Hammond, Alex — The Book of Chessmen

London, Arthur Baker, 1950. Hardcover. Beige linen with gilt lettering and brown chess image; maroon dj with bw image and lettering; 160 pp. with bw images. Signed. A tour of chessmen, describing and illustrating as many as possible of the known and recognized (at the time) varieties, amounting to some 200, designed to flatter the ostentatious vanity of princes. Full of anecdote and lore. Works of art in themselves, these are pictured and described, and there is a lengthy section of essay material. Signed by the author from the Burlington Arcade, London, in 1950. VG, clean and tight; museum ex-lib. bookplate inside front cover; dj is chipped and has a few small pieces missing from top of spine, lower front cover and upper back cover .