WITH TIPPED-IN LETTER FROM THE CZECHOSLOVAK INSTITUTE

Z.K; HOFFMEISTER; A. PELC; STEPHEN; W. TRIER ~ Jesters in Earnest. Cartoons by the Czechoslovak Artists.

FIRST UK PRINTING. John Murray, London: 1944.

Large 8vo., red publisher's cloth, lettered in black to upper cover and spine; housed in the original unclipped pictorial dustwrapper (10s. 6d. net to front flap) featuring a striking tessellating image of soldiers and skeletons marching across a battlefield, printed in black and red and designed by Hoffmeister; illustrated throughout with numerous black and white and full colour illustrations throughout; THE BOOK with some scattered spotting, darkening and bumping to spine tips; most of the images remaining incredibly vibrant; THE WRAPPER very good plus, a little shelf darkened and with some minor splits along folds; a couple of short closed tears and tiny holes; lightly spotted to flaps; two slightly larger chips at spine ends, the largest 2cm in depth to foot. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. First UK edition. Association copy, presented to the artist and curator, Raymond Lintott at the Atkinson Art Gallery, London, by the Director of the Czechoslovak Institute, Josef Knap, with the TLS to p. [ii]. Dated 21st November 1944, the letter reads "It gives me much pleasure to be able to present you with a copy of our 'Jesters in Earnest' as a small token of our gratitude for all your help with, and interest in, the Czechoslovak Cartoon Exhibition." The anthology includes the work of five Czechoslovakian cartoonists and their successful attempts to "fling their ink in the tyrant's face". Opening with short biographies of the five artists, the text is followed by a series of sumptuous and humorous illustrations. As David Low points out in his introduction, the work of the cartoonists in the face of war and tyranny is twofold: the wit and charm of political debasement, and the translation of thoughts into expression as art. The results are outstanding, and a precursor to the slew of Czech artists and illustrators who catapulted the country to fame in the medium of animation. A charming association copy.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Very Good +
JACKET: Very Good +