Costumes by Nathan

Nathan, Archie

Published by Newnes, London, 1960

About this Item

Very good condition overall, the blue boards clean and sound with only light shelf wear at the extremities, the binding tight and square, and the interior pages bright and unmarked. The Strube cartoon frontispiece remains crisp and charming. The dust jacket is good?rubbed and edgeworn with a few small chips, as is common for this title?but still complete and now protected in a removable archival sleeve. Most striking is the laid-in autograph letter signed by Archie Nathan, written on his Panton Street letterhead and dated October 1960, in which he sends this very copy as an advance Christmas greeting on the book?s publication day. The letter adds an unmistakably personal, theatrical provenance?exactly the sort of behind-the-scenes ephemera collectors rarely encounter.

First edition, first printing of Nathan?s spirited memoir, a richly illustrated history of two centuries of British theatrical costuming, enlivened by period photographs, line drawings, and a striking jacket design by Doris Zinkeisen. As the head of a storied theatrical costume firm, Nathan writes with the authority and wit of a man who dressed everyone from G&S patter men to Music Hall headliners. The laid-in signed letter transforms this copy from a solid first edition into a piece of mid-century stage history with real personality?in effect, a small archival artifact from London?s theatrical world. An especially appealing copy for collectors of theatre history, costume design, and British show-business lore.

From the personal library of Tony Walton (1934?2022), Academy Award? and multiple Tony Award?winning stage and costume designer, celebrated for his imaginative work in stage and film.

Seller Inventory # TW1054

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Costumes by Nathan
• Publisher: Newnes, London
• Publication Date: 1960
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Printing: 1st Printing
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Tony Walton Estate ? Theatre Design