LONDON.- Cecil Higgins Art Gallery and Bedford Museum today announce the acquisition of an unpublished, illuminated manuscript by acclaimed British artist and illustrator Edward Bawden (1903-1989). Entitled A General Guide to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Spring and Easter 1923, the beautifully illustrated manuscript is designed as a mock-up guide book to Kew Gardens , a favourite haunt of the artist. A pencil inscription indicates that this manuscript was the artist’s first book. The rare work has been purchased with help from membership charity the Art Fund and the V&A Purchase Grant Fund. A General Guide to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Spring and Easter 1923 comprises 23 pages worked with watercolour, graphite, bodycolour, drawing ink, and printed text collaged together on edge-gilt pages. It was purchased for £30,000 towards which the Art Fund and the MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund each gave £10,000. The Trustees of