ORIGINAL ARTWORKS GIVEN TO JULIA MACRAE ON THE OCCASION OF HER 50TH BIRTHDAY AND THE 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF JULIA MACRAE BOOKS

A remarkable presentation of 23 original artworks in various mediums on paper or card, loose sheets in a card folder which is housed in a quarter leather solander box with "Julia Macrae 23 December 1984" in gilt on the spine. Artworks have been contributed by Raymond Briggs, John Lawrence, Anthony Browne, Nancy Tafuri, Harold Jones, Ann Jonas, Alice and Martin Provensen, Ron Maris, Arnold and Anita Lobel, Holly Keller, Lenore and Erik Blegvad, Byron Barton, Gavin Rowe, Charles and Florence Martin, Juan Aruego and Ariane Dewey, Janet Rawlins, Valerie Littlewood and Juliet and Charles Snape. A few pieces have a little rubbing and slight creasing at the edges, they are otherwise in fine condition, remaining clean and bright and without loss. Also included are eight pages of hand written and typed birthday wishes from Macrae's friends. The solander box is in near fine condition, with just a little fading at the spine and the top edge of the leather on the front panel.

Julia Macrae was a highly influential, significant figure in children's publishing who was instrumental in the exposure and success of many beloved authors and illustrators such as Raymond Briggs, Alan Garner, Anthony Browne and Michael Foreman. Early in her career she worked at Constable, Collins and Hamish Hamilton where she was eventually asked to join the board, making her one of the first women in publishing to achieve such a position. In 1979 she formed her own imprint 'Julia Macrae Books' which operated for 20 years and allowed her to freely exercise her keen instincts and tendency for risk taking, for which she was so well known (for example, whilst at Hamish Hamilton she championed Briggs' 'The Snowman' and 'Fungus the Bogeyman', which were viewed as perilously unconventional choices by fellow publishers at the time). She also formed connections with American publishers and authors, bringing new work from the USA to the UK for the first time. This wonderful collection of original artwork was created and collected in honour of both Macrae's 50th birthday and the 5th anniversary of the Julia Macrae Books imprint. The illustrations themselves are very beautiful, displaying the exceptional skill and flair typical of giants of the children's illustration industry such as Brown and Briggs, and the visual and textual tributes to Macrae (many of the designs are structured around birthday cakes, balloons and blackbirds, a symbol used by Julia Macrae Books) tell a warm story of a vibrant and pivotal era in children's publishing. A truly unique collection.