London: Daily Express, 1936. First Edition. Hard Cover. Dust Jacket. First UK Edition. Illustrations by Alfred Bestall. Original red cloth with black titles to the spine and front panel in the original D/W. A fine copy. There is some light foxing to the page edges and the early/late pages of the book. This book belongs to box on the front free end-paper has not been completed. There are no markings inside the book other than light foxing here-and-there. A lovely and bright copy seldom seen in this sort of un-touched condition with the cloth and binding itself in fine condition. In respect of the interior of the book there are a couple of places where the spine webbing can be seen between the page blocks. This book comes with a magnificent example of the VERY SCARCE D/W which is in FINE (or better) condition and which is really bright and sharp and is exceedingly scarce in this condition. It is not price-clipped and not spine-faded. The very first Rupert annual and the first Rupert book to be illustrated by Alfred Bestall. The first time Rupert appeared wearing his now famous red jumper. (Tourtel's Rupert was dressed in blue). In the original Daily Express Newspapers box in which it was posted to the original owner upon publication. Extremely uncommon with these attributes. Laid in is a selection of important and rare Alfred Bestall ephemera: (a) a 3-page hand-written letter from the late Alfred Bestall dated 8.9.83 from his address in Gwynedd, North Wales in its original hand-written envelope. The letter to a "Mrs Lesley Whyte" is in response to a series of questions raised by her concerning the 1982 Annual "Rupert and Ping Pong" that Bestall confirms was originally from 1938. Bestall goes on to comment about the "greater concentration on creating the "full-up" compositions". He goes on to mention that his landscapes "were never meant to be Welsh except when Rupert climbed on rocks"...otherwise I pictured the sort of English scenes I know so well - Severn Valley or the Weald of Sussex". Bestall informs Mrs Whyte that despite being 90 he was thrilled to attend the Queen's Garden Party at Buckingham Palace "driving up the Mall with the famous orange cross on my windscreen". Two days later he spent the afternoon with Paul and Linda McCartney at Elstree studios. He finishes the letter with the adage: "So old age is not yet a bore, but the tendency to fall asleep - even when writing letters - is on the increase and I must stop". (b) A Guernsey Rupert first day of issue cover dated 2nd Feb1993; (c) a flyer for a show at the Bournemouth International Centre of Rupert and His Adventures with the Nutwood Pals (a Children's Showtime Production". Scans invited
