By Various
Harmondsworth   Penguin Books
7" by 5"
A complete collection of seventy-six volumes of the absolutely charming 'King Penguin' series, first editions and early printings with lovely illustrations.
By Various

1939-59 King Penguin Series

Harmondsworth   Penguin Books
7" by 5"
A complete collection of seventy-six volumes of the absolutely charming 'King Penguin' series, first editions and early printings with lovely illustrations.
Sold
: 15kgs / : 803A41

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Description

Colour Plates, First Edition, Illustrated, Publishers' Original Binding, With Dustwrapper

A complete collection of seventy-six volumes of the King Penguin series, published over twenty years between 1939 until 1959. Allen Lane acknowledged the series was inspired by the German publisher Insel, with the aim to appeal to the general liking for illustrated tokens of special projects - each volume is specialised. Dealing with a wide variety of subjects, including the history of British military uniforms, stone carvings, poisonous fungi, and classic novellas. 

An absolutely charming set.

Each volume in its distinctive decorative cover. 

Numbers 41, 44, 48, and all from 52 were issued with a dust wrapper, as well as no. 32 (A Christmas Carol). After 1950 some reprints of earlier King Penguins were also produced with a dust wrapper. Dust wrappers are present to the volumes issued with one unless stated otherwise below. All first impressions unless stated otherwise.

The present collection is comprised of the following titles: 

No. 1 British Birds by Phyllis Barclay-Smith, with sixteen colour plates and a portrait in text by John Gould. Collated, complete. 

No. 2 A Book of Roses by J. Ramsbottom, with sixteen coloured plates and a portrait in text by Pierre-Joseph Redouté. Collated, complete. 

No. 3 A Book of Ships by Charles Mitchell, with sixteen colour plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 4 Portraits of Christ by Ernst Kitzinger and Elizabeth Senior, with sixteen colour plates and other illustrations. Collated, complete. 

No. 5 Caricature by E. H. Gombrich and E. Kris, with sixteen colour plates and other illustrations in black and white. Collated, complete. 

No. 6 British Shells by F. Martin Duncan, with sixteen colour plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 7 Fashions and Fashion Plates 1800-1900 by James Laver, with sixteen colour plates. Collated, complete. 

No. 8 Elizabethan Miniatures by Carl Winterthe revised edition issued with a dust wrapper. With sixteen colour plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 9 The Microcosm of London by John Summerson, with sixteen colour plates and a black and white frontispiece. Collated, complete. 

No. 10 The Bayeux Tapestry by Eric Maclaglan, the revised edition with eight colour plates and forty monochrome plates as well as a black and white map. Collated, complete. 

No. 11 Fishes of Britain's Rivers and Lakes by J R Norman, with sixteen colour plates by Edward Donovan and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 12 The Poet's Corner by Sir Max Beerbohm, with an introduction by John Rothenstein. With a black and white frontispiece and twenty four colour plates as well as other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 13 Edible Fungi by John Ramsbottom, with sixteen colour plates by Rose Ellenby. Collated, complete. 

No. 14 A Book of Lilies by Fred Stoker, with sixteen colour plates by Lillian Snelling and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete.

No. 15 Seashore Life and Pattern by T. A. Stephenson, with sixteen colour plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 16 Children as Artists by R.R. Tomlinson, with sixteen colour plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 17 The Leaves of Southwell by Nikolaus Pevsner, with thirty-three photographic plates by F. L. Attenborough and other illustrations and a plan in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 18 Some British Moths by Norman Rileywith sixteen colour plates by Moses Harris. Collated, complete. 

No. 19 Garden Birds by Phyllis Barclay-Smith, with twenty colour plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete.  

No. 20 English Ballet by Janet Leeper, second revised edition. With sixteen colour plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 21 Popular Art in Britain by Noel Carrington, with thirty-two plates in colour and in black and white by Clarke Hutton. Collated, complete. 

