PIER

66pp., 8vo. In grey printed wraps. Internally very good, in worn and discoloured wraps. Bookplate of Henry Malo inside the front cover. On shiny art paper, and with eight pages of illustations, including five full-page photographs and five plans (two of the 'Station Buildings', two of the sailing yacht the 'Mermaid', and one of 'The Ark' carrying the laboratory). The last two pages (65-66) carry a list of 'Office-Bearers 1901' from which Todd's name has been extracted. Uncommon: no copy at the British Library, and only six copies on OCLC WorldCat.

An interesting collection of material relating to an extraordinary woman whose exploits deserve recognition. According to one obituary Mitchell (sister of American General 'Billy' Mitchell) was 'he only foreign woman to serve with the Chetniks', for whom she acted as a dispatch rider. Captured by the Gestapo while swimming at Dubrovnik, 'still in her bathing suit, and with papers on her that would have caused her to be executed without trial, she turned to the agents and asked: "Gentlemen, you will permit me to change my trousers?" They agreed.

At foot: 'PRICE ONE PENNY.' On one side of a piece of wove paper, roughly 220 x 170 mm. Enclosed within decorative border. Foxed and creased, with edges trimmed to edge of border. Thin strip of card mound adhering to one edge of reverse. Text clear and entire. Printed in two columns employing characteristically Victorian typography. Twenty-six four-line stanzas (the last two being the 'MORAL.'). Begins 'When down at Blackpool last July, and walking on the Pier, | I met a pretty maiden, so I said "How do my dear?" | "What do you here, love, by yourself? How is it you're alone?

On India paper roughly three and a half inches by six and a half wide, mounted on a thick piece of wove paper ten inches by fourteen and a half. Cooke's name is engraved on the illustration, and printed on the mount are the title, Lewis's name and a double ruled border. Good clear impression. The mount is a tad grubby, with foxing to the extremities. Atmospheric representation of a populated pier snaking to the left, with a number of sailing ships and a row boat taking advantage of the low tide nearby. No reference found.