Britain in Pictures: the British People in Pictures

London: William Collins of London. Hardcover. Very Good/Good. 8vo 8" - 9" tall. A lot of 63 (sixty-three) volumes in the Britain in Pictures: the British People in Pictures series that was so popular just post-W.W.I.I. Each bound in publisher's original paper over boards covers, some with forward cocks to spines, most with Brodart or other protectors, too; some dust jackets worn but mostly along edges. Most are 47 pp. or 48 pp. in length but with final page unpaginated, usually, and come with a short, unpaginated list of select bibliography; each is replete with illustrations, both hors-texte and on plates printed on high-gloss paper. All in, a fine start on the series that ran to 132 volumes. The series was begun in 1941 by Collins (the fore-runner of HarperCollins) and who wanted to boost the war effort by boosting morale. The slim, uniformly bound volumes, with simple, distinctive covers, were penned by leading writers and artists, including Cecil Beaton, Graham Greene, Francis Meynell, George Orwell, Bernard Darwin and many others. The set is composed of the following: 1) F. Fraser Darling, Wild Life of Britain (1947, First Edition, Third Printing), VG/VG, 47 pp., #52 in series); 2) Francis Meynell, English Printed Books (1948, Second Edition, First Printing), VG/VG, #95 in series, 47 pp.; 3) Janet Adam Smith, Life Among the Scots (1946, First Edition, First Printing, VG/VG, 47 pp., #101 in the series); 4) John Gilmour, British Botanists (1946, First Edition, Second Printing), VG, #79 in series, 47 pp.; 5) Janet Adam Smith, Children's Illustrated Books (1948, First Edition, First Printing), VG, #126 in series, 47 pp.; 6) Margaret Lambert and Enid Marx, English Popular and Traditional Art (1946, First Edition, First Printing), VG/VG, #102 in the series, 47 pp.; 7) John Betjeman, English Cities and Small Towns (1943, First Edition, Third Printing), VG/VG, #48 in the series, 47 pp.; 8) F.S. Smythe, British Mountaineers (1946, First Edition, Second printing), VG/VG, #22 in the series, 47 pp.; 9) E.G. Boulenger, British Anglers' Natural history (1946, First Edition, First Printing), VG/VG, #109 in the series, 47 pp.; 10) G.M. Young, The Government of Britain (1942, Second Edition), NF/VG, 47 pp.; 11) Bernard Darwin, British Clubs (1943, Second Impression), NF/VG, 47 pp.; 12) Guy Paget, Sporting Pictures of England (1945, First Edition), 47 pp.; 13) Christopher Marsden, The English at the Seaside (1947, First Edition), VG/VG, 48 pp.; 14) Sean O'Faolain, The Story of Ireland (1946, Second Impression), 48 pp.; 15) Peter F. Anson, British Seafishermen (1944, First Edition), 48 pp.; 16) Metius Chappell, British Engineers (1942, First Edition), VG/G, with penned inscription, 48 pp.; 17) C.E. Vulliamy, English Letter Writers (1945, First Edition), G/G, 47 pp.; 18) Leo Walmsley, British Ports and Harbours (1946, Second Impression), VG/G, 48 pp.; 19) Lord David Cecil, The English Poets (1941, First Edition), G/Fair, dust wrapper split but present, 48 pp.; 20) Sir Ernest Pooley, The Guilds of the City of London (1947, Second Impression), Good/Fair, 48 pp.; 21) Francis Meynell, English Printed Books (1946, First Edition), VG/VG, #95 in series, VG/VG, 47 pp.; 22) Sir Herbert Grierson, The English Bible (1947, Third Impression), VG/VG, 48 pp.; 23) Arthur Elton, British Railways (1947, Second Impression), VG/VG, 48 pp.; 24) F. Fraser Darling, Wild Life of Britain (1947, Third Impression), G/G, 48 pp.; 25) S.C. Johnston, British Postage Stamps (1944, First Edition), VG/VG, 48 pp.; 26) C.E. Vulliamy, English Letter Writers (1946, Second Impression), G/G, bookplate, 48 pp.; 27) Bonamy Dobree, English Essayists (1946, First Edition), VG/VG, 48 pp.; 28) Janet Adam Smith, Children's Illustrated Books (1948, First Edition, First Printing), VG, #126 in series, 47 pp.; 29) David Mathew, British Seamen (1943, First Edition), VG/G, bookplate, 48 pp.; 30) Thomas Burke, English Inns (1947, Fourth Impression), VG/G, 47 pp.; 31) Francis Meynell (1948, Second Impression), VG/VG, 48 pp.; 32) Sir Herbert Grierson, English Bibles (1947, Third Impression), G/G, inscription, 48 pp.; 33) Sir Ernest Pooley, The Guilds of the City of London (1945, First Edition), VG/VG, 48 pp.; 34) Jacquetta Hawkes, Early Britain (1946, Second Impression), VG/G, 48 pp.; 35) Enid Marx and Margaret Lambert, English Popular and Traditional Art (1946, First Edition), G, inscription, 48 pp.; 36), The Earl of Portsmouth, British Farm Stock (1950, First Edition), VG/VG, 50 pp.; 37) Frank Eyre and Charles Hadfield (1947, Second Impression), VG/G, 48 pp.; 38) Rex Warner, English Public Schools (1946, Second Impression), VG/G, 48 pp.; 39) Lady Wentworth, Horses of Britain (1946, First Edition), G, 48 pp.; 40) The Bishop of Chichester, The English Church (1942, First Edition), G, 48 pp.; 41) Peter Bicknell, British Hills and Mountains (1947, First Edition), G/VG, inscription, 48 pp.; 42) Janet Adam Smith, Life Among the Scots (1946, First Edition), 48 pp.; 43) R.J. Cruikshank, The Liberal Party (1948, First Edition), VG/G, 48 pp.; 44) Rose Macaulay, Life Among the English (1942 First Edition), G/G, bookplate, 48 pp.; 45) Admiral Sir Edward Evans, British Polar Explorers (1943, First Edition), G/Fair, 48 pp.; 46) David Low, British Cartoonists, Caricaturists and Comic Artists (1942, First Edition), VG, 47 pp.; 47) Christopher Marsden, The English at the Seaside (1947, First Edition), VG/G, bookplate, 48 pp.; 48) W.J. Turner, English Music (1945), VG/G, 48 pp.; 49) Rhys Davies, The Story of Wales (1947, Third Impression), VG/G, 48 pp.; 50) Ian Richmond, Roman Britain (1947, First Edition), VG/G, 47 pp.; 51) C.V. Wedgwood, Battle Fields in Britain (1944, First Edition), G, 48 pp.; 52) Guy Paget, Sporting Pictures of England (1945, First Edition), VG/VG, 48 pp.; 53) Sean O'Faolain, The Story of Ireland (1946, Second Impression), VG/G, bookplate, 48 pp.; 54) Harry Roberts (British Rebels and Reformers (1942, First Impression), G/G, 48 pp.; 55) Elizabeth Bowen, English Novelists (1947, Second Impression), G/G, gift inscription, 48 pp.; 56) S.H.F. Johnston, British Soldiers (1944, First Edition), VG/VG, 48 pp.; 57) R.M. Lockley, Islands Round Britain (1946, Second Impression), VG/VG, 48 pp.; 58) Bernard Darwin, British Clubs (1947, Second Impression), G, 48 pp.; 59) G.M. Young, The Government in Britain (n.d., but appears to be a reprint), G/G, bookplate, 48 pp.; 60) R.M. Lockley, Islands Round Britain (1946, Second Impression), VG/VG, 48 pp.; 61) Bernard Darwin, British Clubs (1943, First Edition), VG/VG, 48 pp.; 62) A. Croxton Smith, British Dogs (1945, First Edition), VG/VG, 48 pp.; 63) W.J. Turner, The English Ballet (1946, Second Impression), 48 pp.Member, I.O.B.A., C.B.A., and adherent to the highest ethical standards. Additional postage may be required for oversize or especially heavy volumes, and for sets.