Turn of the Screw, and did enjoy it, though not immensely.

Daisy Miller was written in 1878 and was immediately popular on publication. Daisy Miller is a young and beautiful American in Europe. Frederic Winterbourne, also American, though much more sophisticated than Miller, pursues her. Her general flirtatious manner frustrates Winterbourne and draws the ire of others, especially when she starts carrying on with a young Italian named Giovanelli.  As James often does, he uses the story to lay out what he thinks Europeans and Americans believe about each other and also to explore bias and preconception within cultures, especially towards outsiders.

About the Limited Edition Club (LEC) Edition

• Designed by Will Carter
• Illustrations by Gustave Nebel
• Introduction by John Holloway
• Type face is Joanna, of which designed by Eric Gill, eleven point size on twelve point body
• Shaded outline chapter-numerals and title page/chapter opening page daisy ornaments designed by Nebel
• Printing done at Cambridge University Press
• White antique paper made by Hale Paper Company of London
• Illustrations reproduced at W.S. Cowell Ltd. in Ipswich
• Bound by Russell-Rutter Company of New York in full morocco leather, red-dyed goatskins imported from Scotland, where they were hand-boarded (note the HP is bound in a very pleasant and tactile faux silk)
• Hubbed spines with gold-stamped lettering, borders and decorations
• Gilded edges
• Limited to 1500 copies, signed by Nebel

Pictures of the Limited Editions Club (LEC) Edition

(All pictures on Books and Vines are exclusively provided to highlight and visualize the work being reviewed.  A side benefit, hopefully, is encouraging healthy sales of fine press books for the publishers and fine retailers that specialize in these types of books (of which Books and Vines has no stake or financial interest). Please note that works photographed are copyrighted by the publisher, author and/or illustrator as indicated in the articles. Permission to use contents from these works for anything outside of fair use purposes must come directly from the copyright owner and no permission is granted or implied to use photo’s found on Books and Vines for any purpose that would infringe on the rights of the copyright owner.)

Pictures of the Heritage Press Edition

(All pictures on Books and Vines are exclusively provided to highlight and visualize the work being reviewed.  A side benefit, hopefully, is encouraging healthy sales of fine press books for the publishers and fine retailers that specialize in these types of books (of which Books and Vines has no stake or financial interest). Please note that works photographed are copyrighted by the publisher, author and/or illustrator as indicated in the articles. Permission to use contents from these works for anything outside of fair use purposes must come directly from the copyright owner and no permission is granted or implied to use photo’s found on Books and Vines for any purpose that would infringe on the rights of the copyright owner.)