Thanks for helping me with this! I'm in love with this italic used on a book spine in the 1940s.

The book publisher was HEINEMANN.  But I don't think this was a company style.

Any idea what it might be? 

Allegro seems to have been the inspiration.

Strange that the slip cover to this edition sets the title in Bodoni Ultra and the author's name in Caslon, but the spine is a modified Allegro. I do like the contrast between the light violet of the slipcover and the gold of the boards/cloth binding, however.

 

Thanks both! 

Yes, the contrast doesn't quite work, does it? I think that the case binding has dated better.