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Hand-Picked Howlers
Cecil Hunt, illustrations by Blampied
Horace Cecil Hunt was a journalist, editor, novelist and anthologist. He published his first book of 'howlers' in 1928 and his last in 1951. This is the first of three books of 'howlers' collected by Hunt that were illustrated by Edmund Blampied. Here are some examples:
Louis XVI was gelatined
Philosophy means being able to explain why you are happy even when you are poor
Marsupials are poached animals
Additional 'howlers' were published in 14 issues of The Sketch, a weekly news magazine, between December 1937 and June 1938. Each of these issues contained four 'howlers', each illustrated by Blampied except for one issue which only had three illustrations. These additional 'howlers' will be recorded in a web page for The Sketch.
First edition
Bibliography code: MET-37.1.i
Publisher: Methuen Publishers, London
Series: none
Year: 1937
Format: 4to
Pages: vi; half title, pp 55, 20 ununmbered pages, bound in
Binding: white printed boards with same illustration as on the dust jacket
Size: 203 x 139 mm
Dust jacket signed: no
Internal illustrations: Decorated endpapers, decorated title page, 20 illustrations in sepia bound in, plus 34 line illustrations on the numbered pages, none signed
Price: 3 shillings 6 pence
Printing history: From third edition: First published October 28th 1937; Second edition, December 1937
Printed by: Butler & Tanner Ltd, Frome and London
Notes: The third edition gives the printing history.
Autographs of author and illustrator (click to enlarge)
A second edition of Hand-Picked Howlers published in December 1937 is recorded in the third edition below, but it has not been seen. It is likley to be identical to the first edition, shown above.
Third and cheaper edition
Bibliography code: MET-37.1.ii
Publisher: Methuen Publishers, London
Series: none
Year: 1940
Format: 4to
Pages: vi; half title, pp 55, 20 ununmbered pages, bound in
Binding: white printed boards with illustration that does not appear in the book; title, author, illustrator, price and publisher on spine
Size: 184 x 124 mm
Dust jacket signed: no jacket
Internal illustrations: Decorated endpapers, decorated title page, 20 illustrations in sepia bound in, plus 33 line illustrations on the numbered pages, none signed
Price: 1 shillings 6 pence
Printing history:
Printed by: Butler & Tanner Ltd, Frome and London
Notes: Text
Cover of cheaper edition (click to enlarge)