N.C. Wyeth

So, these books have been selling for big bucks on ebay. I'm curious, are they printed and bound by EP, or just bound?

I believe that are printed and bound by E/P, as certain as I can be given that most E/P books don't disclose who did what. These were published back in the day before E/P appeared to be simply binding other companies text blocks in leather boards; back when literature and collected works sets were more the norm than coffee-table books. The quality is as fine as any of the '100 Greatest' editions.

2: that's what I thought too. Now, take a look again at this auction which sold for $570+

http://www.ebay.com/itm/N-C-WYETH-EASTON-PRESS-COLLECTORS-SCOTTISH-CHIEFS-JANE-P...

the third image says "Scribner Illustrated Classic", however maybe that's just the illustration? The fourth image shows what I think are illustrated endsheets? If so, this seems less likely to be an EP printed book, but I don't know for certain.

They are based on the Scribner Illustrated Classics, meaning they are 'reproductions', of a sort, similar to other facsimile reproductions E/P occasionally publishes.

I'm happy for those of you who own these books already since they seem to be worth so much to collectors, but I can't deny that I really wish EP would reprint them. Some of these, which were not printed in any other set are books that I really would like to own a nice leather-bound copy of. Some of them are already part of the 100 Greatest, etc, and I am perfectly happy with those copies of them, but I just can't justify spending over $500.00 to get one.

If anyone from Easton Press does read these forums, may I suggest that you reprint some of these with different covers as was done for The Black Arrow in the 2009 Reader's Choice series with it's standard gilded cover. This would ensure that the older series still keeps a unique look with it's color appliques. It would be great to see those that aren't in the 100 Greatest such as The White Company, The Scottish Chiefs, Drums, etc.

5: they may yet be reprinted as a DLE...
which sounds expensive, but at this rate is still cheaper than buying them on ebay!

>7 EclecticIndulgence:

It mainly seems me that they are just high quality....full-color and glossy. I have 2 of the Wyeth books and they have some of the highest quality illustrations I've seen in my collection.

>7 EclecticIndulgence:: I admire the artistry. Wyeth was, without doubt, a master of his craft. Also, they are reproductions of full-color, oil-on-canvas paintings, as opposed to very simplified, two or three-color engravings that are very common in many of the E/P classics.

>9 wailofatail:, These illustrations are actually oil on canvas bound in the book? I can see why you think these are such high quality. I might have to pick up some of these editions.

11> Yup. A little known fact is that Wyeth often recycled old canvases, painting over earlier images when he received commissions for new illustrations. For instance, if you scrape off the top layer of paint on the frontispiece in the EP edition of Treasure Island (don't try this at home, folks, unless you own a second copy), you may discover that Wyeth had originally used that canvas to depict a mariner of a very different sort.

N.C. Wyeth is probably the greatest American illustrator of the classics. I've always enjoyed his work, but for me the clincher was when I got a copy of The Odyssey with his illustrations. Brilliant.