Zaehnsdorf Binding: KAY, John: A Series of Original Portraits and Caricature Etchings.

With Biographical Sketches and Illustrative Anecdotes. In TWO Volumes. Edinburgh: Hugh Paton, Carver and Gilder, 1837-38, First edition, with 358 etched plates (including the extra 29 at the end of vol.2. Full leather binding by 'Zaehnsdorf' with raised bands, gilt ruling, gilt inner dentelles, marbled endpapers and all edges gilt. Each volume With Edward Bawden's bookplate to front pastedown. Very Good Set. (2)

Provenance:

Edward Bawden (1903-1989).

Great Bardfield became home to a remarkable community of mid-20th-century artists, with Bawden one of its most influential figures. Born in 1903 in Braintree, Essex, Bawden studied at the Royal College of Art, where he formed a lifelong friendship with fellow artist Eric Ravilious. He became widely known for his distinctive work as a printmaker, illustrator, muralist, and designer.

Moving to Great Bardfield in the 1930s, Bawden helped shape the village’s artistic identity. His linocuts, watercolours, and commercial designs for companies like London Transport and Fortnum & Mason showcased his sharp wit, clean lines, and masterful sense of pattern. During the Second World War, he served as an official war artist, producing memorable images from North Africa, the Middle East, and Italy.

After the war, Bawden continued to work prolifically, teaching at the Royal College of Art and exhibiting widely. His later years were marked by renewed creativity, especially in large-scale linocuts that remain some of his best-loved works. He lived in Great Bardfield for over forty years before relocating to Saffron Walden, where he died in 1989.

Together with Eric Ravilious he is now recognised as one of the most important and influential of mid-20th-century British artists, championed by Sworders and the Fry Art Gallery in Saffron Walden.

This library was compiled and used by Edward and has remained in the family since then, much of it passing to his son, fellow artist Richard Bawden, and his granddaughter, and a selection now comes to us for sale.