[BAWDEN, Edward]; Ruari McLEAN, [Ed.] ~ Edward Bawden: War Arist, and his letters home 1940-45. Signed by Bawden.

FIRST EDITION. Scholar Press in Association with the Imperial War Museum, Aldershot: 1989

Large 4to., yellow boards blocked with decorative design in gilt to upper cover, and lettered in gilt to backstrip; bright blue endpapers; housed in the original illustrated dustwrapper featuring Bawden’s illustration of ‘Dunkirk’ (1940) to upper panel, and ‘Among the Marsh Arabs’ to the lower; illustrated throughout 16 reproductions of Bawden’s illustrations in full colour, as well as 24 in black and white; together with a map drawn by Tony Garrett; THE BOOK a fine copy, essentially, in like DUSTWRAPPER which has just a hint of fading to the spine and edges, the odd spot. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. First edition, shakily signed by Bawden in pencil to the title page. This copy together with the original Scholar Press prospectus/order form. From the estate of the late Peter Sampson (Merivale Press), but without ownership markings. At the age of 36, Bawden had already embarked on a successful career as an illustrator, and had worked for such companies as London Transport, Twinings, The Folio Society and Fortnum & Mason. Together with Barnet Freedman and Edward Ardizzone, he was sent to join the British Army in France, and he spent the next five years of the war almost entirely abroad. After being evacuated from Dunkirk he was sent to the Middle East, where he spent two years painting and drawing in such countries as Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia. During his return home his ship was torpedoed, and after five days in an open lifeboat he was sent to a French internment camp. Two months later he returned to England, only to travel to the Middle East once more, where he journeyed around Cairo and Baghdad before finally ended his travels in Rome. The present work collects together a series of his paintings and drawings taken from his experiences during this time, and all currently held at the Imperial War Museums.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Fine
JACKET: Fine