Signed by BB

Applin, Arthur & (B.B.) Denys Watkins-Pitchford, [Illus.] ~ Philandering Angler : Signed By The Illustrator

First UK Printing : Hurst & Blackett Ltd., London: [1948]

8vo., red publisher’s boards, lettered in black to spine; housed in the original unclipped pictorial dust wrapper (12s. 6d. net) featuring a man sitting on a fence smoking a pipe, and a woman carrying buckets; with numerous black and white engravings by Watkins-Pitchford; THE BOOK a lovely, fresh copy; slight sunning to spine tips and mildly spotted to edges of text block; endpapers mildly offset; a very good plus plus copy in the very good DUST WRAPPER, slightly darkened along the spine with some chips to spine and fold ends; reinforced to verso with several paper repairs. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. First edition, this copy signed by Watkins-Pitchford ‘BB’ in blue biro to the front free endpaper. A collection of stories on the subject of trout fishing in England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Bavaria, Colorado, and on the Nipigon in Canada, as well as a chapter on fishing for grayling. Set between the two World Wars, this edition is printed on War Economy Standard paper. Arthur Applin was an actor, playwright and novelist who enjoyed considerable success writing mysteries and adventure tales. By the time he wrote Philandering Angler, the year before his death in 1919, he had penned over one hundred works including short stories, a biography of the Life of Admiral Jellicoe, a ballet and two plays. The book was marketed as 'one of the few angling books that women might find essential reading', as it includes not only technical advice but also humorous tales and “a means of escape from the present materialistic and disillusioned age”. The British naturalist and illustrator Denys Watkins-Pitchford grew up in the countryside, and spent much of his youth shooting, fishing and drawing the landscape around him. After studying at the Northampton school of art, he spent time in Paris, and after which began to teach art at Rugby School. It was during this time that he began to contribute to the Shooting Times, and his career as a writer. He penned a huge volume of work under the name of ‘BB’ (a name based on the size of lead shot he used to shoot geese), although he continued to illustrate under his own name for the majority of his life. Here, his wonderful drawings in strong black line wonderfully compliment Applin’s travelling yarns, through full-page illustrations, as well as smaller vignettes and chapter headings. Rare to find in this condition, and especially so signed.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Very Good ++
JACKET: Good