Illustrated Inscriptions

Dec 12, 2019 | Articles, Recent Articles

While books inscribed by authors or illustrators cross our desks almost daily, more unusual are inscriptions which include an original illustration or pictorial signature. Some writers are known for their creative inscriptions: Ralph Steadman, famous for his caricatures, often added grotesque portraits to his signature, while Alan Ginsberg’s inscription is sometimes accompanied by a triple fish doodle, a Buddhist symbol he saw in India in 1962.

We’ve gathered a selection of illustrated inscriptions currently in stock.

(SHEPARD, E. H.) MILNE, A. A.
The House at Pooh Corner. With an original pen and ink drawing of Winnie the Pooh. With Decorations by Ernest H. Shepard.

Third edition. With an original pen and ink drawing on the title page by Shepard of Winnie-the-Pooh in full traditional Russian costume including a fur hat and playing a balalaika, signed beneath the image.

£17,500 (Item sold)

(RACKHAM, Arthur.) ANDERSEN, Hans Christian.
Fairy Tales.

First Rackham trade edition, presentation copy from the artist to his sister-in-law, inscribed by Rackham with an original ink illustration of the five little ducks on the original front binder’s blank.

£6,500 (Item sold)

(SCHEFFLER, Axel.) DONALDSON, Julia.
The Gruffalo’s Child.

First gift edition, signed by both the author and illustrator on the title page, with an original small ink drawing of the Gruffalo’s Child by Scheffler alongside his signature.

£950 (Item sold)

GINSBERG, Allen.
Allen Ginsberg Reads Kaddish.

A superb association copy, inscribed and signed by Ginsberg: “For Robert Lowell, on the occasion of a visit to his house in company with my father Louis Ginsberg on December 22, 1966 in the presence of Lord Gowrie and St. Paul.” In addition, Ginsberg has drawn his fish triskellion.

Ginsberg’s fish symbol appeared on all of his Harper Collins books, and was used as the frontispiece of Indian Journals. In a letter published in the Catholic Worker in 1967, he explained where he had first come across the image: “I saw the three fish one head, carved on insole of naked Buddha Footprint stone at Bodh-Gaya under the Bo-tree. Large – 6 or 10 foot size – feet or soles made of stone are a traditional form of votive marker. Mythologically the 32 signs – stigmata, like—of the Buddha include chakaras (magic wheels symbolic of energy) on hands and feet. This is a sort of a fish chakra.”

£6,500 (Item sold)

(KNIGHT, Hilary.) THOMPSON, Kay.
Eloise A Paris. Dessins d’Hilary Knight.

First edition in French, inscribed by the illustrator “to Elegant, Beautiful, Brilliant Elizabeth Welch from Hilary Knight and ELOISE, April 27th 1972” and with an original drawing of Eloise listening to records and eating sandwiches, captioned “Eloise says The Supreme pleasure is Elizabeth Welch’s sliced cucumber sandwiches and recordings – eaten and played on a Sunday afternoon at about 4:30”.
In all likelihood, the recipient was Elisabeth Welch (1904-2003), an American-born singer, actress, and entertainer, whose career spanned seven decades.

£3,000

DURRELL, Lawrence.
The Alexandria Quartet. Justine, Balthazar, Mountolive, Clea.

First one-volume edition, first impression, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “For Margaret McCall from Larry Durrell” along with a full-page drawing of a map titled “Languedoc by Epfs” and showing Sommières, Nîmes, Uzès, Cevennes, and Anduze. These places were of particular importance to him: “he completed Justine, the first volume of the Quartet, on Cyprus in 1956, after his separation from Eve, and wrote the remaining three volumes in Languedoc, where he lived near Nîmes and in Sommières”

£975

YOUNG, Filson.
A Christmas Card.

First edition, first impression. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author to his old associate Max Beerbohm, while on service with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in the First World War, “Max from Filson. H.M.S. Lion, North Sea, 5 Jan 1915”, together with an original pen-and-ink and watercolour caricature of the author by Beerbohm drawn on the half-title. Alexander Bell Filson Young (1876-1938) was a journalist who survived the sinking of the Titanic, and published the first book about the disaster just 37 days after the sinking. A bromide print by him of Max Beerbohm is held by the National Portrait Gallery, London.

The portrait is based closely on that executed by Max in 1913 and published in A Survey (1921), differing primarily in expression and the treatment of the hair. Young had given Beerbohm’s A Christmas Garland (1912) a warm but astute notice in The Saturday Review.

£2,500

BEARD, Peter.
Peter Beard.

First edition, first impression, inscribed in each volume by the artist with an original drawing on the title page. In the first volume, Beard has drawn three elephants, with their ears comprised of his ink thumbprints, around which he has inscribed “greetings and warm salaams to Herbert and Angelina @ Xmas 2009 Blessings & warm regards Peter Beard”, and noted the place of signing in Cassis in France. Beard inscribed the second volume at a later date: he has drawn round his hand, adding in fingernail detail and a bird composed of a thumbprint, and inscribed around it “Special delivery to the inestimable Angelina & her amazing book maker better-half Herbert the great from the compiler Peter Beard February 15th 2010 ad”. The recipient was the photographer and travel writer Herbert Ypma, and his partner; Beard inscribed the books for the former on occasions when they met for lunch.

£750 (Item sold)

(STEADMAN, Ralph.) STONE, Bernard.
Emergency Mouse.

First edition, first impression, inscribed “For Bernard’s Joan, from Bernard ”, and “ with love from Ralph Steadman” on the title page, with an original drawing in black biro and red felt-tip pen by Steadman: a portrait captioned “I’m a critic actually…” on the verso of the front free endpaper.

£250

(RIMBAUD, Arthur.) VIEILLARD, Roger.
Hommage A Rimbaud.

First edition, first printing, inscribed in pencil “à Ralph Kirkpatrick pour ‘les possibilités harmoniques’ Roger Vieillard amicalement” inside the first blank, including two musical drawings, further drawings on the title page with the caption “pour Ralph Kirkparick” signed with Vieillard’s “RV” monogram and dated “1942-1971-1982”. This copy number 46 of 150 signed copies on Vélin d’Arches from a total edition of 186 copies.

£1,250

(RACKHAM, Arthur.) IRVING, Washington.
Rip Van Winkle.

Signed limited edition, number 26 of 250 copies signed by the artist. This copy also includes a charming original pen and ink portrait of Rip van Winkle by Rackham, dated 17 July 1918.

£8,500

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