SHAW, Bernard. Everybody’s Political What’s What? London: Constable. 1944. 8vo. First edition. Publisher’s deep red cloth lettered in gilt to spine, in the dust jacket. An exceptional copy, fine in like unclipped dust jacket with a few minor bumps at spine head.

From the library of Ernest and Catherine Hill. Ernest ‘Ern’ Hill RBSA (1873-1960) was a Birmingham-born artist who took a particularly interest in both the Arts & Crafts movement and in Cornwall as scene. His first exhibition was with RBSA, two Newlyn studies in 1900, thus coming from the same Newlyn school made famous by various Birmingham artists, though he is not considered an original Newlynite. His mastery of his medium - usually watercolour - and interest in the Arts & Crafts movement eventually offered him a role as Headmaster at Birmingham’s prestigious Bournville School of Art and Crafts, serving in that role while occasionally exhibiting for many years. He was married to Catherine, a children’s illustrator and artist in her own right, and the books here are often gifted to one another and usually with some degree of romanticism - see inscriptions. Catherine was close friends with Dorothy Cadbury, the British botanist and once-director of Cadbury’s, the chocolate firm. Some books are dedicated to the couple from Dorothy.