Posted by DickCallum on February 17, 2004 at 15:16:34 from 212.137.57.41 user DickCallum.
In Reply to: Re: Sketch of Scarab posted by DickCallum on February 16, 2004 at 11:07:08:
A few people have asked about the origins of the picture of the launching of Scarab........
Arthur Ransome prepared the manuscript and drawings and sent them to Jonathan Capes, who forwarded them to their printing works. The printing works was hit by a bomb (this was during WWII remember!)which destroyed the originals of several of the pictures, including this one, AR drew replacements for all of them except this one, which was changed to the familiar plan of Scarab we have in P&M. The small plates for the thumbnails on the sleeve had already been made, which is how the picture survived.
I first noticed that this picture was missing, as a full size illustration, in the early 70's and have been intruiged by it ever since, due to the fact that it shows Nancy, Peggy and Dick's faces so clearly, and also a good clear look at the Scarab.
I was a bit worried about those faces as the thubnail is very fuzzy and I could not see the fine detail, but whilst I was doing the drawing I was suprised to find that the faces almost drew themselves, and for this reason I feel pretty sure that thay are correct!