Half-size 1916 Copy of Proclamation of the Irish Republic. One of only two known copies in existence. (Limited Edition)

An exceptionally rare half-size 1916 copy of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic. One of just two copies known to exist, it's discovery sheds new light on the 1916 Proclamation story and is a remarkable collector's item. This is partially explained in the historical notes below but a free more detailed explanation is available on request.

We believe from the information available that this copy is the earliest known reproduction of the original Proclamation which was most likely reproduced in Easter week or the weeks following the Rising of 1916. It is identical to the half-size copy of the O'Hegarty Collection which is currently in the Spencer Research Library in the University of Kansas, making it just one of two such copies known to exist. The text and typography is also identical to the larger copy version with which it was found in Martin Walton's Collection. Both versions in The Walton Collection are closer to the original proclamation than any other versions which were ever produced (including the version printed in the Sinn Féin Handbook in August 1916 and the ICA 1st Anniversary copy from Easter 1917).

Each of these 250 Limited Editions is reproduced on 260 GSM water colour paper, and mounted on a mottled pine green suede backing which is set behind glass in an aged black wood mahogany style and handmade frame. Each Proclamation comes with a numbered certificate of Limited Edition and a printout of the historical notes.

Brief Historical note:

If you have already read the description the other larger reproduction of the Proclamation , you will be aware that this half size version is identical to that version in every respect except its size and the paper it was printed on. It is also identical in both size and print to the version in the University of Kansas.The only difference to this copy in our copy is the missing corner and partial loss of text in "Poblacht" in the top left hand corner and that, unlike the Kansas University copy which has text underlined by pen, ours is unmarked. Our version was also folded at some point so is in two parts which became separated , albeit the text is fully readable when both parts are joined.

Until this recent discovery in The Walton Collection the University of Kansas half-size copy was thought to be only copy of this version in existence, and the date of it's publication and origin was uncertain.

See the below extract from Bouch's 1936 book based on interviews with those who printed the original proclamation.Bouch is historically considered an authority on the story of the Proclamation and has been referenced by many authors on the history of Proclamation copies:

Before now we only had one half-size copy to reference and examine. More work needs to be done on the paper used but it would seem reasonable , based on the quality and aging of the two versions of the same print now available, that both these copies, and definitely this half-size version predates the Sinn Fein Handbook copy of August 1916 so was most likely one of the copies printed in Easter week which Bouch refers to.

It is also worth considering that in the weeks following the Rising, those Volunteers who had escaped arrest kept a very low profile and certainly did not mention their involvement as the general public's sympathies were still very much against the rebels. This is confirmed in some detail by my grandfather in his interview with Harlan Strauss in 1972. It makes perfect sense therefore that those among the Volunteers wishing to recirculate the detail of the Proclamation would produce a reduced and more portable version which would be more easily secreted and less likely to be seized and suppressed by the authorities.

Regrettably I have been unable to contact James Mosley to share our find and given he was elderly on his last visit to Dublin in 2010 from the UK where he lived I can only assume that sadly he is no longer with us. But his excellent work and research is,so for two excellent and fascinating reads of Mosley's Blogs on "The Image of the Proclamation of the Republic 1916", go to:

https://typefoundry.blogspot.com/2010/01/image-of-proclamation-of-irish-republic.html andhttps://typefoundry.blogspot.com/2010/09/the-proclamation-of-irish-republic.html.

If you would like a free and more lengthy typographical explanation and background on our copies email info@thewaltoncollection.ie . I also welcome any additional information or observations interested parties can provide.