The Changing Nation : A Contact Book : edit : A. G. Weidenfeld " London : Contact Publications Ltd. : 1947 : cover by John Farleigh
The fourth in the series of Contact Books that had begun in 1946 launched by George Weidenfeld and that were, through Contact Publications Ltd. the precursor to the publishers, Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Their origins as 'books' was somewhat down to a legal restriction on the launch of new magazine titles in post-war Britain, due to paper shortages. Weidenfeld was advised that by calling the publications 'books', even through they came out on a regular basis of around four per year, they could circumnavigate the magazine ban.
The Books are based on themes around current affairs and the arts and are considered to include some of the most interesting articles on the topics at the time; the editorial associates, contributors and illustrators read like a role call of British thinkers, commentators and political writers. This, issue four, is called "The Changing Nation" and includes articles on suburbia by Barbara Jones, the Metropolis in Transition by Hugh Casson, Marriage and divorce in post-war Britain by Mass-Observation and many more. Artists featured include Leonard Rosoman and John Farleigh who contributed the dust jacket, not often found on surviving copies.
The books also contain much in the way of contemporary advertising.
The Changing Nation : A Contact Book : edit : A. G. Weidenfeld " London : Contact Publications Ltd. : 1947 : cover by John Farleigh
The fourth in the series of Contact Books that had begun in 1946 launched by George Weidenfeld and that were, through Contact Publications Ltd. the precursor to the publishers, Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Their origins as 'books' was somewhat down to a legal restriction on the launch of new magazine titles in post-war Britain, due to paper shortages. Weidenfeld was advised that by calling the publications 'books', even through they came out on a regular basis of around four per year, they could circumnavigate the magazine ban.
The Books are based on themes around current affairs and the arts and are considered to include some of the most interesting articles on the topics at the time; the editorial associates, contributors and illustrators read like a role call of British thinkers, commentators and political writers. This, issue four, is called "The Changing Nation" and includes articles on suburbia by Barbara Jones, the Metropolis in Transition by Hugh Casson, Marriage and divorce in post-war Britain by Mass-Observation and many more. Artists featured include Leonard Rosoman and John Farleigh who contributed the dust jacket, not often found on surviving copies.
The books also contain much in the way of contemporary advertising.