[Original Art and Proof for]: The Enchanted Castle

Boston: Barry Humphries, 1951. Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. Original pencil and gouache artwork accompanied by two cover proof sheets and a first edition of the book. The art, which measures 20"x 26", is painted directly onto an illustration board with the spine panel painted separately and applied to the board. Near fine plus with a few rubbed spots, tape remnants, and ink marks. The two color cover proofs are near fine with a few creases, and the book is fine in near fine dustwrapper with a bit of wear at the extremities and some sunning to the spine. Neff (1902-1993) was a painter, muralist, illustrator, and printmaker who worked with the Treasury Relief Art Project and briefly served as Director of the Federal Arts Project in Cleveland in 1937. In addition to working as a commercial artist and book illustrator, he gained some national recognition as chairman of the Cleveland Ufology Project lecturing on UFO phenomenon and exposing fraud when he found it. While Neff is not credited on the published dustwrapper, as he is on the original art, the rear flap copy is entirely (and strangely) devoted to "The Decorative Jacket" with four paragraphs describing the joint effort made by the writer and artist to develop a compelling cover concept. The text explains that the illustration depicts the battle between good and evil as shown by "Satan's insidious attack on the vulnerable castle, supported by his host of red demons conjured up from the shadows" and "the Good Fairy's valiant defense, aided by her kindly elves born of the bright sunshine and blue sky" which have "identical counterparts in the flesh-and-blood characters of the modern mansion of the actual story." The art for an obscure but interesting book from an equally obscure but interesting artist, representing a much closer collaboration than is usually found between author and jacket illustrator. *OCLC* locates no copies of this book.