VAL BIRO COLOUR "ROUGHS"
  Val Biro (also known as B.S.Biro and Biro) designed and illustrated dustjackets for over 3,000 books during the period from 1946 - 1970s, including first editions for CS Forester, Nevil Shute, Tennessee Williams, H.E.Bates, Nigel Tranter, John Dickson Carr, Margery Lawrence, Anthony Buckeridge, and hundreds of others.
  As soon as Val had been sent a manuscript for a new book, he produced a "rough" design in colour on paper, in the same size as the proposed dustwrapper.  Occasionally more than one rough was done to satisfy the publisher before Val went ahead with the finished artwork on artboard.  Offered for sale below are over 700 of the original "roughs", all signed.
  The finished artwork is available (at the higher price indicated!) for those roughs where shown.

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Ref Author Title Publisher Year Price £ Fin. art £
A1001 Albrand, Martha Desperate Moment Chatto & Windus   45.00  
A1002 Albrand, Martha Wait for the Dawn Chatto & Windus 1954 45.00  
A1003 Allison, ES Kiwi at Large Robert Hale 1961 45.00  
A1004 Allison, ES Kiwi Vagabond Robert Hale   45.00  
A1005 Allum, Tom The Secret of Shivering Sand Hutchinson 1960 45.00  
A1006 Almedingen, EM The Ladies of St Hedwigs Hutchinson 1965 45.00  
A1007 Almedingen, EM Too Early Lilac Hutchinson 1975 45.00  
A1008 Ames, Francis That Callahan Spunk! Ward Lock 1965 45.00  
A1009 Anderson, John Redwood Almanac and Other Poems MacDonald 1956 45.00  
A1010 Anstey, F Vice Versa (1st was 1882)     45.00  
A1011 Anthony, Evelyn Anne of Austria     45.00  
A1012 Anthony, Evelyn Charles the King pbk   45.00  
A1013 Anthony, Evelyn Clandara Hurst & Blackett   45.00  
A1014 Anthony, Evelyn Far Flies the Eagle pbk   45.00  
A1015 Anthony, Evelyn Far Fly the Eagles Hurst & Blackett 1955 45.00 350.00
A1016 Anthony, Evelyn Imperial Highness pbk   45.00  
A1017 Anthony, Evelyn The Heiress     45.00  
A1018 Anthony, Evelyn Valentina Hurst & Blackett 1966 45.00  
A1019 Anthony, Evelyn Victoria pbk   45.00  
A1020 Armstrong, Thomas King Cotton Collins 1947 45.00  
A1021 Armstrong, Warren The Collins Story Robert Hale 1957 45.00  
A1022 Aten and Orrmont Last Train Over Rostov Bridge Cassell   45.00  
A1023 Atiyah, Edward The Donkey from the Mountains Robert Hale   45.00  
A1024 Atiyah, Edward The Eagle Flies from England x 2 Robert Hale   45.00  
A1025 Ayres, Ruby M April's Day MacDonald   45.00  
A1026 Baber, Douglas Love on the Verge Heinemann   45.00  
A1027 Baber, Douglas My Death is a Mockery Heinemann   45.00  
A1028 Baber, Douglas Where Eagles Gather Heinemann 1954 45.00  
A1029 Baker, Frank Talk of the Devil Angus & Robertson 1956 75.00  
A1030 Ballantyne, David A Friend of the Family     45.00  
A1031 Ballantyne, David And the Glory     45.00  
A1032 Ballantyne, David The Cunninghams     45.00  
A1033 Ballantyne, David The Last Pioneer     45.00  
A1034 Bank, Ted Birthplace of the Winds Robert Hale 1957 45.00  
A1035 Bark, Evelyn No Time to Kill Robert Hale 1960 45.00  
A1036 Barker, RE Tendency to Corrupt Cassell 1957 45.00  
A1037 Barnett, David The Mask of Siam Robert Hale 1959 45.00  
A1038 Barren, Charles Eighty North Robert Hale 1960 45.00  
A1039 Barren, Charles Greenbury Hill Robert Hale   45.00  
A1040 Barren, Charles Jamestown Robert Hale   45.00  
A1041 Bates, HE The Feast of July x 5 Michael Joseph 1954 250.00  
A1042 Bates, HE The Nature of Love Michael Joseph 1955 75.00  
A1043 Baumbach, Werner Broken Swastika, the defeat of the Luftwaffe x 2 Robert Hale 1960 45.00  
A1044 Beamish, Noel de Vic A Royal Scandal Robert Hale   45.00  
A1045 Beamish, Noel de Vic Lady Beyond the Walls Robert Hale 1956 45.00  
A1046 Beamish, Noel de Vic Shadows of Splendour Robert Hale   45.00  
A1047 Beamish, Noel de Vic The Adorable Ninon de Lenclos Robert Hale   45.00  
A1048 Beamish, Noel de Vic The Blooming of the Rose Robert Hale   45.00  
A1049 Beamish, Noel de Vic The Grafting of the Rose Robert Hale   45.00  
A1050 Beamish, Noel de Vic The King's Bastard Robert Hale   45.00  
A1051 Beamish, Noel de Vic The Quest of Love Robert Hale   45.00  
A1052 Beamish, Noel de Vic The Sign of the Beast Robert Hale   45.00  
