English Poetry; A Catalogue of First & Early Editions of the English Poets from Chaucer to the Present Day, John Hayward - interesting provenance of William St Clair, Robin Skelton & Geoffrey Keynes, 1947. William Blake interest.

English Poetry; A Catalogue of First & Early Editions of the English Poets from Chaucer to the Present Day. Exhibited by the National Book League at 7 Albemarle street, London, 1947. Compiled by John Hayward.

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Provenance; from the library of the late William St Clair (1937 - 2021), British historian, academic and author. The book is signed by him to the inside front cover, along with an inscription detailing the provenance of the book, as follows.... 

It was presented to Robin Skelton, the Canadian academic, writer and poet by Geoffrey Keynes, British Surgeon, bibliophile and author, who was an authority on William Blake. St Clair notes that the bookplate on the inside cover is a copy of an engraving by Blake, which was personally struck off by Keynes from the plate. William St Clair purchased the book in Toronto, and Keynes has signed the first free endpaper with a presentation inscription to Skelton.

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Published for the National Book League, Cambridge University Press, 1947. First edition.

A good paperback exhibition guide with printed blue card wraps. With cover wear, light soiling and a few nicks and losses to extremities. Text is clean, bright and soundly bound. The Blake engraving and its provenance lifts the status of this book considerably.

Text in English.

x + 141pp.

Weight approximately 270g .

Approx Dimensions: 248mm high x 185mm wide x 9mm deep.