The First Six Months are the Worst (1939, signed first edition)

Signed by Harold F Hutchison, author & London Tube Map designer

Author

Publisher

Printing Details

First edition, first printing. Hardback in dustwrapper. 23 × 16cm, 126pp.

This copy signed and dedicated by Harold Hutchison to the ffep, and also with a handwritten letter from Hutchison to the same recipient loosely inserted. The letter is dated 1939 and was sent from Hutchison's home of Flint Cottage nr High Wycombe. Harold Frederick Hutchison (1900–1975), London Transport’s Publicity Officer from 1947 to 1966, and was famed for sacking Harry Beck and removing Beck's popular map of the London Underground, replacing it one of his own design (it wasn't popular and didn't last!). However, whilst the publicity officer, he oversaw the design of several posters for London travel by noted artists including David Roberts, Edward Bawden, Abram Games and Tom Eckersley. He was the author of several historical works, and a well-known book on Transport posters. There's not a great deal of information on this particular title and is possibly his first book.

Harold Hutchison's witty book on babies, "it is an intimate and shameless study of those first few months from the wetting of the first napkin to the cutting of the first tooth". Illustrated with drawings by James Fitton (who had also designed posters for London Transport).

Condition

The book is in good condition, clean pages and secure binding but with a slight lean to the spine. The dustwrapper is sunned to the spine and rear, has several small closed tears to the edges and some spotted foxing. However, it appears to be an uncommon title, and particularly so signed.

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