Cambridge University Press digitises ‘really special’ Christmas books for first time 

Cambridge University Press (CUP) has created a digital archive of a collection of Christmas books produced as gifts for “friends in printing and publishing” between 1930 and 1973. 

CUP says that “perhaps because they were given away as gifts, we never had our own set of the books and only managed to gather a complete set two years ago, after a combination of gifts and dedicated searching by colleagues allowed us to gather copies of all 34 for the first time".

Cambridge University Press archivist Ros Grooms said: “These books are really special. They are beautifully produced: the covers, the design, the typography, the weight of the paper are all exquisite. They are the best productions that could be made and it must have been a joy to receive one.

“Now that we have a complete set, we have decided to digitise them because they are such a rich part of our heritage and so attractive visually.”

The work to digitise the books has been undertaken by the digital content team at the Cambridge University Library, which houses the Press archives. 

The Christmas Books were first produced under university printer Walter Lewis who hoped they would showcase the press’ printing and design skills as the British economy slowed at the beginning of the 1930s. 

By the time his successor (Brooke Crutchley) took over in 1946, the books had gained such a reputation that he continued the tradition. They cover a broad range of topics, but most have some connection to Cambridge or to publishing and printing, with around a third of them reprints of historical texts. More can be read about the books here.