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Ian Fleming [Richard Chopping] – Final Proof for Goldfinger Cover Art
£14,500.00
A rare, final proof for the novel Goldfinger by Richard Chopping.
The proof is believed to be one of fewer than ten copies and feature the iconic trompe l’oeil skull embedded with $20 gold coin eye sockets together with a rose stem beneath the skull’s teeth and is signed in pencil by Richard Chopping (1917-2008), who designed a number of James Bond first edition book covers. The proof is lighter in colour to the final dust wrapper artwork finally used by Cape. The piece was commissioned by UK publisher Jonathan Cape and is custom-framed in a light oak satin-wood frame.
“The Chopping jacket was a tremendous success, both in England and America, and from that day on he and I and Michael Howard of Cape’s have devised all the James Bond jackets, which have now become something of a hallmark with the book trade and have earned prizes for Cape’s.” Ian Fleming (1964).
Mr. Chopping felt so little warmth for Fleming that he sold his autographed copies of his books for a mere £1,000. But when the rare copies were later offered at auction in New York they raised a record £40,000. After years of disappointment about his most famous commissions, Mr Chopping had no hesitation about putting the publisher`s proofs on the market when they surfaced unexpectedly at his home in Wivenhoe in Essex.”I found them at the bottom of a drawer. What they are is progressive proofs, so there are sheets with different colours added, yellow, brown, red. This was before they used computers for printing.” Price includes VAT.
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- Description
Description
A rare, final proof for the novel Goldfinger by Richard Chopping.
The proof is believed to be one of fewer than ten copies and feature the iconic trompe l’oeil skull embedded with $20 gold coin eye sockets together with a rose stem beneath the skull’s teeth and is signed in pencil by Richard Chopping (1917-2008), who designed a number of James Bond first edition book covers. The proof is lighter in colour to the final dust wrapper artwork finally used by Cape. The piece was commissioned by UK publisher Jonathan Cape and is custom-framed in a light oak satin-wood frame.
“The Chopping jacket was a tremendous success, both in England and America, and from that day on he and I and Michael Howard of Cape’s have devised all the James Bond jackets, which have now become something of a hallmark with the book trade and have earned prizes for Cape’s.” Ian Fleming (1964).
Mr. Chopping felt so little warmth for Fleming that he sold his autographed copies of his books for a mere £1,000. But when the rare copies were later offered at auction in New York they raised a record £40,000. After years of disappointment about his most famous commissions, Mr Chopping had no hesitation about putting the publisher`s proofs on the market when they surfaced unexpectedly at his home in Wivenhoe in Essex.”I found them at the bottom of a drawer. What they are is progressive proofs, so there are sheets with different colours added, yellow, brown, red. This was before they used computers for printing.” Price includes VAT.
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