Fungus and Curmudgeonly. Images by Natalia d'Arbeloff

London: [ NdA Editions, 1990. First Edition, one of 10 deluxe copies only all on J. Green, Rives, and Arches paper from a total issue of 35, all signed by the author and artist. Page size: 12-1/8 inches x 5-1/8 inches. Bound: blue cloth over boards hand-printed in black by d'Arbeloff, binding executed by Jen Lindsay, collograph endpapers by d'Arbeloff. Housed in a hinged triptych "stage-box" designed by d'Arbeloff and executed by Dorset Bookbinding Co., covered in mulberry Japanese paper with decorated side panels containing the book and cassette recording of the play. The box opens to an original etching, framed by the box, by d'Arbeloff with the title, author and artist. Box size when folded: 13-3/16 inches x 11-15/16 inches x 2-1/16 inches. The 40-page text is handwritten in red and black calligraphy by Sally Johnson, printed by photo litho by Atelier Rosenstiel The images within the book were printed by d'Arbeloff from collograph plates with relief and intaglio images over text.. There are six separate loose etchings included with this deluxe copy, each numbered and signed. The cassette recording of the play was produced and recorded October 4, 1979 at Elephant Recording Studio, London, with Charles Turner in the role of Fungus and Jack le White as Curmudgeonly. The play, "Fungus & Curmudgeonly," was written in 1976 and performed for the first time at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival that year then in Stratford-upon-Avon at the Macbeth Room, Shakespeare Hotel in summer 1977. Gerardo Guerrieri, Theatre Critic for "Il Giorno" Milan wrote, "...The play emerges as a formidable parody of Homo Shakespearianus, to be put in a Museum of Natural History. The Man-Showman, half actor with his unstoppable desire for applause...and half voyeur...The play has density, authenticity and originality..." This is one of d'Arbeloff's early and important works, an innovative venture into the multi-media world. Natialia d'Arbeloff is a painter, printmaker, book-artist, cartoonist and teacher, but is best known for her livres d'artiste. She has had a one-woman show at the Victoria and Albert and her books are in the Tate, Rijksmuseum Meermanno Westreenainum, Kunstgewerbe Museum, Biblioteca Nazionale, Australian National Library, Library of Congress, Newberry, Bridwell, Humanities Research Center, Houghton, Firestone, Grunwald Center, etc. She is a Fellow of the Society of Designer Craftsmen, and her papers are held by the V&A.