No. 22 Heraldry in England by Anthony Wagner, with fifteen colour plates and one illustration in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 23 Poisonous Fungi by John Ramsbottom, with sixteen colour plates by Rose Ellenby and other figures in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 24 Birds of the Sea by R. M. Lockley. With twenty-four colour plates by R. B. Talbot Kelly and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete.  

No. 25 UR by Sir Leonard Woolley, with sixteen colour plates. Collated, complete. 

No. 26 A Book of Toys by Gwent Whitewith sixteen colour plates. Collated, complete. 

No. 27 Flowers of Marsh & Stream by Iolo A. Williams, with sixteen colour plates and other figures in text. Collated, complete.

No. 28 A History of English Clocks by R. W. Symonds, with seventy-two photographic plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete.  

No. 29 Flowers of the Wood by E. J. Salisbury. With twenty-four coloured plates. Collated, complete. 

No. 30 Wood Engravings by Thomas Bewick by John Rayner. With illustrated endpapers, thirty black and white plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 31 English Book Illustrations 1800-1900 by Philip James, with thirty-six plates, eight in colour, as well as other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 32 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, with four colour plates and other illustrations in text by John Leech. All plates present. Lacking the dust wrapper issued with this first edition. 

No. 33 Russian Icons by David Talbot Rice, with sixteen colour plates. Collated, complete. With the corrected cover design by Enid Marx of the first issue to the imprint page.

No. 34 The English Tradition in Design by John Gloag, with seventy-two photographic plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete.

No. 35 Spiders by W. S. Bristowe, illustrated with twenty-four colour plates as well as other illustrations in text by A. T. Hollick. Collated, complete.

No. 36 Ballooning by C. H. Gibbs-Smith, illustrated with thirty-two plates, fourteen in colour as well as other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 37 Wild Flowers of the Chalk by John Gilmour, with sixteen colour plates by Irene Hawkins. Collated, complete. 

No. 38 Compliments of the Season by L. D. Ettlinger and R. G. Holloway, with sixteen colour plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 39 Woodcuts of Albert Durer by T. D. Barlowwith eighty four black and white plates. Collated, complete. 

No. 40 Edward Gordon Craig Designs for the Theatre by Janet Leeper, with a frontispiece and forty colour and two-tone plates as well as other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 41 British Butterflies, by E. B. Ford, with sixteen colour plates by Paxton Chadwick. Collated, complete. 

No. 42 British Military Uniforms by James Laver. With twenty-four colour plates. Collated, complete.

No. 43 A Prospect of Wales by Kenneth Rowntree and Gwyn Jones, with twenty colour plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 44 Tulipomania by Wilfrid Blunt, with sixteen plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete.

No. 45 Unknown Westminster Abbey by Lawrence E. Tanner, with sixty four photographic plates by R. P. Howgrave-Graham. Collated, complete.

No. 46 Highland Dress by George F. Collie, with twenty-four colour plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 47 British Reptiles and Amphibia by Malcolm Smith, with sixteen colour plates by Paxton Chadwick and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 48 A Book of Scripts by Alfred Fairbank, with sixty four plates in black and white and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 49 Some British Beetles by Geoffrey Taylor, with twenty four colour plates by Vere Temple and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 50 Popular Art in the United States by Erwin O. Christensenwith thirty-two plates in colour and in black and white. Collated, complete.

No. 51 Life in an English Village, with an introductory essay by Noel Carrington and lithographs by Edward Bawdel. Collated, complete with sixteen lithographs and other illustrations in text. 

No. 52 The Isle of Wight by Barbara Jones, with sixteen colour plates and other illustrations in text by the author. Collated, complete. 

No. 53 Flowers of the Meadow by Geoffrey Grigson, with twenty-four colour plates by Robin Tanner. Collated, complete. 

No. 54 Greek Terracottas by T. B. L. Webster, with fifty four collogravure plates. Collated, complete.

