77
78
78 NEURATH, Marie. [Three Isotype children’s books.] The First Great Inventions; The Wonder World of Birds; The Wonder World of the Jungle. London: Max Parrish, 1951–53–62 the beginnings of data visualization First editions, first impressions, of these pioneering picture books. These innovative books used infographics and illustrated diagrams to teach children scientific concepts in palatable and groundbreaking ways. It is rare, especially in such lovely condition, with only a few copies traced institutionally in WorldCat of each title: The First Great Inventions (12 copies); The Wonder World of Birds (6 copies); The Wonder World of the Jungle (6 copies). Neurath was born in Germany, where she studied mathematics and physics, moving to Vienna just before she graduated. It was in Vienna that, together with soon-to-be husband Otto, she founded the Social and Economic Museum of Vienna. The couple moved to The Hague in 1934, followed by London in 1940 as the Germans invaded the Netherlands. After a short time spent in an internment camp, Marie and Otto married, settling in Oxford. Neurath, her husband, and their colleague Gerd Arntz, were the founders of Isotype, a simplified visual method of displaying complex information to the public. First developed in the 1920s, and originally known as the Vienna Method of Pictorial Statistics, the goal of Isotype was “to cross national and social divides in a time before widespread global communication. To do that, Isotype went back to basics and stripped away all things unnecessary, illogical, or alienating – and in doing so, helped to establish some of the core principles of graphic design. Today, Isotype’s legacy can be seen everywhere from newspapers and textbooks to signage, transit maps, interfaces, and emojis” (Inglis).
Marie Neurath “was a remarkable practitioner” who “researched, calculated, and co-designed nearly every Isotype ever created, from the early days in Vienna in 1925 all the way to when she retired in 1971” (Forrest). Marie continued the work after Otto’s death in 1945, becoming best known for the series of children’s books she published over the next twenty years. “In children’s educational books Marie found an ideal place to put Isotype’s methods into practice. Young readers were more engaged by pictures than words, and this focus on the visual meant these books were easily translated and published abroad, fulfilling Isotype’s original aims of being truly international” (Inglis). 3 works, octavo. Original pictorial boards. With dust jackets. Illustrated throughout in offset lithography. Ownership inscription to front free endpaper of Jungle ; prize bookplate to front free endpaper of Birds . A very good set, bright and sharp in unusually fresh jackets, somewhat rubbed and chipped, but bright. ¶ Jason Forrest, “The Missing Legacy of Marie Neurath,” Medium , available online; Theo Inglis, “Meet Marie Neurath,” AIGA Eye on Design, available online. £1,750 [149996]
Octavo. Original laminated pictorial boards, front board and spine lettered in red and black. No dust jacket issued. Cover design by Victor Ambrus. Head and foot of spine slightly bumped and covers very slightly soiled, foxing to edges, minor foxing to front endpapers, else a near-fine copy. £3,000 [148557] 77 MORSE, Evangeline. Brown Rabbit: Her Story. Chicago: Follett Publishing Company, 1967 First edition, first printing, signed by the author on the half-title. Signed copies of Morse’s first and only novel are uncommon. The story centres around a 10-year-old Black girl, nicknamed “Brown Rabbit”, whose family move from a small town in the South to a ghetto in an industrial city in the North; it is attractively illustrated by David Stone Martin, one of the most influential sleeve designers in jazz history. Evangeline Morse (1913–2004) graduated from Talledega College, an elite Black liberal arts college, followed by a master’s degree from the Chicago Theological Seminary. As well as this novel (the corrected typescript of which is held at the University of Minnesota archive), she published a collection of poetry, Feeda My Soul . Morse became a social worker and established the E. F. Morse Young Writer’s Award Fund to assist high school students in improving their writing skills. Octavo. Original yellow cloth, spine lettered in brown, vignette on front cover in brown. With dust jacket. Frontispiece and black and white illustrations to text by David Stone Martin. A near-fine copy, a few faint marks to spine, contents clean and fresh, in the very good jacket, not price-clipped, some wear to spine panel and a couple of marks, otherwise bright. £425 [149703]
76
76 MORPURGO, Michael. War Horse. Kingswood: Kaye & Ward, 1982 inscribed to a future illustrator of his work First edition, first impression, presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page to the illustrator Claire Colvin, “Michael Morpurgo. For Claire, for her Christmas in 1989. To make you forget Flambards. Lots o’ love, himself”. This is an excellent association: Claire Colvin went on to become the illustrator of Morpurgo’s Colly’s Barn in 1991. It is extremely rare to find an inscribed copy of the first edition of War Horse : the majority of copies went to school libraries and the book is now correspondingly scarce in collectable condition. After training at the City and Guilds of London Art School, Claire Colvin moved to Devon and, while working at Farms for City Children, became friends with Morpurgo, who founded the charity. The allusion in the inscription to the Flambards novels by K. M. Peyton is a running joke between the two. The romantic quartet, set in the shadow of the First World War with a prevalent equine interest, was published between 1967 and 1981; Victor Ambrus, who provided the cover design for War Horse , also illustrated the first three Flambards books.
78
All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
CHILDREN’S BOOKS & ORIGINAL ARTWORK
46
47
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker