Books

First Rackham edition, publisher's special binding, with an original drawing by Rackham on the half-title, signed and dated "Arthur Rackham 1931". The spirited drawing shows two birds stealing bait from a sleeping angler. The Compleat Angler was first published in 1653; this edition uses the text of the fifth edition of 1676, the last to be revised by the author, alongside new illustrations by Rackham, who "dominated the art of book illustration" from the start of the 20th century (ODNB). A review of the book in The Observer noted that "Mr Rackham takes his own way with Walton, and poses him more for the literary than for the angling reader. But he seems to understand the tones of sky and atmosphere that make angler's weather, and his own vein of the playful-fantastic is most winningly exemplified". Describing his artistic method for his occasional additional drawings, Rackham noted that "my little sketches must inevitably be of a light-hearted or joking nature... They have to be spontaneous and free handed. The nature of the paper is such that there can be no preparatory drawing and no alterations". Quarto. Original dark green morocco, spine and front cover lettered and illustrated in gilt, illustrated endpapers, top edge gilt. Colour frontispiece and 11 similar plates with captioned tissue guards, black and white illustrations in the text, all by Rackham. Spine slightly toned, some occasional foxing: a near-fine copy. Latimore & Haskell pp. 66-7; Riall, p. 175. The Observer, 29 November 1931, p. vii.