Woman with a Fan, 1922 (w/c on paper), Etienne Adrien Drian (1885-1961) / Private Collection / © DACS /
William Somerset Maugham was an English playwright, novelist and short story writer, hugely successful for his biting descriptions of the social milieu in Paris, the Riviera, and London in the Edwardian era.
Lily Richards from Random House explains that the previous covers for Maugham, featuring b/w photography, were looking a little tired and that they were looking for a striking set of colourful designs that would work together across many titles as Maugham was such a prolific writer.
Since the subject matter largely concentrates on the foibles of high society, fashion plate inspired illustration from the era was chosen as a theme.
"A fantastic resource for fashion illustraton & art deco designs"
Over ten of the covers feature images sourced from the Bridgeman archive. Lily has since reported that they have been an enormous success, boldly standing out amongst the book displays and catching the eye of the trade press, leading to increased sales for the author's work.
Images selected include works by George Barbier (1882 - 1932), one of the great French illustrators of the early 20th century. In the mid 1920s he worked with Erté to design sets and costumes for the Folies Bergère and regularly illustrated books.
View all the tiles in the Vintage Maugham range
Vintage Maughum display at Waterstones bookshop, London, UK