Full set of Cambridge Christmas Books returns to press

Gathering a complete set of the press's Christmas Books "really is the perfect Christmas present", said company archivist Ros Grooms

A complete set of books created as Christmas gifts has been collected by its publisher for the first time.

Cambridge University Press printed a limited edition book a year from 1930 to 1973 to showcase its craftsmanship.

The press had not keep copies of the Christmas Books, but a donation of some volumes in 2014 sparked an effort to source a "piece of our heritage".

Employee Gavin Swanson "snaffled" a copy of the last book they needed, just before he retired.

It was 1939's From London to Cambridge by Train.

There were usually between 100 and 500 books printed in any given year.

The press decided to source a copy of each book after donations of some volumes by the descendants of former employee Hector John Rumsey

Books have always been popular as printers' gifts, but the Cambridge Christmas Books really stand out, according to Ros Grooms

Press archivist Ros Grooms said a complete set of the books was unusual "because of the rarity of the early, pre-war ones, which never had a print run of more than 150 copies".

"They aren't showy, but all the signs of quality in printing, typography and design would have been obvious to the people receiving them," she said.

The 1956 volume tells the story of the press through staff reminiscences and is illustrated by Stig of the Dump illustrator Edward Ardizzone

David Gentleman illustrated this 1961 volume using flaps to lift which take the reader along the River Cam and back in time

They were first produced by university printer Walter Lewis to showcase the press's printing and design skills as the British economy slowed during the Depression at the beginning of the 1930s.

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By the time his successor, Brooke Crutchley, took over in 1946, the books had gained such a reputation he continued the tradition.

Ms Grooms said: "Their secret was really in the experience and skill of the press's compositors and printers."

The 1969 Christmas Book was limited to 500 copies and was written by local blacksmith and artist Raymond Lister, illustrated by Richard Bawden

1964's Words in their Hands includes images by the post-war industrial photographer Walter Nurnberg

They covered a broad range of topics, but most have some connection to Cambridge or to publishing and printing.

Mr Swanson, who worked in the publisher's academic publishing group until retirement, would "trawl through the websites of book dealers to find the missing volumes".

He "finally came up with an original copy of the last book we needed just before I left the press, so I snaffled it as quickly as I could and that thankfully completed the collection".

He has also started collecting the books for himself.

Ms Groom said they were "an important piece of our heritage".

The last book Christmas Book was completed in 1973, although the press produced a volume looking back over the series in 1974