WODEHOUSE, P.G.; William TOWNEND (illustrator). The White Feather.

Illustrated by Wodehouse’s School Friend

WODEHOUSE, P.G.; William TOWNEND (illustrator). The White Feather. London: Adam & Charles Black. 1907.

8vo. Publisher’s orange pictorial cloth illustrated in black, brown, and white (illustration to upper board after plate facing p. 72), title within gilt cartouche to spine; pp. [8], 284; 12 black-and-white plates by William Townend including frontispiece; spine rubbed, spine ends bumped, slight wear to corners; slight spotting to prelims and to fore-edge of textblock; else very good; 1911 ownership inscription of H.E. Palmer to front pastedown, later ink ownership inscription to front free endpaper.

First edition in book form, first issue, without the advertisements at rear as issued.

The second school story set at Wrykyn, and again one that first appeared in serialised form in The Captain. This time, boxing is the focus helping provide redemption for the central character who has been accused of cowardice. Although a white feather became a symbol suggesting cowardice in the First World War, its potency was recognized much earlier, featuring in a 1902 book by A.E.W. Mason, The Four Feathers. The story was first serialised in The Captain from October 1905 to March 1906, with illustrations by Wodehouse’s old school friend William ‘Bill’ Townend (1881–1962), and published in book form on 9 October 1907. This first issue was published without the advertisements at the rear, present in later issues.

Provenance: From the collection of eminent Wodehouse authority and collector Tony Ring, former President of the International Wodehouse Association and former editor of Wooster Sauce. The H.E. Palmer whose 1911 ownership inscription appears to the front pastedown is perhaps the linguist Harold Edward Palmer (1877–1949), pioneer in the field of teaching English as a second language and founder of the Institute for Research in English Teaching.

Mcllvaine A8a.

SKU: 2126280