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

There is a madness about
various Gaberbocchus books
which is the spice of life,
an ingredient somewhat lacking
in the world of impeccable
book production
(Ruari McLean in Quarterly News Letter of the Book Club of California)

 
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