The Christmas Books. Being; A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life and The Haunted Man -
Charles Dickens, Charles Brock (illustrator)
1905-1907 - J.M. Dent and Co., London - First Editions to be Illustrated by Charles Brock in Colour
An attractive set of these classic seasonal tales, splendidly illustrated and presented in festive green and cranberry red bindings, all housed in a bespoke fleece-lined cloth slipcase with ribbon pull.
Beginning with A Christmas Carol when old, surly Ebenezer Scrooge receives a visit from the ghost of Marley, his late business partner, on Christmas eve, and he beholds a series of visions of the past, present, and future that make him decide to amend his ways…
‘After the success attained with A Christmas Carol in 1843 Dickens continued the series throughout the 1840s, maintaining what he called "the Carol philosophy" to "strike a sledgehammer blow" for the poor, uneducated, and repressed. In typical Dickens fashion he drove his message home with a mixture of humour and good cheer’. [David Purdue].
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Price HK$ 20,000
1905-1907 - J.M. Dent and Co., London - First Editions to be Illustrated by Charles Brock in Colour
An attractive set of these classic seasonal tales, splendidly illustrated and presented in festive green and cranberry red bindings, all housed in a bespoke fleece-lined cloth slipcase with ribbon pull.Beginning with A Christmas Carol when old, surly Ebenezer Scrooge receives a visit from the ghost of Marley, his late business partner, on Christmas eve, and he beholds a series of visions of the past, present, and future that make him decide to amend his ways…
‘After the success attained with A Christmas Carol in 1843 Dickens continued the series throughout the 1840s, maintaining what he called "the Carol philosophy" to "strike a sledgehammer blow" for the poor, uneducated, and repressed. In typical Dickens fashion he drove his message home with a mixture of humour and good cheer’. [David Purdue].
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Price HK$ 20,000
Snickerty Nick & the Giant - Inscribed -
Julia Ellsworth Ford, Arthur Rackham (illustrator), Witter Bynner
1933 - Suttonhouse, Los Angeles - Second Edition
A wonderful association copy of this children’s play inspired by Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Selfish Giant’, inscribed from the author to the legendary stage actress, producer, director, translator and author ‘Eva Le Gallienne, A brave woman who dared to carry out her ideals. In admiration from Julia Emsworth Ford. March 8th 1934, Hollywood Calif.’
Additionally with Eva Le Galliene’s fabulous engraved bookplate designed by the influential set and costume designer Waslav Richard Rychtarik (1894-1982), with a quote from her favourite Ibsen character, Hedda Gabler.
Illustrated by Arthur Rackham with three monochrome plates, and eight full page line drawings.
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Price HK$ 5,000
1933 - Suttonhouse, Los Angeles - Second Edition
A wonderful association copy of this children’s play inspired by Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Selfish Giant’, inscribed from the author to the legendary stage actress, producer, director, translator and author ‘Eva Le Gallienne, A brave woman who dared to carry out her ideals. In admiration from Julia Emsworth Ford. March 8th 1934, Hollywood Calif.’Additionally with Eva Le Galliene’s fabulous engraved bookplate designed by the influential set and costume designer Waslav Richard Rychtarik (1894-1982), with a quote from her favourite Ibsen character, Hedda Gabler.
Illustrated by Arthur Rackham with three monochrome plates, and eight full page line drawings.
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Price HK$ 5,000
The Wind in the Willows -
Kenneth Grahame, Ernest H. Shepard (illustrator)
1931 - Methuen &, London - First Edition with Shepard&rsquo
‘And you really live by The River? What a jolly life!’
‘By it and with it and on it and in it,’ said the Rat... ‘It’s my world, and I don’t want any other. What it hasn’t got is not worth having, and what it doesn’t know is not worth knowing.’
A superior example of the first edition to contain the classic and charming illustrations by Ernest Shepard, with his wonderful two page map endpapers at the front .