No. 55 Romney Marsh by John Piper, with sixteen colour plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 56 Early British Railways by Christian Barman, with sixteen reproductions of old prints and other illustrations in text. 

No. 57 Mosses by Paul Richards, with sixteen plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 58 A Book of Ducks by Phyllis Barclay-Smith, with sixteen colour plates by Pete Shepheard and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 59 Ackermann's Cambridge by Reginald Ross Williamson, with twenty colour plates. Collated, complete. 

No. 60 The Crown Jewels by Oliver Warner, with sixteen colour plates by Paxton Chadwick. Collated, complete. 

No. 61 An Atlas of Tudor England and Wales by E. G. R. Taylor, with forty plates from John Speed's Pocket Atlas of 1627. Collated, complete. 

No. 62 Medieval Carvings in Exeter Cathedral by C. J. P. Cave, with sixty four photographic plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 63 A Book of Greek Coins by Charles Seltman, with forty eight photogravure plates and a map. Collated, complete.

No. 64 Magic Books from Mexico by C. A. Burland, with sixteen colour plates. Collated, complete. 

No. 65 Semi-Precious Stones by N. Wooster, with sixteen colour plates by Arthur Smith. Collated, complete.

No. 66 Birds of La Plata by W. H. Hudson, with an introduction by Richard Curle. With sixteen colour plates by S. Magno. Collated, complete.

No. 68 Animals in Staffordshire Pottery by Bernard Rackham, illustrated with sixteen colour plates and other illustrations in text by Peggy Jeremy. Collated, complete.

No. 67 Mountain Birds by R. A. Coombes, with sixteen colour plates by G. E. Lodge. Collated, complete.

No. 69 Ackermann's Oxford with notes by H. M. Colvin, with sixteen colour plates and eight black-and-white plates. Collated, complete.

No. 70 The Diverting History of John Gilpin by William Cowper, with illustrations in text.

No. 71 Egyptian Paintings by Nina M. Davies, with sixteen colour plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete. 

No. 72 Misericords by M. D. Anderson, with forty-eight photographic plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete.

No. 73 The Picture of Cricket by John Arlott, with sixteen colour or black-and white plates and other illustrations in text. Collated, complete.

N. 74 Woodland Birds by Phyllis Barclay-Smith, with sixteen coloured plates by Peter Shepheard. Collated, complete.

No. 75 Monumental Brasses by James Mann, with thirty-two plates in black and 'brass colour'. Collated, complete. 

No. 76 The Sculpture of the Parthenon by P. E. Corbett, with forty black-and-white plates and other drawings and plans in text. Collated, complete.

Condition

In the original publisher's decorative binding over paper covered boards. Externally generally very smart with minor shelf wear and bumping to the head and tail of the spine and extremities. A touch of sunning to the occasional spine. Minor mark to the rear board of no. 50. Minor chipping to the spine of no. 3, 5, 6, 7, 15, 21, 32. Light cockling to the boards of no. 33 due to damp damage, not affecting the internals. Previous owner's inscription to the front free endpaper of the occasional volume. Leo Bernard bookplate to the front pastedown of no. 25. Previous owner's annotations to the last leaf of no. 55. Augusta F Eccles bookplate to the front pastedown of no. 24. Most dust wrappers are unclipped with minor shelf wear only. Price clipped dust wrapper to no. 8, 55, 60, 66. A minor closed tear to the front wrap of no. 56, 59, and minor chipping to the wraps of no. 8. Minor closed tear to the front wrap of no. 44, externally tape repaired. With some ink drawing by a previous owner internally to the wraps of no. 55. Internally, the majority of the volumes is firmly bound, only generally firm to no. 9 , 11, 15, 26. Only light spotting to the odd leaf of the occasional volume, particularly to the endpapers, otherwise the pages are bright and clean. With lithographs and other illustrations throughout, some in colour. Collated, complete.

Very Good Indeed

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