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Laughton, L(eonard). G(eorge). Carr. Old Ship Figure-Heads & Sterns with which are associated Galleries, Hancing-pieces, Catheads and divers other Matters that concern the “Grace and Countenance” of old Sailing-Ships. London & New York, Halton & Truscott Smith + Minton, Balch & Co., 1925. In-4. XV, 281 pp. With

8  tipped-in  color  plates , 102  (30 full-page)  plate  illustrations

and 76 (19 full-page) text illustrations by Cecil King R.I. (1881-1942) and others. Navy-blue gilt orig. cloth. Gilt head edge, tail edge untrimmed.

No. 266/1500 copies. – Indices of subjects and ships. – The boards waterstained and faded at the outer longitudinal edge, the inner boards somewhat unfresh. Inside fine copy of this rare standard work printed in large typography on wide-margined paper.

The whole abundance of ship ornaments in all times, beginning in the Middle Ages over Tudor and Renaissance to Victorian and oriental styles, at the same time considering anything from the jutting out gilt carvings of head and stern galleries over rail , balustrades and ways up to lanterns , gun-ports , wales and other ornaments . In such a plenty as necessary for ship modelling and restoring as beautiful to look at .

“ … when (a man) comes to break new ground he will undoubtedly do well to remember the old rule that the more unusual the subject in hand, the more matter of fact should be his statement of it. The subject of this book, which is a history of naval architecture in its decorative aspect, is certainly unusual; and the statement of it is intentionally plain and matter of fact.

“ Further, as the subject is necessarily highly technical, no attempt has been made to avoid the use of the appropriate terms of art. The reader who starts in entire ignorance of the difference between a hair-bracket and a lower finishing need feel no alarm when those, and many other strange terms of shipwrightry, stare at him from these pages; for he will find them explained in the simplest and most pleasant of ways. As the terms involved are all names of concrete things, it seem best … to prefer the pen of the artists to that of the author …

“ It would not be possible to go very far in an enquiry of this nature without taking into account that of all things the ship is the most cosmopolitan … During the whole of the period of which we have authentic record it is found that the ships of nations in constant inter-communication tended to approach each other in type, such differences as remained being due chiefly to the local conditions of their own coast and harbours …

“ It will thus be found … that the great majority of the illustrations are unfamiliar and that most of the new light thrown on the process of evolution is drawn from material dug out from the records ”

(from the Introductory).

Offer no. 29,064 / EUR  430. / export price EUR  409. (c. US$ 494.) + shipping