The Shaggy Dog Story Eric Partridge 1953 First Edition Illustrated
 
Title & Bibliographic Details
 
The 'Shaggy Dog' Story: Its Origin, Development and Nature (With a Few Seemly Examples)
By Eric Partridge
Illustrated by V. H. Drummond
Published by Faber and Faber Limited, 24 Russell Square, London.
Printed in Great Britain at The Bowering Press, Plymouth.
First published 1953 (MCMLIII).
This copy is a genuine first edition, first printing published by Faber and Faber in 1953. 
 
Historical & Bibliographic Context
 
This delightful and unusual volume explores one of the most curious forms of humour in the English-speaking world: the famous "shaggy dog" story.
Rather than being merely a collection of jokes, Partridge examines the origins, evolution, structure and psychology of this distinctive form of storytelling. The work combines literary criticism, folklore, humour studies and anecdotal examples, creating a fascinating study of an often-overlooked corner of popular culture.
Published in post-war Britain, the book reflects a period when humour and language were increasingly becoming subjects of serious scholarly study. Today it remains an entertaining and uncommon work sought by collectors of humour, folklore, linguistics and Eric Partridge's writings.
 
About the Author
 
Eric Partridge (1894–1979) was one of the twentieth century's most respected lexicographers and scholars of slang, language and word origins. He is best remembered for his pioneering dictionaries of slang and unconventional English, which remain influential reference works today. 
 
About the Illustrator
 
Violet Hilda Drummond (V. H. Drummond) was a celebrated British author and illustrator of children's books. Her humorous line drawings throughout this volume complement Partridge's text perfectly, adding visual wit and charm to the discussion.
Her illustrations contribute significantly to the book's appeal and collectability.
 
Binding & Exterior Description
 
Bound in the publisher's original blue cloth with gilt lettering to the spine.
The book retains its original unclipped dust jacket, which remains in pleasing condition for its age. The jacket is intact and displays only light wear, including gentle rubbing at the extremities, a few small marks and several very small edge tears.
The cloth binding beneath is robust and attractive, showing only light handling wear, including a few minor marks and very light rubbing at the edges.
Overall, this is an attractive and well-preserved example of a first edition retaining its original dust jacket.
 
Interior Condition
 
The pages remain notably bright for a book of this age.
There is light foxing and marking to the pastedowns and endpapers, together with faint remnants of pencil on the front free endpaper.
The text pages themselves are generally very clean and fresh, with only the occasional very small mark that does not affect readability. The pages remain predominantly uncreased.
There are no tears to the pages.
The binding is firm and secure throughout, with all pages tightly bound.
All 107 pages are present and have been carefully checked.
 
Physical Details
 
Pages: 107
Dimensions: Approximately 19.3 cm x 12 cm x 1.6 cm
Weight: Approximately 225 g