Panorama of Port Elizabeth (limited leather de luxe edition with dustjacket; 1971)

The author, Eleanor Lorimer, moved to Port Elizabeth in 1956 on her appointment as the first director of the city's King George VI Gallery. She was also chairman of the Port Elizabeth Historical Society and the organiser of a major exhibition on the 1820 Settlers.

Her book, which she had been planning for several years, is one of the finest tributes to any major South African city. Its xi + 196 pp of monochrome-illustrated text, bibliography, chronology, "South African firsts in Port Elizabeth" and index are enhanced by seven inserted colour plates of works by Thomas Bowler, Thomas Baines, Samuel Daniell, W Harries and others.

A wealth of illustration is provided by 146 maps, photographs and sketches. These were the work of many photographers and artists - the latter including Tony Grogan and the author herself - and they came from private as well as public collections, including museums and libraries in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and various South African cities.

The pink dustjacket is printed in blue on all five faces and a reproduction of a colour plainting is tipped in on the front cover. The inside is discoloured in register with the brown calf spine. There are a few chips at the extremities of the dustjacket as well as a small unclosed tear at the spine.

Apart from a touch of wear to the upper corner of the top board, the covers are in perfect condition, and the binding is tight. There is a small ownership label on the front paste-down but the plain white endpapers are unmarked and bright, as are the rest of the contents, including the plates.

This is a very attractive copy of a major, yet popular, South African history.