Pigeon Post

Ransome, Arthur

Published by London Jonathan Cape 1936, 1936

About this Item

First edition. 384 pages. Inscribed by the author to the half-title page: "Richard Kelsall from Arthur Ransome with many thanks for his most helpful collaboration. Nov. 10. 1935.". The recipient of the book was Dick Kelsall (Richard Hope Kelsall (1922-2015)). The Kelsall family lived near the Ransomes and the two families were friends. The Kelsalls made several notable contributions to the plots of the Swallows and Amazons novels: a code system was developed between the two households, which was used in 'Winter Holiday'. The two Kelsall children, Dick and Desmond served as models for some of Ransome's drawings, and most pertinently in this instance, as referenced in the inscription, Dick Kelsall constructed a real version of the pigeon alarm invented by his namesake in the novel (shown in the illustration "How Dick made the pigeons ring a bell"). The book is quite firmly bound in somewhat marked, bumped and rubbed dark green cloth, lettered in gilt. The text block is age toned, slightly marked and foxed, with slight cracking at points. The dust jacket is the original and not price clipped, it is quite heavily rubbed, marked, torn and chipped, with archival tissue repairs to the reverse. It is preserved in a green cloth covered drop-back box, lettered in gilt to the edge, the box is lightly rubbed and marked. An important association copy of the sixth title in the series, in which Ransome coined the memorable phrase: "A pigeon a day keeps the natives away.".

Seller Inventory # 7215

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Pigeon Post
• Publisher: London Jonathan Cape 1936
• Publication Date: 1936
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)