SHAW, George Bernard. Saint Joan – Inscribed Limited Edition for / Aislinn Dulanty / G. Shaw / Ayot Saint Lawrence / 28th August 1946.”.

London: Constable, 1924. Folio. pp. vi, 183. Quarter beige cloth over blue and white patterned boards, with paper title labels. Edition limited to 750 copies only. 16 tipped-in plates by Charles Ricketts (13 in colour). Inscribed on half-title: "Inscribed for / Aislinn Dulanty / G. Shaw / Ayot Saint Lawrence / 28th August 1946." Spine ends frayed and usual wear to board edges. Understandably, lacking the original dust wrapper. A very good copy.

Charles Ricketts, a distinguished artist, illustrator, and book designer, was part of the aesthetic movement and co-founder of the Vale Press. His refined sense of design and passion for beauty found a curious complement in Shaw’s sharp intellect, wit, and social commentary.

Ricketts designed stage sets and costumes for several of Shaw’s plays, most notably Saint Joan, which premiered in 1923. His designs for this production were praised for their historical accuracy and visual drama, aligning well with Shaw’s bold reinterpretation of the Joan of Arc legend.

Ricketts’s aesthetic sensibilities brought a richness to Shaw’s theatrical works, and Shaw, in turn, appreciated the depth and seriousness Ricketts brought to theatre design. Despite occasional differences, Shaw admired Ricketts’s dedication to art and craftsmanship. Their collaboration reflected the dynamic artistic climate of the early 20th century, where writers and artists often crossed paths to bring literature to life on stage with visual elegance and intellectual force.

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