Scope and Contents

Page 38 consists of a large collaged comic book image seemingly from Dante with two large nude winged super-heroes flyng into each other over the word SHOOOM. The border around this collage is painted in large stencilled letters and reads, "vandalised art work received from Nicks' vandalized and stolen vehicle" Around this border are double lines of Phillips' micrographic writing describing his work on the Divine Comedy project. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents

This book constitutes an early working draft of Phillips' translation of Dante's Inferno. The text begins with Canto V (From that initial circle I went down), and ends with Canto XXVI (Florence, rejoice! You're so important now). The pages include drawings and handwriting in red, brown, blue, green and black ink. About seventy-five of these small drawings which accompany the text (but not necessarily illustrating it) depict images of strange gargoyle-like creatures, optical elements, animals, and an opened book. Tom Phillips' poem on page one sets the tone for the project, "impure suburban night - corrupt with orange light - be silent for my concentration's weak - your planes, though high are not the muse I seek - I want to hear this old Italian speak." The endpapers are red and white fleurs-de-lis and include a book plate depicting Dante reading in his study which is signed by Phillips.Page 2 marks the beginning of Canto V. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents

The duplicate print is inscribed to Sarah (sic). -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents This book constitutes a recording of the Dante's Inferno layout, the paper to be used for the printed text, a listing of subscribers, and initial comments on the iconography for each canto. The lists of subscribers to the publication and financial payments are charted for each canto as the galleys were completed. A description of the illustrations for each canto and Justification de Tirage are written in two versions. In July 1982, in his prelude to this text, Phillips recalled finding a lavish, red, gilded edition of Dante's Inferno illustrated by Gustave Dore while collecting books for pulping for the World War II effort. It was one of the grandest books he had ever seen and stayed in his house for a while before it was taken to the depot. Phillips writes, "I learned how early one's destiny can be sealed or at least signposted...Actually before I knew this [story] I had already from reprints recycled many of Dore's illustrations in quite another way." Enclosed between several...

Scope and Contents

This notebook is the design plan for Phillips Dante's Inferno on a page by page basis. It consists of images drawn in their proper sequence and detailed descriptive notes. For each canto, one page is filled with ink and ink colored sketches, instructions and diagrams that face the ink drawn structural design of the pages for the limited edition. For some cantos, an additional page of drawings and instructions is present on an adjacent page. There are hundreds of sketches in this book. On page iii, Phillips writes, "Sacrifice either Gateway image or stag & head image or bitter boating." The Sackner Archive contains a Gateway print from the Editions Alecto set with the word NO written on it; this image did not appear in the Talfourd Press Edition. These preliminary drawings and descriptions by Phillips are a rich study in the evolving imagery and background information leading to the finished prints. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents

The binding and typing of this first volume of the final typescript translation (with handwritten ink corrections by Phillips) was done by Pella Erskine-Tulloch although her usual gold stamped name is missing from the inside back cover. The Roman numerals from I to XXXIII are stamped on each of the three volumes within a hexagon, pointing downward with the initials TP stamped at the bottom. The numbers from I to X are in gold leaf signifying the contents of the volume. The hexagon outline is stamped Dante Inferno repetitively in very small type. The spine of each volume contains the title Inferno in black stencilled letters over which Dante Inferno is repetitively stamped in gold. The top edges of the three volumes are gilded and stamped with multiple fleurs-de-lis. The endpapers are printed with "Una Selva" stencilled text. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents

This second translation contains many handwritten corrections by Phillips. The white binding by Pella Erskine-Tulloch repeats the theme of volume 1 and 2 with fleurs-dei-lys and an uncolored portrait of Dante in his study. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents This volume of typed translations has more alterations and additions than the first typescript of cantos. On ten pages, Phillips has written "retype" in a decorative script and included a small ink cartoon-like drawing of a human or angel at a typewriter. The human image is a caricature of Pella Erskine-Tulloch. One cartoon bubble with this caricature reads, "Say Mr Dante I think your comedy is simply divine!" Another states, "A canto a day wipes the blues away." This Phillipsian humor referring to a great, poetic work of translation, can be found not only in the Inferno, but in many of his visual and literary works including his book dedicated to Rushdie, "Merely Connect," and in several pages of "A Humument," and in his introduction to "The Portrait Works" from the National Portrait Gallery.The binding by Pella Erskine-Tulloch repeats the theme of volume I with fleurs-di-lis and a portrait of Dante in his study, with the latter now presented in a coral color on both covers. --...

