A Furness Sketchbook by Alfred Wainwright, Signed First Edition with Dust Jacket

Alfred Wainwright (1907 to 1991)—British fell walker, guidebook author and illustrator, best known for his seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, the standard reference work to the 214 fells of the English Lake District, which are now known as 'Wainwrights'. He also wrote and illustrated numerous other books on the Lake District, Scotland, Northern England and Wales including two of his other major works, Westmorland Heritage and Wainwright in Lakeland

Westmorland Gazette—(Founded in 1818) A British publisher which publishes the main weekly newspaper for the Lake District, but is probably best known as the publisher of books by Alfred Wainwright. They were the publishers all but one of of Wainwrights books from 1964 (with the publication of The North-Western Fells) to the last Sketchbook (the Peak District Sketchbook, which was the last ever Wainwright book containing new illustrations) in 1984. Wainwright in Lakeland, although originally published by Abott Hall, was printed by The Westmorland Gazette and published by them in a later edition. Walks from Ratty is the only true exception, published by Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Company. The first printing was printed by the Westmorland Gazette (this later changed to Titus Wilson), but they never actually acted as the publisher. Note on identifying first editions: The Westmorland Gazette had no consistent system for identifying first editions. Most Pictorial Guide Series books have an impression number printed in them if they are later printings, although this practice seems to have been abandoned some time in the 1980s. First editions of other books can only be identified by reference to specific points on a book by book basis, with the published price being a common issue. Lists of other books in print found at the start of many titles were rarely updated after the early to mid 1970s and provide almost no assistance in identifying editions.

Sketchbook Series—The most numerous of Alfred Wainwright's series consisting of landscape format sketchbooks, in a larger size than his earlier Pictorial Guide Series, and containing pen-and-ink drawings with full page drawing on the recto with commentary and a map or outline on the verso. Similar to, but in a slightly smaller format than, the Mountain Drawings Series with generally with slightly more commentary. The series contains 23 books. The first book was originally published in 1969 and the last book was originally published in 1984

The first of two sketchbooks of scenes in the Furness area, each in the usual format of drawings on the recto, with map and commentary on the verso.

Full page illustrations include : 'Brathay Hall', 'Skelwith Force', 'Slater's Bridge', 'Little Langdale', 'The Coniston Fells', 'The Coniston Fells, From Lingmoor', 'The Summit of Coniston Old Man', 'Dow Crag', 'Wray Castle', 'Windermere Ferry', 'Moss Eccles Tarn', 'Esthwaite Water', 'A Corner of Hawkshead', 'The Old Courthouse, Hawkshead', 'Tarn Hows, Looking Northeast', 'Tarn Hows, Looking Northwest', 'Yewdale', 'The Tiberthwaite Valley', 'Low Tiberthwaite', 'Tiberthwaite Gill', 'Coniston Hall', 'Banishead Quarry', 'Brantwood', 'The Theatre in the Forest, Grizedale', 'Satterthwaite Church', 'Force Falls Rusland', 'Graythwaite Hall', 'Lake Side Windermere', 'Newby Bridge', 'Finsthwaite Tower', 'High Dam, Finsthwaite', 'Backbarrow', 'Haverthwaite Railway Station', 'Coniston Water', 'High Nibthwaite', 'The Farmers Arms, Lowick', 'Woodland Church', 'Green Moor Farm, Woodland', 'An Old Bloomery, Woodland', 'The Duddon Valley', 'Birks Bridge', 'Seathwaite', 'The Newfield Hotel, Seathwaite', 'The Summit of Stickle Pike', 'Duddon Bridge', 'The Duddon Estuary', 'Broughton –In-Furness', 'Broughton Tower', 'Kirkby Moor Quarries', 'Plumpton Hall', 'Plumpton Bight', 'Hoad Hill, Ulverston', 'Ulverston Canal', 'The Parish Church,Ulverston', 'Market Street, Ulverston', 'The Trustee Savings Bank, Ulverston', 'Swarthmoor Hall', 'Conishead Priory', 'Great Urswick', 'Urswick Church', 'Aldingham Hall', 'Aldingham Church', 'Dalton Castle', 'The Parish Church, Dalton –In- Furness', 'Furness Abbey', 'Gleaston Castle', 'Rampside Sands', 'Rampside Hall', 'Roa Island', 'Piel Island', 'The Town Hall, Barrow-In-Furness', 'Ramsden Square, Barrow –In-Furness', 'Duke Street, Barrow-In- Furness', 'Buccleuch Dock, Barrow-In- Furness' and 'Walney Channel'.