The House of Commons (Britain in Pictures series, No. 117)

First edition, first impression.  48pp, with eight colour plates and 20 monochrome illustrations.  Red printed paper-covered boards with white lettering and illustration.  8vo.  Boards moderately rubbed at corners and spine ends, a little shelf worn, with some minor chipping on extreme edges.  Two previous owner’s inscriptions inked on the front free endpaper, one dated 1947 and one dated 2023.  A little strip tanning on first and last few leaves otherwise internally neat, clean and tight.  In its original dust wrapper, rubbed all round edges and around a heavily sunned spine, lightly shelf worn and a little toned on verso.

The Britain in Pictures series provided sympathetic insight into British social history in the second world war period. These attractive, slim volumes were produced to be affordable and readable, with the aim of boosting morale and national pride by celerating elements of national identity and promoting national cohesion.