1929 The Etchings of James McBey : Malcolm C. Salaman

The Etchings of James Mcbey

By Malcolm C. Salaman

Published by Halton and Truscott Smith, London, 1929. First Edition. Hardback, cloth binding, bevel-edged boards, 29 x 23 cm, vii pp (with a frontispiece plate ''Barcarolle'' printed on a bluish paper) + 32 pp + 96 plates, bound in black publisher's cloth with elaborate gilt decoration to the front cover, gilt title on spine, top edge gilt.

CONDITION
A very good first edition. The cloth binding is very good. Endpapers very good and with no names or writing to the book. All contents present and pages in good clean condition throughout and free from foxing, stains, etc. Overall a lovely copy.

James McBey (23 December 1883 – 1 December 1959) was a largely self-taught Scottish artist and etcher whose prints were highly valued during the later stages of the etching revival in the early 20th century. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters by Aberdeen University.

Although the British government made little use of his work during the war, when he returned to Britain McBey produced a series of etchings based on his drawings of the Camel Corps patrol. The Long Patrol sold well and greatly enhanced his reputation. He made several visits thereafter to the Middle East and North Africa. During the post-war print boom in the 1920s his etchings fetched prices at auction that had only been achieved before by the Old Masters. McBey was featured by Malcolm Salaman in the second volume of the series Modern Masters of Etching and Salaman also compiled a catalogue of his work, published in 1929. McBey also had commissions to paint a number of formal portraits, including one of Sir Harry Lauder in 1921, which today is in the Glasgow Museums.

(Loc: Shop; Glass cabinet no 2 )