Mervyn Peake — Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor

London, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1945. Cloth. The first colour edition of this eccentric early Peake production, combining an anarchic pirate story with Peake's vibrant illustrations, complete with the original unclipped dust wrapper. In the publisher's original cloth binding.  Complete with the original unclipped dust wrapper.  Second edition; the first colour edition. The work was originally published by "Country Life" in 1939 with monochrome illustrations; many copies of that first edition were subsequently destroyed in a warehouse fire. For this edition, Peake reworked the presentation in colour, producing the mixture of yellow, pink, blue and other tinted pages seen here.  'Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor' follows the titular captain and his crew abroad the Black Tiger, as they capture a small humanoid known in the tale as the Yellow Creature. Written and illustrated by Mervyn Peake, an English author who is best known today for his 'Gormenghast' books. He also illustrated editions of 'Hunting of the Snark', 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner', 'Brothers Grimm', 'Treasure Island', and 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde&apos. This edition is illustrated throughout in a bright yellow in Peake's iconic style. In the publisher's original cloth binding. Light bumping to extremities. One or two very minor marks to boards. In the original illustrated dust wrapper, with light age-toning, soiling with one or two faint marks. Light edge wear and rubbing resulting in one or two very minor chips, closed tears, and creases, more so to spine ends. Internally generally bright and clean, with one or two spots and light creases. Near Fine . Ill.: Mervyn Peake. Near Fine/Near Fine.