1940s Illustrated Volume Set, Arnold Palmer's Recording Britain - 4 Books

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Title: Recording Britain.
Author: Arnold Palmer (editor).
Publisher: Oxford University Press.
Edition: First edition.
Publication date: 1946.
Origin: Oxford.

Description: … Read more Title: Recording Britain.
Author: Arnold Palmer (editor).
Publisher: Oxford University Press.
Edition: First edition.
Publication date: 1946.
Origin: Oxford.

Description: 907 Pp. (V1; 223 p., V2; 219 p., V3; 227 p., V4; 238 p.). 4to. 4 volume complete set. Red publisher's cloth hardcovers, features silver gilt title on spine covers, text profusely illustrated in black/white and color plates, includes list of artists index at rear of volume 4.

Measures: 1-1.25 (4.5 overall) W x 7.75 D x10 H inches.
Approx. weight: 9 pounds, 5 ounces.

About the work: The completed Record consists of 1,549 works. Of the 97 artists, 63 were specially commissioned, and 6 presented works, while the others occasional purchases were made. Thirty-two English and four Welsh counties are fairly fully represented. Some counties had to be left unrecorded owing to insuperable war-time difficulties. (Introduction)

In 1940, when the British landscape was under attack from the threat of German bombers, the Ministry of Labour, in association with the Pilgrim Trust commissioned many of Britain's artists to go out and paint a record of the changing face of the country before it was too late. The resulting pictures of market towns, agricultural landscapes, rural industries, architectural follies and wild places were given to the Victoria and Albert Museum. This original four volume set was edited by Arnold Palmer and published by Oxford University Press in association with the Pilgrim Trust, 1946-1949. Near a half century later, a selection of this original collection was issued to coincide with the exhibition held by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, from 1 August to 18 November 1990. See less