Scarce title with it's wrapper

Hole, Christina ~ Witchcraft In England : Illustrated By Mervyn Peake

Batsford, London : 1945

The First UK printing published by Batsford, London in 1945. The BOOK is in Very Good++ condition with just a little rubbing to the edges and at the spine ends. Free from inscriptions. Light offsetting to the end-papers with a little spotting to the prelims and the text-block. A little toning to the page edges due to the quality of the wartime paper stock used. The spine is lettered & ruled in gilt, with a scraper-board frontispiece & 15 drawings in line & wash & gouache, two-colour line blocks & half-tones, and 38 illustrations in the text. Top edge claret red still present. The fragile stiff paper WRAPPER is complete and is in Very Good condition. Some edge wear with a some loss at the upper spine and edges (see images). Rubbing to the folds and a few nicks and mild creasing to the edges in places. Supporting archival tape to the verso of the front flap and the rear spine folds which does not show through to the front. Some splitting to the spine folds. Toning to the spine lettering with a little spotting to the flaps. Despite its faults, the scarce wrapper presents well in the removable Brodart archival cover. The line & wash wrapper artwork design by Mervyn Peake of a crone gazing at a pierced wax figure is very striking . An increasingly elusive title with its original wrapper and the masterly illustrations by Mervyn Peake. Collectible.

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