I have a confession to make. Two weeks ago I didn't know who John O'Connor was. I probably should have done: a pupil of Ravilious and Nash, an illustrator of books and magazines with a fondness for lissome youths in woodcut format! But it is the way of these things that the universe throws things at you or, put another way "you wait two hours for a bus then three come along at once."
So last week I was blogging that I had bought a couple of artist proofs of O'Connor's work and how happy I was to have them. Then I was working at The London International Antiquarian Book Fair and the lovely people from York Modern Books opposite us had a beautiful Whittington Press book full of O'Connor's work that I was able to peruse and to see the details of the images that I had as my engravings. And then blow me down if yesterday I'm not clearing books from a lady's attic and discover the book above sitting on the top of a box showing the back cover which is another reproduction of one of the images I bought last week... so, three come along at once. Not only that, but it is a completely charming book with these full page woodblocks in a colour and black each accompanied by a reminiscence about growing up in the country. Enchanting stuff...
