The art of Albert Namatjira. (First edition, presentation copy inscribed by Mountford for Croll; with a Lionel Lindsay ALS to Croll re. Namatjira)

Foreword by R. H. Croll. Melbourne : Bread and Cheese Club, 1944. First edition. Quarto, papered boards with gilt lettering, in the pictorial dust jacket (edge worn, chipped at spine ends and corners); pp. 79, illustrated with b/w and colour plates; a highly significant presentation copy, inscribed on the front free-endpaper by the author for Robert Henderson Croll: ‘To R. H. Croll, a fellow lover of the simple courteous dark folk of the “Centre,”, and its great solitudes. C. P. Mountford’; with Croll’s ownership signature to the title-page; loosely enclosed are a number of contemporary newspaper cuttings relating to this landmark publication (these have caused some offsetting to front endpaper), and a Lionel Lindsay autograph letter signed (Wahroonga, 26 April 1944), addressed to Croll, thanking him for sending a copy of this book and discussing Namatjira’s work (4 pp. octavo, accompanied by the original mailing envelope).