Books

London: Strahan & Co, 1872. First edition. First edition. Original blue cloth with bold gilt design on cover and spine, stamped in gilt and black with pictorial design on cover. First edition, first issue with publisher's name at foot of spine and with crescent moon and flaming torch in gilt outside of the front cover circle. 30 illustrations by Arthur Hughes, all edges gilt. In collector's blue morocco case with decorative gilt spine, previous ownership inscription in ink on front free endpaper, minor spotting and browning, minimal soiling to lower board, spine sunned, bumped. Scarce first edition of MacDonald's second full-length fairy tale. In a letter to his wife in February 1871, Macdonald refers to the book which would be published a few months later: "...I know it is as good a work of the kind as I can do, and I think it will be the most complete thing I have done..." Seldom seen on the market today, the book was widely handled by children and rarely seen in presentable…