We have you covered… again!  (See part one here)

Today’s book post features design covers and illustrations published between the 1920s and 2010s, courtesy of a generous donation of old books to TVTA!

What happened was this… an English teacher working in France was moving home and job, and before leaving she decided to give away a number of her old books. Finally, after a Pandemic-lockdown-observed-meeting outside the local park gates, two bags of wonderful books were handed over for the reading and scanning pleasure of those inside TVTA Towers – cue happiness 🙂

Some of the titles will be instantly recognisable, others obscure, some have been adapted for stage, film or television, but all are equal here in having interesting covers to bind their tales.

Enjoy your donated book!

Donated book TVTA spotlight!

The art of Salvationist illustrator Jim Moss

Luckily, Jim Moss signed all his illustrations ‘Moss’ or ‘M’ in the 1955 edition of Black River – a Salvationist produced novel written by Bernard Watson – making it fairly easy for me to track the artist down.

Jim was born in London in 1926, one of seven children. After serving in India and the Middle East during the Second World War, he studied at the Borough Art School in London for four years, taking his NDD course in Illustration. During his career as an illustrator he designed posters, book jackets, logos, and children’s books. Jim’s long-standing dedication to the Salvation Army saw him design the Bram cartoons which delighted generations of young Salvationists, and in 1987 he devised the Mutt & Bone cartoon series featuring two Salvation Army band musicians.

Mutt & Bone is drawn in a typical cartoon style, so it was interesting to see that Moss could turn his hand to more realistic illustrations, and with a darker tone, as seen by his work in Black River.

Below are the complete chapter illustrations from Black River. Moss goes uncredited but it is clearly his work, as identified by his signature and his association with the Salvation Army.

About Jim Moss

Author information from Amazon Books page for the 2002 book In Tune with Mutt & Bone states:

Jim Moss was born in London in 1926, one of seven children. In 1939, as war broke out, the family became scattered evacuees and 13-year-old Jim, with brother Pete, travelled to Reading, where they were billeted. Sent out of the house in all weathers, Jim and his brother one day took refuge in the Reading East Salvation Army hall opposite their billet. They were warmly welcomed and, said Jim, ‘great tolerance’ was shown as he struggled to play E flat bass in the young people’s band. Jim was in the military for four years during and just after the Second World War, serving in India and the Middle East. When demobbed, he was given a wonderful opportunity to study at the Borough Art School in London for four years, taking his NDD course in Illustration. His wide range of hand-skills enabled him to use many different kinds of medium – from pencil, pen and ink to scraperboard – to complete the brief and get the message across. He often said, ‘It’s not the drawing that’s the problem, it’s finding an original idea! After a long, exciting career designing posters, book jackets, logos, children’s books for many different clients, as well as the Bram cartoons which delighted generations of young Salvationists, in 1987 Jim devised the Mutt & Bone cartoon series. Jim was, in the Salvation Army phrase, ‘promoted to Glory’ in July 2001 and this book is an affectionate memorial to a well-loved figure who has helped The Salvation Army both look and laugh and sometimes ponder! Just as Jim would have wished, had he lived to see Mutt & Bone in book form, all profits from this book are being donated to The Salvation Army’s Ethembeni Children’s Home, Southern Africa, for the caring ministry of its HIV/Aids clinic.

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Thank you for looking at book covers and illustrations with us 🙂

All images scanned from donated books to TVTA.

Chip Kidd quote art courtesy of quotefancy.com