Tom Stoppard related : From the estate of Carl Toms

Stoppard, Tom (Related) ~ A Three Volume Set of Books from Carl Tom’s Estate : Nash, Ogden ~ Zoo [together with] Whistler, Rex ~ Designs for the Theatre [and] Hurry, Leslie [Lillian Browse, (Ed.)] ~ Leslie Hurry. Settings & Costumes for Sadler’s Wells Ballets : Two Volumes And Ephemera Signed by Tom Stoppard

Stewart, Tabori & Chang, New York: 1987 / B. T. Batsford Ltd., London: 1950 / Faber and Faber for the Shenval Press, 1946

3 vols.; VOLUME ONE - Nash, Ogden ~ Zoo. 8vo., black cloth embossed in blind to upper cover; lettered in silver to spine; in the unclipped pictorial wrapper designed by Rita Marshall; die-cut half title; illustrated throughout with animal sketches by Etienne Delessert; The BOOK is a Fine copy in a very near Fine WRAPPER with just a couple of light marks and some shelf wear. The Second USA Printing published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, New York in 1987. Ogden Nash's 'Zoo', includes three personal inscriptions by Stoppard, to Carl Toms. The first, to the front blank endpaper reads 'To Carl from / Tom with love / and thanks - again. / Mar 8 '88'. The second, to the rear flap of the wrapper, reads 'From Tom Stoppard / for 'Hapgood' / March 1988 / - drawing a poem / by him on back page.' The drawing he is referring to appears at the rear of the book, on p. [80]. Below a pencilled sketch of a giraffe by Stoppard is a handwritten poem 'The giraffe / has the last laugh / and the highest / though I am biassed [sic]', he writes. Stoppard has also added his contribution in pencil to the contents page. Additionally, there is a laid in postcard of two giraffes with necks intertwined, which Stoppard has inscribed to the verso in blue pen 'Carl - / It's all / wonderful / - thank you. / Tom.' VOLUME TWO : Whistler, Rex ~ Designs for the Theatre. The First UK printing published by B. T. Batsford Ltd., London in 1950. 8vo., green cloth-backed pictorial boards, spine lettered in red; clipped wrapper with borders and devices in red; numerous illustrations throughout in both black and white and full colour; The BOOK with slight shelf-lean and rubbing to outer edges of boards; Ex Library, with ink number to foot of spine, and stamps (including withdrawn stamp) to p. [ii]; THE WRAPPER good, though with ink and embossed stamps of Folkestone Public Library to upper panel; detached along spine and faded/rubbed at backstrip, with a little loss of lettering and a couple of short closed tears. The book may have been picked up by Stoppard while he was browsing second hand bookshops, and he thought of Toms. This copy is similarly inscribed by Stoppard to the front free endpaper: 'Carl ~', he writes, 'I would have / given him a book of yours - / that's why. / With love ~ Tom. / x.92.'. VOLUME THREE : Hurry, Leslie [Lillian Browse, (Ed.)] ~ Leslie Hurry. Settings & Costumes for Sadler’s Wells Ballets. The First UK printing published by Faber and Faber for the Shenval Press in 1946. 8vo., oatmeal-coloured cloth lettered in grey-blue to upper cover and spine; unclipped orange wrapper (printed price of 5s. net to front flap crossed through and repriced in pencil); illustrations in black and white throughout, on glossy paper (frontis in full colour); The BOOK is in Very Good+ condition, with a little darkening and spotting to lower edge of boards; The WRAPPER sunned along the backstrip with some light nicks and shelf wear, else very good+. This volume comes from the personal library of Carl Toms, with his penned name and date 'Carl Toms / Oct 1946' to the front free endpaper. All three volumes are protected in removable Brodart archival covers. A collection of three titles from the estate of Carl Toms, with Tom Stoppard association. Carl Toms OBE (1927 – 1999) was a British set and costume designer, widely acclaimed for his work in theatre, opera, ballet and film. It was the 1970s when Toms met and befriended Tom Stoppard, and together they worked on a series of plays in both New York and London. These included some of Stoppard's best-loved productions, including 'Arcadia', 'Travesties', 'Night and Day', 'The Real Thing', 'Jumpers' and 'Hapgood' et al. A wonderful collection of three titles with some very personal inscriptions between two highly important figures in the world of theatre. In particular, the second volume's equating of Tom's work with that of Rex Whistler shows the high regard which Stoppard must have had for his friend. Toms passed away in 1999 and much of his library has been filtered into the public space since, but these three volumes remain some of the more scarce on the market, and are indicative of a unique and special relationship shared between the two men.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Very Good to near Fine
JACKET: Good to Fine