Birrell & Garnett Ltd (London)

Eleven catalogues (22 or 25 cm), in the publisher’s printed wrappers, as issued. - In 1924 Graham Pollard (1903-1976) bought from the writer David Garnett (1892-1981) his share in Birrell and Garnett, entering into a partnership with the journalist Francis Birrell (1889-1935), and Ralph Wright. In 1927, the business was reorganised as a limited company, with Jane E. Norton (1893-1962), the bibliographer of Gibbon, as chairman, and Pollard as managing director; Frances Marshall (later Frances Partridge) was secretary. Pollard’s bibliographic interests were English literature, the history of the newspaper, and early printing, especially writing books; Norton’s were economic theory, and social conditions of the early nineteenth century. The company went into voluntary liquidation in March 1939. “The numbering of the Birrell & Garnett catalogues is eccentric. A complete set should contain 45 catalogues. The type specimen catalogue is unnumbered but occupies the position of 21. There is no catalogue numbered 36. The cookery catalogue, which should have been 36, was numbered 37 by mistake. Economic Theory, is also numbered 37. There are also two numbered 44, Newspaper Catalogue and Books and some Autograph Letters.” (Esther Potter, “Graham Pollard at work” in The Library, sixth series, volume 11, 1989, p.311 note 12). ¶ Some wrappers dust-soiled; staples rusted.