Big Two-Hearted River - Roman Numeral (Letterpress)

Letterpress  Limited to 10 Copies  Two Giclee Reproduced Illustrations

Estimated to Ship - Spring 2026

SOLD OUT

A burnt town. A blackened stretch of land. A single figure stepping off the train with a pack and a rod. In Big Two-Hearted River, Ernest Hemingway distills a world of memory, war, solitude, and recovery into the simplest act: a man going fishing.

Set in the hushed forests and winding rivers of northern Michigan, this story unfolds with quiet intensity. Each step Nick Adams takes into the wilderness is both retreat and return—a meditation on what remains after everything has burned.

This edition seeks to echo the clarity and quiet rhythm of Hemingway’s prose—an object of calm, precision, and reverence.

“He sat on the logs, smoking, drying in the sun, the sun warm on his back the river shallow ahead entering the woods, curving into the woods, shallows light glittering, big water-smooth rocks, cedars along the bank and white birches, the logs warm in the sun, smooth to sit on, without bark, gray to the touch; slowly the feeling of disappointment left him.”

This edition marks Copperhead’s first foray into letterpress printing. Produced on an Original Heidelberg Windmill Printing Press and printed on Crane’s Lettra Pearl White 100% cotton paper, it represents a significant advancement in both print and paper quality. We were honored to collaborate with The Mandate Press, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, for this inaugural letterpress publication.

This edition marks Copperhead’s first use of a three-piece Bradel binding over a two-section pamphlet stitch. Both the spine and boards are covered in smooth black sheepskin, creating a distinctive three-piece full leather binding. The cover is adorned with an exclusive image by Adán Peredo, unique to the Roman Numeral edition.

Details

•⠀The seventh publication from Copperhead Press.

•⠀Limited to 10 numbered Standard copies. 

•⠀Measuring 5 7/8 inches by 8 7/8 inches and 32 pages.

•⠀Printed letterpress on an Original Heidelberg Windmill Printing Press.

•⠀Crane's Lettra Pearl White Cotton papers.

•  Hand Marbled Paper Endsheets

•⠀Two new illustrations printed giclee and tipped in.

•⠀Set in 12 pt Centaur.

•⠀Hand-bound in a three-piece Bradel style with smooth Black Sheepskin.

Clamshell

•⠀Wrapped in Buckram Fantasia Bookcloth.

•  Trays lined with Burgundy Suede cloth. 

•  Made with heavy book board for a sturdy and more durable enclosure. 

•⠀Measuring 6 3/4 inches by 9 3/4 inches.

Letterpress Rights
Purchasing this edition grants you rights to future letterpress releases. Letterpress rights holders receive first access to upcoming hand-printed editions, each limited to just 50 numbered copies. By ordering this title, you'll be added to the Letterpress Rights list and offered first rights to purchase a copy.