Antiquarian The Queen’s Gift Book – First World War Charity Book, 1915

The Queen’s Gift Book – First World War Charity Book, 1915

In Aid of Queen Mary’s Convalescent Auxiliary Hospitals for Wounded Servicemen

A wonderfully evocative piece of First World War social history, this original 1915 copy of The Queen’s Gift Book was published by Hodder & Stoughton to raise funds for Queen Mary’s Convalescent Auxiliary Hospitals for soldiers and sailors who had lost limbs during the war. Far more than simply an illustrated antique book, it is a tangible reminder of the enormous social and human impact of the First World War and of the charitable effort that developed around the rehabilitation of wounded servicemen.

Published in 1915, the first edition was produced in pale blue cloth with dark blue lettering and Queen Mary’s crowned royal cypher to the front. The book comprises 160 pages and was originally illustrated with 12 tipped-in colour plates, together with numerous black-and-white illustrations throughout.

A remarkable collection of writers and artists

One of the great attractions of The Queen’s Gift Book is the extraordinary group of literary and artistic figures who contributed their work.

The foreword was written by John Galsworthy, whose involvement with the rehabilitation and welfare of disabled First World War servicemen extended considerably beyond this publication.

Literary contributions include work by:

J. M. Barrie, creator of Peter Pan

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, including Ypres, September 1915

John Buchan

Joseph Conrad

Jerome K. Jerome

Arthur James Balfour

E. F. Benson

Jeffery Farnol

Beatrice Harraden

Hall Caine

Neil Munro

“Sapper” – H. C. McNeile

and numerous other well-known writers of the Edwardian and First World War period.

The illustrations are equally noteworthy, with work by artists including Arthur Rackham, W. Heath Robinson, E. H. Shepard and William Russell Flint, amongst others.

The combination makes this an appealing book not only for collectors of First World War material, but also for those interested in literary history, illustration, royal memorabilia and British social history.

A personal story from wartime Yorkshire

What gives this particular copy an additional layer of history is the surviving presentation label pasted inside the rear board.

It reads:

“Lothersdale Church Sun. Sch.

Girls I

Fanny Riddiough

Jan 1. 1916”

and appears to carry the signature J. S. Griffiths.

Research into the village of Lothersdale in Yorkshire reveals that the Reverend J. S. Griffiths had moved from North Wales to become vicar of Lothersdale in 1912. He remained closely involved in village life and later recorded the meetings of the committee responsible for creating Lothersdale’s First World War memorial.

The inscription therefore appears to record this book being presented to Fanny Riddiough by Lothersdale Church Sunday School on New Year’s Day 1916, only a matter of months after publication and while the First World War was still very much being fought.

It is this small handwritten detail that makes the book particularly poignant. A charitable publication created to help servicemen who had suffered life-changing injuries was being given as a Sunday-school prize in a Yorkshire community at precisely the same moment that families across Britain were living through the consequences of the conflict.

For us, that is where the real appeal of this copy lies.

The colour plates – important condition information

A complete copy of The Queen’s Gift Book was issued with 12 tipped-in colour plates, including the royal portraits.

This example retains 10 of the original 12 colour plates, and the surviving plates are in good condition.

Two plates are absent:

The portrait of Queen Mary, originally forming the frontispiece, and

The portrait of King George V.

The original mounting pages for both are still present, making the omissions immediately identifiable. We have deliberately photographed these areas and mention them clearly so that there is no suggestion that the book is complete.

Among the surviving plates is the handsome portrait of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, together with the striking wartime illustration “Woman” after W. Hatherell showing a wounded soldier supported by a nurse alongside a child.

Condition

This is an authentic 110-year-old First World War book and carries considerable evidence of its age and use.

The original blue cloth-covered boards remain present with the title, royal cypher and charitable dedication clearly visible. There is rubbing, fading and discolouration to the cloth, particularly around the spine and extremities, together with surface marks and general handling wear.

Internally there is age-related toning, foxing and occasional staining and marking. The 10 surviving tipped-in colour plates remain in good condition.

As detailed above, the Queen Mary and King George V plates are missing.

The handwritten January 1916 Sunday-school presentation label remains firmly attached and forms an important part of the book’s provenance rather than being regarded by us as a condition fault.

Please study all photographs carefully as they form an important part of the description.

Why we love it

Sometimes an antique book is interesting because of its binding, its author or its illustrations. This one tells a much broader story.

It connects the Royal Family, some of the most important writers and illustrators of their generation, wounded First World War servicemen, early rehabilitation medicine and, finally, one young girl receiving a Sunday-school book in a small Yorkshire village on 1 January 1916.

That wonderful combination of national history and an individual human story makes this an especially evocative piece of British wartime ephemera.

Date: 1915

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton, London

Edition: First edition

Binding: Original blue cloth hardcover

Pages: 160

Illustrations: Numerous black-and-white illustrations plus 10 of the original 12 tipped-in colour plates remaining

Provenance: Lothersdale Church Sunday School presentation label, Fanny Riddiough, 1 January 1916

Condition: Antique condition with age-related wear, foxing and marking; two colour plates absent as fully described.