[Juvenile] Letters from a Lost Uncle (from Polar Regions)

London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1948. First Impression. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. First Edition (so stated on p. [2]) of this castaway narrative, written and Illustrated by Mervyn Peake. Slim foolscap 8vo (174 x 110mm): [132]pp. Publisher's pale yellow linen, upper cover stamped in scarlet with vignette of the Uncle, spine lettered in scarlet; dust jacket printed in black and scarlet, front panel with lion stamp on grey ground, back panel a facsimile of mailing envelope with scarelet trompe l'oeil wax seal. Fine, with just slight wear to head of jacket's spine panel. Berkeley & Winnington (PiP) A6a. Currey, p. 400. Told in a series of letters written to a nephew and posted from the Arctic by a shipwrecked explorer, whose "Friday" is a tortoise named Jackson. Text photographically reproduced (in fine-screen halftone) from typewritten originals, and thus the poor reproduction quality, which troubled Peake to the extent that the book was withdrawn from sale, then reissued at a reduced price (this copy's dust jacket in the second state, as are most, with 7s / 6d price canceled by overprinting and 3s / 6d printed below). N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, with dust jackets carefully preserved in archival, removable mylar sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).