Cook-Book Note-Book : Signed by Edward Bawden – His Personal Copy

The First UK Printing published by Westhouse, London in 1946. 8vo., peach cloth decorated with bowl and egg design in red to upper cover; lettered in red along backstrip; in the original unclipped pictorial wrapper designed by Edward Bawden (8s. 6d. net); with title vignette and chapter head drawings in line by Bawden throughout; The BOOK a wonderful near Fine copy, in superior condition to those often found; the cloth clean and bright with only mild pushing to the spine ends; internally clean and bright, aside from the occasional spot or ink splash a near-fine copy; the Very Good++ or better WRAPPER evenly toned (as is common)to the spine, with some minor toning to the edges and folds; Some very minor small ink stains to the lower panel, and a little rubbed at spine tips with two small water marks to the head and foot; a clean, unrestored example, otherwise. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. First edition of this scarce post-war cookbook, with notes by Angela Carter (not the author of The Bloody Chamber fame, but instead a dietetic expert, who provides insight into the Vitamins, minerals, and other health benefits of each recipe). This is the illustrator Edward Bawden's personal copy, signed by him to the front free endpaper, with his iconic snail bookplate found to the front paste-down, beneath the front flap. A charming cookbook, which would have relied heavily on the ingredients available at the time, when rationing was still in place. The UK was the last country involved in World War II to stop rationing food, with the final item being meat in 1954. Delicacies here include brawn (' If you can get the butcher to pickle the pig s head for ten days, do so, otherwise rub salt well in and leave for 24 hours, but this is not so good. The butcher will chop the head and remove the eyes…' ), cold ox-tail jelly, liver with apple, marrow stew, queen of puddings, chestnut balls, cherry brandy, and even several recipes for Lobster. Lobster was considered a delicacy during the war, and as such was not rationed, allowing them to be consumed at unprecedented rates. The celebrated artist Edward Bawden (1903-1989) was not new to cookery illustration at the time this work was published. During the 1930s, he had collaborated with Ambrose Heath on a series of cookery books, which included titles such as Good Food, More Good Food, Good Food for the Aga, Good Drinks, and Good Food Without Meat. Bawden s charming and often humorous illustrations here show oversized hands tucking into bowls of sugar, slicing cake, and in one instance sliding open a box of macaroni, generally offset against unlikely countryside backgrounds. A rare copy, from the illustrator s own library and in uncommonly fresh condition. More images available on request. Ashton Rare books welcomes direct contact.