Published to mark the 60th anniversary of Penguin books in 1995, this book covers the period of Penguin's history while it was under the direct control of Sir Allen Lane. Penguin Portrait is not a formal history of Penguin, nor a biography of Allen Lane and other Penguin editors. It is a collection of letters, telegrams, and memoranda to and from Penguin staff (among them Allen Lane, Bill Williams, Eunice Frost, A.S.B. Glover and E.V. Rieu), Penguin authors (such as George Orwell, Bernard Shaw, Robert Graves, Dorothy L. Sayers, Niklaus Pevsner and John Wyndham) and Penguin readers.
These are grouped around particular people, books or series of books, and themes. The latter include such things as the role of Penguin during the war, the almost numerological care with which series numbers such as 100 were allocated, the problems finding a good illustration of a triffid, mistakes and misprints, the expansion of Penguin to Australia and the United States, run-ins with censorship (notably the trial resulting from the publication of Lady Chatterley's Lover), and all kinds of other topics.
This copy belonged to designer John Miles (purchased from his family in 2025). It has been signed and dedicated to him by author Steve Hare.
Condition grading: Good. Some marks to page edges as shown. Very light foxing to both covers. Some bumping to top of spine. Light creases down spine. Two small marks to front cover shown. Binding tight. The photographs form part of the description.
Published to mark the 60th anniversary of Penguin books in 1995, this book covers the period of Penguin's history while it was under the direct control of Sir Allen Lane. Penguin Portrait is not a formal history of Penguin, nor a biography of Allen Lane and other Penguin editors. It is a collection of letters, telegrams, and memoranda to and from Penguin staff (among them Allen Lane, Bill Williams, Eunice Frost, A.S.B. Glover and E.V. Rieu), Penguin authors (such as George Orwell, Bernard Shaw, Robert Graves, Dorothy L. Sayers, Niklaus Pevsner and John Wyndham) and Penguin readers.
These are grouped around particular people, books or series of books, and themes. The latter include such things as the role of Penguin during the war, the almost numerological care with which series numbers such as 100 were allocated, the problems finding a good illustration of a triffid, mistakes and misprints, the expansion of Penguin to Australia and the United States, run-ins with censorship (notably the trial resulting from the publication of Lady Chatterley's Lover), and all kinds of other topics.
This copy belonged to designer John Miles (purchased from his family in 2025). It has been signed and dedicated to him by author Steve Hare.
Condition grading: Good. Some marks to page edges as shown. Very light foxing to both covers. Some bumping to top of spine. Light creases down spine. Two small marks to front cover shown. Binding tight. The photographs form part of the description.