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Price HK$ 4,500
1931 - Methuen &, London - First Edition with Shepard&rsquo
‘And you really live by The River? What a jolly life!’ ‘By it and with it and on it and in it,’ said the Rat... ‘It’s my world, and I don’t want any other. What it hasn’t got is not worth having, and what it doesn’t know is not worth knowing.’
A superior example of the first edition to contain the classic and charming illustrations by Ernest Shepard, with his wonderful two page map endpapers at the front .
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Price HK$ 4,500
Green Willow and other Japanese Fairy Tales -
Grace James, Warwick Goble (illustrator)
1910 - Macmillan and Co., London - Edition de Luxe, one of 500 copies.
The deluxe edition of this lovely collection of tales and legends, many of them sourced from the Ko-ji-ki, or Record of Ancient Matters, which contains the mythology of Japan, selected and translated by the Japanese born Grace James (1882-1965) and beautifully illustrated with forty tipped-in colour plates by Warwick Goble, each one laid on brown card and with a descriptive tissue guard.
Stories include ‘Flower of the Peony’, ‘Green Willow’, ‘Tamamo, ‘The Fox Maiden’, ‘The Flute’, ‘The Moon Maiden’, and ‘The Wind in the Pine Tree’, among many others.
A superior example, housed in custom made two part tan morocco slipcase, with twin gilt labels.
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Price HK$ 20,000
1910 - Macmillan and Co., London - Edition de Luxe, one of 500 copies.
The deluxe edition of this lovely collection of tales and legends, many of them sourced from the Ko-ji-ki, or Record of Ancient Matters, which contains the mythology of Japan, selected and translated by the Japanese born Grace James (1882-1965) and beautifully illustrated with forty tipped-in colour plates by Warwick Goble, each one laid on brown card and with a descriptive tissue guard.Stories include ‘Flower of the Peony’, ‘Green Willow’, ‘Tamamo, ‘The Fox Maiden’, ‘The Flute’, ‘The Moon Maiden’, and ‘The Wind in the Pine Tree’, among many others.
A superior example, housed in custom made two part tan morocco slipcase, with twin gilt labels.
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Price HK$ 20,000
Collins Schoolgirls Annual -
Katherine L. Oldmeadow, Frances Cowen, V.M. Methley, S. G. Hedges and others.
Circa 1934 - Collins&rsquo, London and Glasgow
A bright copy in the rare dust jacket, with 38 stories for modern girls, memorable titles include The Cowgirl of Roaring Bull Ranch, Stella and the Stockings, What is Wrong with your Tennis?, and The Girls Do A Good Turn.
Profusely illustrated with five coloured and eight half-tone full page plates, together with colour and black and white vignettes throughout.
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Price HK$ 1,100
Circa 1934 - Collins&rsquo, London and Glasgow
A bright copy in the rare dust jacket, with 38 stories for modern girls, memorable titles include The Cowgirl of Roaring Bull Ranch, Stella and the Stockings, What is Wrong with your Tennis?, and The Girls Do A Good Turn.Profusely illustrated with five coloured and eight half-tone full page plates, together with colour and black and white vignettes throughout.
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Price HK$ 1,100
The Story of Ferdinand -
Munro Leaf, Robert Lawson (illustrator)
1936 - The Viking Press, New York - First Edition
A superior first edition of this high point in 20th century children's literature, in a better than usually encountered first issue dust jacket.
Ferdinand, the Bull who preferred to smell the flowers, quickly became popular, striking a chord of anti-fight in a world infected by war. Banned by Franco and burned in Nazi Germany. Translated into over 60 languages and made into an Oscar winning animated film by Disney in 1938.
‘Once upon a time in Spain there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand.’
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Price HK$ 55,000
1936 - The Viking Press, New York - First Edition
A superior first edition of this high point in 20th century children's literature, in a better than usually encountered first issue dust jacket.Ferdinand, the Bull who preferred to smell the flowers, quickly became popular, striking a chord of anti-fight in a world infected by war. Banned by Franco and burned in Nazi Germany. Translated into over 60 languages and made into an Oscar winning animated film by Disney in 1938.
