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HEINEY**, PAUL: : GEORGE SOPER'S HORSES: A Celebration of the English Working Horse

LONDON.H. F. G. WITHERBY LTD.,1990.

ISBN 0854932003.

UK,rectangular 8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.FINE+/FINE. No owner inscrptn but price-clip to dw/dj. Bright,crisp,clean,glossy laminated,3/4 wrap-around colour pictorial artwork by George Soper,illustrated dw/dj, with blue,black and brown lettering to front panel,author's colour photograph to rear panel; with negligible shelf-wear and creasing to edges and corners - no major nicks or tears present.A very,very tiny snick - no loss - to rear,top corner of dw/dj. Top+fore-edges bright and clean; contents bright,tight,clean - pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corners,appears unread - apart from my own collation.Publisher's bright,crisp,clean,sharp-cornered,original,plain brown cloth boards with bright,crisp,blocked gilt letters to spine/backstrip and immaculate plain white endpapers.UK,rectangular 8vo HB+ dw/dj,1st edn,6-143pp [paginated] includes author's introduction,6 chapters and a bibliography,profuse b/w etchings,wood-cuts and line illustrations along with several watercolour illustrations/plates; plus [unpaginated] etching illustrated half-title page with watercolour illustration frntis to it's recto,title page,and an etching vignetted contents list/table. The book presents a superb range of beautifully observed scenes from English rural life between the wars before the tractor revolutionised farming practices. George Soper spent hours in the field,following ploughing teams or the great forestry horses dragging tree trunks from the felling sites.His drawings memorably capture the dignity and power of the superb animals which used to work Britain's farms,coasts and woodlands. Paul Heiney writes about these working horses with the knowledge of a keen owner of three fine Suffolk Punches.His appreciative understanding of the subject gives a richness to this book,making it a truly authentic celebration of the English working horse. George Soper (1870-1942),born Devon and brought up in Somerset,and as an artist, was self-taught.He exhibited at the Royal Academy every year from the age of 19,till he died in 1942. Studied etching under Sir Frank Short at the South Kensington School of Art - albeit for a very short time. Moving to Welwyn Garden City,Hertfordshire in the early 1900's,with his two children Eva and Eileen,he decided the four acre garden should be a wildlife habitat. A keen amateur naturalist,he cultivated rare plants in his large,semi-wild garden. After his death,his daughters carried on the conservation work,neither of them marrying,and they continued to live in their late father's house.Eva was a skilled potter producing fine commercial work and Eileen,like her father,was an artist.At one time she was principal artist for Enid Blyton. She died in 1990 during the preparation of this book.For watercolours,wood engravings and etchings,his subjects were the countryside and farm work before mechanisation.He also illustrated children's books,and periodicals such as The Boy's Own,The Captain,Chums,Country Life,The Graphic,The Illustrated London News,and The Strand Magazine.Elected ARE (1918),RE (1920). Please contact seller,because of the value of this item,for correct,insured shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! N.B. ALL buyers please note,item's actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order receipt and before the order's despatch,especially if offered P/p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIR postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. 1/2 to 2/3rds of standard US AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving long before the quoted 42 days - but not always. **

UK,rectangular 8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.
Not SIGNED.

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