Item #45043 Birds And Beasts In Africa, and The Angler In South Africa. Robert BADEN-POWELL, BENNION, ertie.

Birds And Beasts In Africa, and The Angler In South Africa.

London: Macmillan and Co, and Johannesburg: Hortors Ltd, 1938 and 1923. Pair of Baden-Powell association copies, with a letter of authenticity from the scout association: 1) The Angler In South Africa. Inscribed "To The Chief Scout" by H.V. Marsh, the Assistant Commissioner of Natal during Baden-Powell's trip to South Africa in 1926. Octavo, pp.190. Bound in publisher's gray cloth over card boards, titles in black to upper and spine. With 34 photographic plate illustrations, and a fold-out appendix of fish, where they can be found, and what baits are most suitable for catching them. Binding shows some bumping to spine ends, case slightly shaken, spine sunned, rear joint showing a little gauze. Internally clean, with no signs of spotting. Marsh's ink inscription appears on the front flyleaf. 2) Birds and Beasts In Africa. Inscribed to "Miss Southey" from Baden-Powell, in thanks for work done for him in Nyeri, 1940. Octavo, pp.169. Bound in publisher's cream cloth, recased with top of spine laid down, black stamped African figure and titles in red to upper, titles in red to spine. Illustrated with colour frontispiece, seven other colour plates, and numerous in-text black and white illustrations. Cloth binding is a little tanned, with some bumping to corners. Internally clean, minor tanning to prelims, Baden-Powell's ink inscription to half title. An extraordinary pair of volumes, given to and given by Lord Robert Baden-Powell, adventurer and founder of the Scouts. H.V. Marsh was a prominent figure in the South African Scout movement, so much so that in 1963 the South African Scout Association founded the "The H V Marsh Award for Scout Journalism". The letter which accompanies the two volumes, from the Scout Association Archives, describes The Angler in South Africa as 'a most appropriate book' – because 'if [Baden-Powell] had a spare moment during his busy life he liked to fish'. Without wishing to speculate too far, since Baden-Powell addresses Birds And Beasts In South Africa simply to "Miss Southey", there are several potential candidates amongst the descendants of Sir Richard Southey (1808-1901), first Treasurer and then Colonial Secretary in Natal. The dating of the gift is also interesting as Baden-Powell was to die in Nyeri the following year, in 1941. By this time, Nyeri had become associated with the Happy Valley set, which included Lady Idina Sackville, the infamous Jock Delves Broughton, and a number of other aristocrats. Item #45043

Price: £1,200.00

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