The Queen of Spades. Engravings in Colour by A. Alexeieff. Preface by Prince D. Sviatopolk-Mirsky.. This item is unavailable.The Queen of Spades. Engravings in Colour by A. Alexeieff. Preface by Prince D. Sviatopolk-Mirsky.

216/225 COPIES (from an edition of 285 copies), printed on Rives Vellum paper, title-vignette and frontispiece, 6 tail-pieces and 9 larger wood-engravings printed in a variety of colours, pp. 110, 4to, original quarter vellum and black buckram, lettered in gilt to backstrip and upper board, some natural discolouration to the vellum, slight lean to pine and minor rubbing at extremities, t.e.g., others untrimmed, very good. The colophon identifies this as the first edition to present a 'full English version of the original text', a translation undertaken by J.E. Pouterman and C. Bruerton. The wonderful wood-engravings are by the Russian artist and filmmaker Alexandre Alexeieff, based in Paris; in the 1930s, he made notable experiments in animated film, including with his invention of the écran d'épingles (pinscreen). In these, as in his book-illustration, which included an edition of Poe's 'Fall of the House of Usher', he evinces an ability to handle dark themes. The first book of the short-lived Blackamore Press, which produced sumptuous editions of works in translation, amounting to eight title in the two years of its existence; it was founded by the wealthy Russian emigrée Flora Solomon (née Benenson) - who would later play a significant role in shaping Marks & Spencer's human resource policies and had links to Kim Philby - with her countrymen Pouterman and Mirsky as business manager and literary editor respectively.…