Gibbons (Stella) Cold Comfort Farm, first edition, author's own copy, signed by her on title, with inscription to her husband "For my Darling Allan, first September 1932" to front free endpaper, and additional inscription dated 1972 with accompanying original sketch by Francis Marshall laid down to rear endpaper, some light scattered spots to first and last few pp., contemporary blue half morocco, t.e.g., spine gilt in compartments, upper joint broken, spine lightly faded, 8vo, 1932.

⁂ A wonderful association copy of Gibbon's satiric rural novel.

Specially bound for Gibbon while her late husband Allan Webb was a member of the Book Collector's Club. The first inscription is to Allan, and another later inscription accompanies a sketch by Francis Marshall (1901-1980, fashion illustrator and dust-jacket designer), "I saw and liked his jacket for Barbara Cartland's 'We Danced All Night,' & he sent me the rough sketch for it when I wrote offering to buy the original. When I wrote sending him an annotated copy of CCF he sent me this drawing in return, I'd said he probably wasn't old enough to remember Fanny Ward". Marshall was a renown fashion illustrator in his own right, and his sketch of Fanny Ward - a contemporary American actress - probably references the various mentions of her in the novel. The three dated notations from 1932, 1972, and 1985 attest to this well-loved and often re-visited copy belonging to the author.