Anzac Memorial
Sydney, Returned Soldiers Association [of New South Wales] (and printed by William Brooks and Company), 25 April 1916 [first quarto edition].
Quarto, 242 (first blank) pages with decorative gilt borders throughout, with 3 illustrations, 22 pages of plates (from photographs) and an original full-page watercolour by Will Donald on page 114 (a head-and-shoulders portrait, captioned 'Anzac').
Original blind-tooled morocco, signed 'M Bamberger'; all edges gilt; covers unevenly sunned and slightly worn; early binder's blank lacking; plates slightly tanned; a few minor signs of age and handling; an excellent copy overall.
Number 5 of only 50 copies of the superb 'Royal Edition', with an original watercolour of an Australian light horseman by Will Donald. This edition - produced for presentation to the King, the President of the French Republic, the President of the United States, and the kings of Allied Nations - was enlarged to quarto format and printed on Whatman paper with gilt borders around the text, and initialled by the editor in his characteristic purple ink. The attractive Art Nouveau craft binding is by Molly Bamberger, one of several designs featuring Australian flora that we have seen on examples of this edition. The main difference between the octavo and quarto formats is the absence of advertisements in the latter (60 pages). The illustrations are the same as in the octavo editions, with the exception of the small image of HMS 'Queen Elizabeth' (on page 224 of the octavo editions); however, the placement of some of them has changed. The text is substantially the same, but partially reset to accommodate the larger format. The dustwrapper to a later edition of the 'Anzac Memorial' provides a contemporary appreciation of Will Donald's artwork. These 'Boys of the Anzac Breed.... typical heads of Men of Anzac ... the most characteristic and artistic representations of Australian soldiers'. The 'Anzac Memorial', published to mark the first anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, includes a Roll of Honour of New South Wales soldiers and sailors from 4 August 1914 to 15 February 1916; a Gallery of Honour (28 portraits); soldiers' stories of fighting at Gallipoli and Papua, contributions from fifty distinguished men and women and literary writers of Australia and New Zealand (48 pages); and more. The illustrations include scenes of Gallipoli from original photographs by returned soldiers. Not in Dornbusch (but see 204-207 for other editions); Fielding and O'Neill, page 239 (1917 edition only).
Item #145239
Price (AUD):
$7,500.00