Lady Filmy Fern or the Voyage of the Window Box

London: Hamish Hamilton, 1980. First edition. Hardback. Near Fine/Fine. 8.5" by 11". Edward Bawden. A fantastic first edition copy of this children's book by Thomas Hennell. With illustrations in colour by Edward Bawden. The first edition of this work.A lovely copy of this children's book by Thomas Hennell, written in 1930 around the series of illustrations presented in this volume by Edward Bawden. The book follows the strange story of the retiring social beauty, Lady Filmy Fern, her devoted companion, the carpenter Mr Virgin Cork, and the photographer known as the Welsh Polypod. Interestingly, at the outbreak of the Second World War, Bawden hid the scrapbook with both text and pictures of this book in a waterproof covering, at the bottom of his well, only to be found after the retreat of Germany. In the meantime, Thomas Hennell was killen in Indonesia in 1945, and it was not until 1980 that the book was officially published, with more illustrations added. In the original, unclipped dustwrapper. In the original publisher's binding with illustrated boards., Externally, excellent with minor shelfwear. Dustwrapper is unclipped and very smart with only slight shelfwear. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean, with only a faint rubber mark to the front free endpaper. Profusely illustrated throughout with colourful illustrations by Edwards Bawden. Near Fine