Scope and Contents

In a section entitled "A Note on the Original Edition," Phillips mentions the following, "Heartening support was given by Ruth and Leo Phillips as well as the many patient collectors who bought their copies before a picture or a line was printed. Amongst those I should particularly like to mention Marvin and Ruth Sackner without those staunch encouragement the seven year trial of making the edition would have seemed so much less suprerable." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents

This print is one of the proofs for the first edition of Phillips' Dante's Inferno. The completed prints were destroyed in a fire at the Editions Alecto studio and never published as an edition. Phillips subsequently redid the prints in a different manner although he borrowed some of the imagery from the first edition. The prints in a limited edition and a trade edition book were published by Phillips and Thames and Hudson, respectively. A text of this image reads, "Semiramis & Dido & Cleopatra & Helen of Troy & Achilles & Paris & Tristan Und Isole De & Romeo and Juliet & Anna Karenina & Emma." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents

This print is one of the proofs for the first edition of Phillips' Dante's Inferno. The completed prints were destroyed in a fire at the Editions Alecto studio and never published as an edition. Phillips subsequently redid the prints in a different manner although he borrowed some of the imagery from the first edition. The prints in a limited edition and a trade edition book were published by Phillips and Thames and Hudson, respectively. A text of this image reads, "Semiramis & Dido & Cleopatra & Helen of Troy & Achilles & Paris & Tristan Und Isole De & Romeo and Juliet & Anna Karenina & Emma." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner. Ten heads total on this print. Upper left has lime green head off paper. Added: CEND.

Scope and Contents

This print is one of the proofs for the first edition of Phillips' Dante's Inferno. The completed prints were destroyed in a fire at the Editions Alecto studio and never published as an edition. Phillips subsequently redid the prints in a different manner although he borrowed some of the imagery from the first edition. The prints in a limited edition and a trade edition book were published by Phillips and Thames and Hudson, respectively.

Scope and Contents

This print is one of the proofs for the first edition of Phillips' Dante's Inferno. The completed prints were destroyed in a fire at the Editions Alecto studio and never published as an edition. Phillips subsequently redid the prints in a different manner although he borrowed some of the imagery from the first edition. The prints in a limited edition and a trade edition book were published by Phillips and Thames and Hudson, respectively.

Scope and Contents

This print is one of the proofs for the first edition of Phillips' Dante's Inferno. The completed prints were destroyed in a fire at the Editions Alecto studio and never published as an edition. Phillips subsequently redid the prints in a different manner although he borrowed some of the imagery from the first edition. The prints in a limited edition and a trade edition book were published by Phillips and Thames and Hudson, respectively. A Humument text of this image reads, "falter / drop / fall" "silent, lost / and helpless / sailing" "boat of dreams, and / lost / fear" "boat which is the dream / wreck Come / in" "for / none / return / from the Chance / in themselves / contained" -- Source of annotation: CEND.

Scope and Contents

This print is one of the proofs for the first edition of Phillips' Dante's Inferno. The completed prints were destroyed in a fire at the Editions Alecto studio and never published as an edition. Phillips subsequently redid the prints in a different manner although he borrowed some of the imagery from the first edition. The prints in a limited edition and a trade edition book were published by Phillips and Thames and Hudson, respectively.

Scope and Contents

This print is one of the proofs for the first edition of Phillips' Dante's Inferno. The completed prints were destroyed in a fire at the Editions Alecto studio and never published as an edition. Phillips subsequently redid the prints in a different manner although he borrowed some of the imagery from the first edition. The prints in a limited edition and a trade edition book were published by Phillips and Thames and Hudson, respectively. The print depicts an expressionist portrait of Dante with the captions Canto III and Inferno. This work was shown at the Sackner Archive during Art Basel Miami December 2001. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.