Drawing, one of 72, in a volume by Paul Rotha entitled 'A Book of No Importance'. Great Britain, 1926.

One page from a book of 72 pages containing 28 numbered drawings, a book plate, title page, contents page, etc. The book is in paper bound card covers. The drawings are mainly pen, ink and wash, and the cover is a colour block print with a stencilled title. Dated 1926 on the title page.

Paul Rotha has described this book as 'a book of pen and ink drawings for 'A History of Hats' which was never published. There have been reproductions of some of these but these are the originals'. It was a proposed publication by Robert Holden in 1928. The manuscript is in the collection of the University of California, LA.
The dedicatee is most probably Phillipa (Pip) Gee. The UCLA library has a small collection of Rotha's drawings and manuscripts as well as his film archive. They have three diaries written in 1926 whcih indicate that Rotha was very much involved Gee who lived in a house called Montrose. Two illustrations in this book are inscribed 'Paolo Count Rotha to Phillipa de Montroisy', and there is also an equestrian portrait of her labelled as 'Phillipa countess of Montroisy'. Listed on the contents page but not drawn is 'Le Mannequin de Montroisy', p. 30.
The reference no. for the UCLA material is #200 Box 64.

E.1049:44-1983