Rockwell Kent

(Am. 1882-1971)

Invitation to a So-Called Tea, 1930

Linocut on woven paper, framed under glass

10 1/4" x 7 1/4" sight, 16 13/16" x 13 13/16" framed

Provenance: Private Collection Maine

Literature: Burne Jones 50

Four hundred copies printed by Elmer Adler of Pynson Printers for the publishers, Random House, both of New York. Random House publishers sent out this invitation for a party given for Kent to celebrate a number of the books he illustrated for them, which were being published at the time. All 400 copes of the invitation carry the wording "limited to 99 copes, of which this is no. 1." Apparently the typesetter failed to correct "99" to read "400," and the pressman neglected to pull out the type set for the numeral "1" and to set the counter to imprint the sequence for the numbering of the edition.