Somebody did a very thorough job collecting the published books of Ronald Searle. Forum Auctions, which offered the set yesterday, called the approximately two hundred volumes "The Complete Works of Ronald Searle" to which I might add only "or very nearly" out of an abundance of caution.
But rather than quibble, let's pause to admire the condition of all these books in their lovely dust jackets, the inclusion of some different editions—English, American, French, German—and the books by various authors whom Searle illustrated.
In addition, at least three of the books were personally inscribed by Searle. The most impressive of these, no doubt, is David Arkell's copy of Ronald Searle's Big Fat Cat Book (1982) inscribed in October of that year to his long-time journalist friend with a classic Searle cat.
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| Ronald Searle Forum Auctions listing accessed March 13, 2026 |
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Ronald Searle Forum Auctions item description |
April 12, 2026 Update: These books failed to sell at auction and were subsequently listed on AbeBooks by Picture This Gallery of Sunningdale, UK, with additional images. On the one hand, the asking price is considerably greater than the high estimate at auction. On the other hand, there is no buyer's premium to contend with. It remains an extraordinary collection.
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| Ronald Searle AbeBooks listing accessed April 12, 2026 |
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| Ronald Searle AbeBooks item description |
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