Glasgow School - The War of the Axe by John Percy-Groves, Art Nouveau Cover by Ethel Larcombe for Blackie, 1904-1908

The War of the Axe, Adventures in South Africa by J. Percy-Groves, published by Glasgow-based publishers Blackie & Son. Three black and white illustrations by John Schönberg. The highly-stylized Art Nouveau cover design is attributed to leading Glasgow School artist-designer Ethel Larcombe, c.1904-1908.

In very good condition with minor age staining to the end papers. Has a presentation book plate dated 1928.

The War of the Axe was first published in 1887 by Blackie & Son. The novel follows the passage of the Surat Castle, a fine clipper barque which, left the London docks on a voyage to the Cape of Good Hope in early summer 1844 with a valuable cargo and several passengers, including a small draft of volunteers and recruits for the Saint Helena regiment. John Percy Groves (1850 –1916) was a British author, librarian, and soldier. Serving in the 27th Regiment of Foot (the Inniskilling Fusiliers), he later joined the Royal Guernsey Militia where he later rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He wrote stirring adventure stories and information books for boys, all with a military theme, as well as military history, mostly about the Scottish regiments.

Ethel Larcombe (1876-1940) was an early twentieth-century British children‘s book illustrator and designer. Her art nouveau styling was influenced by Edward Burne Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti and contains elements of Japonisme. She was a prolific winner of art and design competitions run by the influential The Studio magazine that was also instrumental in introducing the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. This brought her to attention of the Art Director at Blackie & Son, Talwin Morris, who commissioned her to design around twenty gilt book bindings for Blackie and its subsidiary The Gresham publishing company between 1904 and 1912.