The Soviets and Ourselves. Three Volumes: Landsmen and Seafarers by Maurice Lovell, two commonwealths by K.E. Holme, how do you tovarish? By Ralph Parker. 64; 64; 64 pp. Each illustrated throughout with colour isotype diagrams and black-&-white photographs. 8vo., 229 x 165 mm, bound in publisher’s cloth with original photomontaged dust-jackets, one by John Heartfield, on by A. Kroll the other uncredited. London: George G. Harrap, [1945-1947].
First Editions. A complete set of this fascinating document of a fleeting moment in twentieth century history. The three volumes utilize Otto Neurath’s ‘Isotype’ diagrams to compare and contrast Soviet and British culture at the end of the Second World War in hopes of building an ongoing alliance. Each volume deploys colourful pictorial diagrams mixed with highly air-brushed photographs, evocative of the elaborate Soviet books of the 1930’s. The dust-jacket of Landsmen and Seafarers is the work of John Heartfield. Chips with some loss to the head of two of the dust-jackets spines, however the images are intact and they are internally fine.
