by Michael Down & Derek West
Foreword by John Arlott
A volume in the MCC Cricket Library series
Boundary Books with Collins Willow and MCC, 1990. Full leather, all edges gilt, ribbon marker, marbled end-papers, slip case. Limited Edition of 150 copies signed by the authors. This was the first publication by Boundary Books and we were delighted to have the support of MCC and Collins Willow. The book included a catalogue raisonné of the works of JC Anderson, probably the most impressive and prolific of the mid-19th century cricket artists - John Arlott in his foreword describes his work as "the pinnacle of popular cricket art". In the period just before photography he produced fine portraits of the leading players of the day - such great names as Wisden, Fuller Pilch, George Parr, Alfred Mynn etc. In the book I traced the history of the lithographs and their place in cricket illustration through the ages while Professor Derek West wrote wonderful brief biographies of the players which concentrated on their characters and achievements.
"Some books, by their appearance, their layout, their very feel, are immediately attractive and, to the bibliophile, eminently desirable. This new addition to the MCC Cricket Library is one such" - The Cricketer International
"This elegant volume . . . is an exceptional piece of scholarship, the reproductions are beautiful" - Wisden Cricket Monthly
"Any readers familar with the previous works of Michael Down and Derek West will know what to expect from this stylishly produced book which is an artefact of no little beauty; a fine standard of scholarship; an understanding of cricket's history; an appreciation of character; a punctilious attention to detail . . the quality of both reproductions and text is uniformly high. The whole is a pleasure to handle and study" - Cricket Society Journal
"Most generously illustrated, much of it in colour, it does the artist honest justice and is linked with a sound knowledge of cricket . . . it has some admirable anecdotes. It is a book of atmosphere and most handsomely reproduces what is probably the finest popular art the game has spawned" - John Arlott in Wisden
