Posted by Geraint_Lewis on May 16, 2011 at 08:54:43 user Geraint_Lewis.
In Reply to: Re: Book Dedications posted by Rob Boden on May 16, 2011 at 05:20:58:
"To the four" & "to the six":
There is evidence that the original dedication was going to be "to the four". Stephen Spurrier prepared such a dedication which (along with all his other illustrations) was never used. As it happens this particular piece of Spurrier's original artwork will be on display in the forthcoming "Imagination and Reality: the Art of Arthur Ransome" at Brantwood, Coniston, from this Friday until September 4 (along with examples of AR's original artwork and sketchbooks, on loan from the Brotherton Collection and Abbot Hall archives). So if you're in the Lakes this summer, you can go and check it for yourself. "Imagination and Reality" is being jointly organised by the Arthur Ransome Trust and Brantwood Trust anf you can find full details here:
http://www.arthur-ransome-trust.org.uk/news/imagination-and-reality-the-art-of-arthur-ransome/
When the dedication finally appeared in SA, it had changed to read "to the six".
My guess is that the original four were the Altounyan children (minus Brigit). I suspect that AR changed this to six in order to include their parents - in other words, as a diplomatic move to secure the maximum goodwill when the First Edition arrived in far-off Aleppo. This is a bit harsh on Brigit, but sounds like the most plausible explanation to me.