‘Once upon a time in Spain there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand.’
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Price HK$ 55,000
The Pooh Books - When We Were Very Young; Winnie the Pooh; Now We Are Six; and The House at Pooh Corner -
A. A. Milne, Ernest H. Shepard (illustrator)
1924 to 1928 - Methuen &, London - First Editions
'Pooh looked at his two paws. He knew that one of them was the right, and he knew that when you had decided which one of them was the right, then the other one was the left, but he never could remember how to begin.'
A lovely set of the Pooh books, finely bound in full morocco leather to match their respective original published colours, and housed in custom made felt-lined slipcase.
‘I often wish I were a King, And then I could do anything.
If only I were King of Spain, I’d take my hat off in the rain.
If I were King of Norroway, I’d ask an elephant to stay.
If I were King of Timbuctoo, I’d think of lovely things to do.’
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Price HK$ 50,000
1924 to 1928 - Methuen &, London - First Editions
'Pooh looked at his two paws. He knew that one of them was the right, and he knew that when you had decided which one of them was the right, then the other one was the left, but he never could remember how to begin.'A lovely set of the Pooh books, finely bound in full morocco leather to match their respective original published colours, and housed in custom made felt-lined slipcase.
‘I often wish I were a King, And then I could do anything.
If only I were King of Spain, I’d take my hat off in the rain.
If I were King of Norroway, I’d ask an elephant to stay.
If I were King of Timbuctoo, I’d think of lovely things to do.’
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Price HK$ 50,000
Five Children And It -
E. Nesbit
1902 - T. Fisher Unwin, London - First Edition
A fine first edition of this brilliant story exquisitely bound by Bayntun-Riviere of Bath, wonderfully enhanced with forty-six black and white illustrations by H. R. Millar.
Cyril, Athena, Robert, Jane, and baby brother, Lamb, are exploring the land around the house their parents have rented for the summer when they find the sandpit. They decide to dig a hole straight through to Australia. Their plan is interrupted when Athena discovers a magical creature hiding in the sand. It is a Psammead, and it can grant wishes.
‘The children stood around the hole looking at the creature they had found. It was worth looking at. Its eyes were on long horns like a snail's eyes, and it could move them in and out like telescopes; it had ears like a bat's ears, and its tubby body was shaped like a spider's and covered with thick soft fur; its legs and arms were furry too, and it had hands and feet like a monkey's.’
Psammead: I am a Sand Fairy!
Jane: A Sand Fairy? I thought fairies had little ballet dresses and wings and wands.
Psammead: What on earth have you been reading?
Jane: I'll call you Sandy.
Psammead: Why?
Jane: Because we found you in the sand.
Psammead: You're so funny. Have your parents tried boiling you?
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Price HK$ 12,500
1902 - T. Fisher Unwin, London - First Edition
A fine first edition of this brilliant story exquisitely bound by Bayntun-Riviere of Bath, wonderfully enhanced with forty-six black and white illustrations by H. R. Millar.Cyril, Athena, Robert, Jane, and baby brother, Lamb, are exploring the land around the house their parents have rented for the summer when they find the sandpit. They decide to dig a hole straight through to Australia. Their plan is interrupted when Athena discovers a magical creature hiding in the sand. It is a Psammead, and it can grant wishes.
‘The children stood around the hole looking at the creature they had found. It was worth looking at. Its eyes were on long horns like a snail's eyes, and it could move them in and out like telescopes; it had ears like a bat's ears, and its tubby body was shaped like a spider's and covered with thick soft fur; its legs and arms were furry too, and it had hands and feet like a monkey's.’
Psammead: I am a Sand Fairy!
Jane: A Sand Fairy? I thought fairies had little ballet dresses and wings and wands.
Psammead: What on earth have you been reading?
Jane: I'll call you Sandy.
Psammead: Why?
Jane: Because we found you in the sand.
Psammead: You're so funny. Have your parents tried boiling you?
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Price HK$ 12,500