this book is one of the most beautiful books i've found while treasure-hunting. no wonder. it's written by whom i now know was a well-known artist who painted animals. he also illustrated and wrote books. most of his work were portraits of horses, dogs, cattle, and other wildlife, such as pheasants.
according to a list on goodreads, megargee wrote ten books and also illustrated six others, plus was a contributor to another book about horse-riding.
this first edition of "horses" was published in 1946. the hardcover has an extra wide, unique size.
this book is an amazing collector's item.
the book would make a wonderful gift for any horse-lover, art-lover, or even history-lover. if someone plays polo, loves horse-racing, or raises horses, the book is perfect for them.
because artwork and paintings by megargee sell for high prices, one might consider framing the horse art in this book to create stunning wall decor (or sell, if you happen to be a dealer). each of the illustrated pages show his artist signature or his initials.
the book contains 23 total pages of illustrations (counting the title page illustration), both color artwork and black-and-white artwork, as well as personal stories by megargee and detailed horse breed information. some of the pages have multiple illustrations on the page.
the book has no page numbers, but is 64 pages long, counting the blank last end page.
being written in the 1940s, note that it may contain potential non-politically correct material. example: one section is called "the indian pony," and another is "the circus horse." some may be offended by the hunting material. his versions of history and peoples reflect his own takes, being born in 1883 and dying in 1958.
topics contained in the book: "foreword," "the arab," "the thoroughbred," "steeplechasing," "thoroughbred breeding," "the race horse," "harness horses," "the hackney," "the morgan," "the standardbred," "trotting races," "polo ponies," "the polo pony," "polo--the game," "saddle horses," "saddle horse mares and foals," "portrait of a saddle horse," "the hunter," "hunting," "work horses," "belgian and shire," "percheron and clydesdale," "the circus horse," "western horses," "the cow pony," "the palamino," "the indian pony," "the broncho," "ponies," and "ponies and donkey."
only seven copies are for sale online in the u.s., with four others listed from the u.k. and australia. one of those is not a first edition (or the seller may have made a mistake reading the publication date). those for sale are listed at $39 up to $350. (i try to list my items with enough meat on the bone for dealers to still make a profit.) all of those listings are also charging shipping costs.
condition: the pages are slightly yellowed with age, with some slightly dirty places on the cover/pages, but all in nice condition for a book this old. the pages and corners aren't totally flawless, but in good shape, with no major markings or damage. the only major issue with the book is that the binding has now pulled loose from the cover, though all intact together and could be repaired by an expert. one page, however, has pulled away from others, but is still there and undamaged otherwise.
someone signed the inside first page of the book in ink pen. it looks to be something like "steve sheherd," though i can't make out the possible middle initial or last name.
please look through the many photos. you'll see exact condition of the front cover, back cover, and pages.
published by julian messner, inc./new york
size: about 12-3/4" wide/almost 10" tall (when the book is closed)
since this is a vintage item, sold as-is (i am careful to state/show everything, if anything erring on the side of overstating any issues, always wanting customers aware of issues and pleased with their purchases)
