FIGURES AND FIGUREHEADS

First edition, first printing. Including three holograph letters from the author and a compliments slip. Original red cloth lettered in gilt to the front panel. Upper edge gilt and trimmed, the remainder untrimmed. Frontispiece showing a detail from a painting of Charles X of France by F. Gérard; three further plates (all with tissue guards). A very good copy, the binding square and firm, the contents clean except for a number of notes in pencil made by the enclosed letters' recipient, Dr Eric St John Brooks, who later reviewed the book in the TLS, and "p. 9" in ink to the upper corner of the front free endpaper. The spine is faded, the cloth, front and rear slightly mottled and faded to outer edges. Light offsetting to the front free endpaper.

Robert Taylor Skinner (1867-1946), Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Society of Antiquaries in Scotland, spent most of his working life teaching mathematics, first at George Watson's College in Edinburgh and then, from 1899, at Donaldson's Hospital, a residential and day school in Linlithgow for the deaf and those with communication difficulties, where he later became House Governor, living in rooms there. He was also active as a historian and antiquarian, publishing seven books in all. 'Figures and Figureheads', his final book, was issued a year before he retired from the school and contains, among its essays, one on the history of the Donaldson's, marking the centenary of its founder, James Donaldson's death. The volume itself, like its author, is remarkably varied, including essays on history, travel, architecture, and literary figures (suitably idiosyncratic essays on Stevenson and Southey). "The pretext for giving permanent form to the contents of the present volume is that they contain material collected [...] by prolonged research", he states in the Preface. This copy includes, loosely laid in, three letters written in black ink on Donaldson's Hospital headed paper, the first (1st April 1932) is addressed simply to the editor of the Times Literary Supplement. Three months earlier, Skinner had sent a copy of his book to the journal and had received no reply (or review) and the letter politely enquires whether the copy arrived (the printed compliments slip here, dated January 1932, must have accompanied the book). The letter elicited a quick reply (not present here) from Eric St John Brooks (1883-1955). Skinner's next letter (6th April) thanks Brooks for his letter and goes on to explain that 300 copies of the book were printed and he now just has one copy (his own) left. The final letter (also 6th April) is a postscript to the previous one, noting the addition of a cutting concerning his previous book (also not included here). Brooks' review appeared in the April 21st issue of the TLS (a copy of the brief review is included). The rear pastedown retains Brooks' notes for the review (the connection between notes and review is clear).