The scarce first issue

Flight, Claude ~ Lino-Cuts : A Hand-Book of Linoleum-Cut Colour Printing

First UK Printing : John Lane / The Bodley Head Limited, London : 1927

The First UK Printing published by John Lane / The Bodley Head Limited, London in 1927. Large 8vo., beige linen-covered boards lettered and decorated in red to upper cover, and lettered in red to the backstrip; top-stain red remains vibrant ; with frontis and a further nine illustrations in full colour, as well as eighteen in black and white, the latter both full-page and in text; The BOOK a Very Good++ smart example with slight toning and light marking to the boards ; with a little rubbing along the spine folds ; endpapers offset with a near contemporary penned ownership name and date to front paste down; internally very good, lightly toned with occasional spots to the margins due to the quality of the paper stock used. The First UK edition, which includes an original linocut, 'Crossing the Road' by Claude Flight printed from the artist's original lino blocks in red, cobalt blue and black. Flight was educated at the Grosvenor School of Modern Art, which had been founded by the Scottish wood engraver Iain Macnab in 1925. It was there that the art of original linocut was first pioneered in the UK and Flight, surrounded by a team of talented young artists and teachers including Cyril Power and Sybil Andrews, soon began teaching there himself. Known for championing MacNab's principles of rhythms, counter-rhythms, sweeping lines and carefully organised sequences of differing colours, Flight is remembered today for developing the art of lino cutting to its full potential. His students later included the artists Margaret Barnard, Leonard Beaumont, Dorrit Black and Diana Drew. Published relatively early on into his career, the present work includes plates by Diana Drew, who at age just 13 and 15 shows "good direct cutting of well-arranged imaginative design" and "a more mature conception based on visual facts". The in-text illustrations further show various tools needed for lino cutting, including oil stones, gouges, burnishers and rollers. Increasingly scarce as the first issue.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Very Good ++