The Good Citizen's Alphabet Bertrand Russell Illustrator: Franciszka Themerson [Near Fine] [Hardcover]

Description

Small quarto. 170mm x 215mm. Red cloth. Titles in blue to spine. No inscriptions or blemishes, about fine condition. The jacket is unclipped (8s 6d net). Only minor edge wear, slightly faded to spine, mild grubbiness to rear panel. A very good bright clean copy. Bertrand Russell [1872-1970] philosopher, mathematician and public intellectual. This is, as can be imagined, one of his lighter works and the introduction implies that the great man had a lively sense of humour. 'L' for example is 'Liberty; the 'right to obey the police'. 'V' is for 'Virtue. Submission to the government. 'X' is for Xenophobia. The Andorran opinion that the inhabitants of Andorra are the best'. The illustrations - line drawings on a colour field - by Franciszka Themerson [1907-1988] are firmly in the post-war, European, avant-garde tradition as might be expected from this Polish emigre to England, who, with her husband, Stefan had founded the Gaberbocchus Press (the name is the Latin version of 'Jabberwocky') in 1948. Amongst the illustrations is a portrait of Russell under 'P' for Pedant. The Press' publications were often experimental in content and format. They published over sixty titles and were an important part of the British avante-garde publishing scene.