THE VICAR OF WAKEFIELD.
Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. Pp. 232, 12 coloured plates (frontispiece with tissue guard), the title and title page vignette printed in red, black & white text illustrations; cr. 4to; rebound by Bayntun Riviere in navy morocco, the spine lettered and decorated in gilt compartments between raised bands, boards with double gilt rule borders, gilt edges and dentelles; a.e.g.; marbled endpapers; within navy cloth slipcase, faintly marked; the original gilt lettered and decorated dark green cloth (including the backstrip) bound in at end; a little light foxing and very occasional slight soiling; George G. Harrap & Company Ltd., London, 1929. First trade edition. Riall p. 170; Latimore & Haskell p. 65. *With an original Arthur Rackham pen & ink drawing (with pink watercolour highlights) on the half-title page verso, inscribed Myrtle Oldershaw with all best wishes Arthur Rackham 10.7.31. The drawing is of an old lady surprised by a bespectacled jack-in-the box. Riall (p. xvi) notes that Harrap commissioned Rackham to add an original watercolour to a very small number of some of his books from The King of the Golden River onwards - but that was from 1932 on, and although such drawings were sometimes captioned, they were not specifically executed for named individuals. Item #128030
Price: $6,000.00