Oxon. A Shell Guide.
London: B.T. Batsford, [1938]. 8vo. First edition. Alternative binding. Original yellow cloth overprinted in red. The jacket reproduces the original photographic covers. Two coloured maps and numerous black and white photographs throughout. Advertisement for Shell on the Road at the rear by Edward Bawden. Bookplate on front free endpaper. Unclipped d/w has a closed tear to the top edge of the front panel and chips to the spine ends. A bit rubbed at the edges. Item #4883
One of the most celebrated of the pre-war Guides. The City of Oxford was not included because that had been covered by John Betjeman's An Oxford University Chest (1938). The bookplate belongs to Melville Russell Cooke who was married to Helen Smith, daughter of the captain of the Titanic. A loose printed note explains more about the family. Apparently issued simultaneously with the usual ring bound version, this durable binding anticipates what Faber and Faber would do the following year when they took over the series.
Price: £200.00