A1053 Beamish, Noel de Vic The Unfortunate Queen Matilda Robert Hale   45.00  
A1054 Beamish, Noel de Vic The Wayward Wench Robert Hale   45.00  
A1055 Beamish, Noel de Vic Venetian Lady Robert Hale   45.00  
A1056 Bean, Amelia The Vengeance Trail Hamish Hamilton   45.00  
A1057 Beaty, David The Proving Flight Secker 1956 45.00  
A1058 Becker, Peter Path of Blood Longmans 1962 45.00  
A1059 Becket, Lavinia A Pawn for the Condesa Robert Hale   45.00  
A1060 Becket, Lavinia The Gentleman in Irons Robert Hale   45.00  
A1061 Bedford, John, Duke of A Silver Plated Spoon Cassell 1959 45.00  
A1062 Beeby, Otto The Lovely and the Damned Robert Hale   45.00  
A1063 Behrend, Arthur Unlucky for Some x 2 E&S 1955 65.00  
A1064 Bell, Leslie Bella of Blackfriars x 2 Odhams 1961 65.00  
A1065 Bennett, Dorothea Under the Skin x 2 Arthur Barker 1961 65.00  
A1066 Berg, Leila Andy's Pit Pony (1st) Brockhampton 1958 45.00  
A1067 Berg, Leila Andy's Pit Pony (reprint) Brockhampton 1980 45.00 350.00
A1068 Bhattacharya, Bhabani Music for Mohini Angus & Robertson 1959 45.00  
A1069 Bickers, R Townshend Ginger Lacey - Fighter Pilot Robert Hale   45.00  
A1070 Bickers, R Townshend The Savage Sky Robert Hale 1961 45.00  
A1071 Bickers, Richard Townshend Scent of Mayhem Robert Hale   45.00  
A1072 Bickers, Richard Townshend The Hellions Robert Hale   45.00  
A1073 Bigland, Eileen Marie Corelli, The Woman and the Legend Jarrolds 1953 45.00  
A1074 Bigman, Sidney Not by the Hair of My Chinny Chin Chin WH Allen 1968 45.00  
A1075 Bishop, WJ The Early History of Surgery Robert Hale 1960 45.00  
A1076 Blackstock, Charity Dream Towers - pencil rough Hodder 1981 25.00  
A1077 Blackstock, Charity Jamie Hodder   45.00  
A1078 Blackstock, Charity Mr Christopoulos Hodder 1963 45.00  
A1079 Blackstock, Charity People in Glass Houses Hodder 1975 45.00  
A1080 Blackstock, Charity The Briar Patch Hodder 1960 45.00  
A1081 Blackstock, Charity The Middleman Hodder   45.00  
A1082 Blackstock, Charity The Shadow of Murder Hodder 1959 45.00  
A1083 Bloom, Ursula A Roof and Four Walls     45.00  
A1084 Bloom, Ursula Parson Extraordinary Robert Hale   45.00  
A1085 Bloom, Ursula Requesting the Pleasure Robert Hale   45.00  
A1086 Bloom, Ursula Rosemary for Chelsea Robert Hale 1971 45.00  
A1087 Bloom, Ursula Rosemary for Frinton Robert Hale   45.00  
A1088 Bloom, Ursula Rosemary for Stratford-on-Avon Robert Hale   45.00  
A1089 Bloom, Ursula The Great Tomorrow Robert Hale 1971 45.00  
A1090 Bloom, Ursula The House of Kent (+pencil rough)     45.00  
A1091 Bloom, Ursula The Mightier Sword     45.00  
A1092 Bloom, Ursula The Romance of Charles Dickens Robert Hale   45.00  
A1093 Bloom, Ursula The Turn of Life's Tide Hutchinson   45.00 350.00
A1094 Bodsworth, Fred The Strange One Longmans   45.00  
A1095 Bohan, Edmund The Writ of Green Wax Hutchinson 1970 45.00  
A1096 Boileau, Ethel The Box of Spikenard Hutchinson 1973 45.00  
A1097 Boileau-Narcejac Heart to Heart Hamish Hamilton 1959 45.00  
A1098 Bone, Edith Seven Years Solitary Hamish Hamilton 1957 45.00  
A1099 Bourdet-Pleville, Michel Justice in Chains Robert Hale 1960 45.00  
A1100 Bourne, Peter And Bay the Moon Hutchinson 1975 45.00 350.00
A1101 Bourne, Peter Fall of the Eagle Hutchinson 1967 45.00  
A1102 Braddock, Joseph Some Greek Islands Robert Hale 1967 45.00  
A1103 Bridges, Anthony Scapa Ferry Peter Davies 1957 45.00  
A1104 Bridges, Yseult Poison and Adelaide Bartlett Hutchinson 1962 45.00  
A1105 Brinton, Henry An Ordinary Day Hutchinson 1959 45.00  
A1106 Brinton, Henry Ill Will Hutchinson   45.00  
A1107 Brinton, Henry Now Like to Die Hutchinson   45.00  
A1108 Brinton, Henry One Down and Two to Slay Hutchinson   45.00  
A1109 Brinton, Henry Rude Awakening Hutchinson   45.00  
A1110 Brittain, Vera Lady into Woman (+ pencil rough) Dakers 1953 45.00  
A1111 Bromige, Iris A Distant Song     45.00 350.00
A1112 Bromige, Iris Rough Weather Hodder   45.00  
A1113 Bromige, Iris The Broken Bough Hodder 1973 45.00  
A1114 Bromige, Iris The Happy Fortress     45.00 350.00
A1115 Bromige, Iris The Paths of Summer Hodder 1979 45.00  
A1116 Brophy, John The Nimble Rabbit Chatto & Windus 1955 45.00