Shipwreck

London: Jonathan Cape, 1974 . First edition. Cloth. Fine/Very Good Indeed. 8.5" by 10.5". The Gibsons of Scilly. An exceptionally bright first edition of this fascinating collection of photographs of shipwrecks on the coast of the Isles of Scilly, signed by Fowles, and with descriptive passages from him. The first edition, first impression of this work, with Fowles's signature pasted to the front free endpaper.In the publisher's original price unclipped dust wrapper.This fascinating work combines the photography of the Gibson family with the descriptive text of John Fowles. Four generation of the Gibson family of Scilly, beginning with John Gibson in 1860, captured the last moments of ships of various sizes on the coast of the isles, prior to their shipwreck.Fowles sets these images in their historical and psychological perspective, providing information of each ship in its final days.A wonderful signed work by Fowles, the renowned British novelist of works positioned between modernism and postmodernism, best known for 'The French Lieutenant's Woman', 'A Maggot', and 'The Collector'. In the publisher's original cloth binding, with price unclipped dust wrapper. Externally, fine. Dust wrapper lightly age toned to back strip and wrap perimeters. Signed bookplate to front free endpaper. Internally, firmly bound. Pages clean and bright. Fine