1dlphcoracl
Grimm's Fairy Tales, Constable & Co., Ltd. (London), 1909. Printed by T. and A. Constable, Printers to His Majesty at the Edinburgh University Press, Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. Limited edition of 750 copies.
Arthur Rackham certainly does not need introduction to private press book collectors. He is one of the seminal artists and book illustrators during the Golden Age of Book Illustration. Rackham may also have been the most prolific, illustrating dozens of editions from 1899 to 1936. Typical of the time, publishers issued a small number of these books in deluxe limited editions usually bound in vellum over stiff boards with elaborate gilt decoration and illustration(s) on the front cover and spine, with the illustrator's signature in the colophon. The books were printed letterpress on handmade paper and the watercolor illustrations were tipped in. The limitations were somewhat high for private press books, typically between 500 to 750 copies.
However, a Rackham is not a Rackham is not a Rackham. From nearly fifty major works, a handful are considered standouts and are especially sought by avid collectors. These are:
1. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens by J.M.Barrie (1906)
2. Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (1909).
3. Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving (1905)
4. Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen (1932)
5. Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allen Poe (1935)
Grimm's Fairy Tales is profusely illustrated by Rackham with 55 black and white drawings and 40 color plates. The B&W illustrations are captioned directly beneath the drawing and the color plates each have captioned tissue guards. The caption and story in which the color illustration appears will be given above each of the color illustrations. My copy was rebound in full red morocco with the original gilt illustrations and titling by Bayntun-Riviere.
Hoping that these wonderful illustrations provide a bit of pleasant diversion from the rigors and isolation of social distancing during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
"Away they flew over stock and stone, at such a pace that his hair whistled in the wind." From: The Golden Bird.
"By day she made herself into a cat". From: Hans in Luck.
".....or a screech owl." From :Jorinda and Joringel.
"Once there was an old Woman who lived in a village." From: The Straw, the Coal and the Bean.
"The young Prince said, 'I am not afraid; I am determined to go and look upon the lovely Briar Rose." From: Briar Rose.
"She seized him with two fingers, and carried him upstairs." From: The Frog Prince.
"The witch climbed up." From: Rapunzel.
"Pulling the piece of soft cheese out of his pocket, he squeezed it till the moisture ran out."
From: The Valiant Tailor.
"All at once th door opened and an old, old Woman, whose eyes were dim, supporting herself on a crutch, came hobbling out." From: Hansel and Grethel.
"When she got to the wood, she met a Wolf." From: Red Riding Hood.
"When Tom had said good-bye to his Father they went away with him." From: Tom Thumb.
"Then, he ran after him. still holding the carving-knife, and cried, 'Only one, only one!'
From: Clever Grethel.
"The old man had to sit by himself, and ate his food from a wooden bowl." From: The Old Man and His Grandson.
"The King's only daughter had been carried off by a Dragon." From: The Four Clever Brothers.
Arthur Rackham certainly does not need introduction to private press book collectors. He is one of the seminal artists and book illustrators during the Golden Age of Book Illustration. Rackham may also have been the most prolific, illustrating dozens of editions from 1899 to 1936. Typical of the time, publishers issued a small number of these books in deluxe limited editions usually bound in vellum over stiff boards with elaborate gilt decoration and illustration(s) on the front cover and spine, with the illustrator's signature in the colophon. The books were printed letterpress on handmade paper and the watercolor illustrations were tipped in. The limitations were somewhat high for private press books, typically between 500 to 750 copies.
However, a Rackham is not a Rackham is not a Rackham. From nearly fifty major works, a handful are considered standouts and are especially sought by avid collectors. These are:
1. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens by J.M.Barrie (1906)
2. Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (1909).
3. Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving (1905)
4. Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen (1932)
5. Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allen Poe (1935)
Grimm's Fairy Tales is profusely illustrated by Rackham with 55 black and white drawings and 40 color plates. The B&W illustrations are captioned directly beneath the drawing and the color plates each have captioned tissue guards. The caption and story in which the color illustration appears will be given above each of the color illustrations. My copy was rebound in full red morocco with the original gilt illustrations and titling by Bayntun-Riviere.
Hoping that these wonderful illustrations provide a bit of pleasant diversion from the rigors and isolation of social distancing during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
"Away they flew over stock and stone, at such a pace that his hair whistled in the wind." From: The Golden Bird.
"By day she made herself into a cat". From: Hans in Luck.
".....or a screech owl." From :Jorinda and Joringel.
"Once there was an old Woman who lived in a village." From: The Straw, the Coal and the Bean.
"The young Prince said, 'I am not afraid; I am determined to go and look upon the lovely Briar Rose." From: Briar Rose.
"She seized him with two fingers, and carried him upstairs." From: The Frog Prince.
"The witch climbed up." From: Rapunzel.
"Pulling the piece of soft cheese out of his pocket, he squeezed it till the moisture ran out."
From: The Valiant Tailor.
"All at once th door opened and an old, old Woman, whose eyes were dim, supporting herself on a crutch, came hobbling out." From: Hansel and Grethel.
"When she got to the wood, she met a Wolf." From: Red Riding Hood.
"When Tom had said good-bye to his Father they went away with him." From: Tom Thumb.
"Then, he ran after him. still holding the carving-knife, and cried, 'Only one, only one!'
From: Clever Grethel.
"The old man had to sit by himself, and ate his food from a wooden bowl." From: The Old Man and His Grandson.
"The King's only daughter had been carried off by a Dragon." From: The Four Clever Brothers.
2EclecticIndulgence
>1 dlphcoracl:
WOW. Did you commission the Baytun work or acquire this copy from a third party? It's delectable.
WOW. Did you commission the Baytun work or acquire this copy from a third party? It's delectable.
3dlphcoracl
>2 EclecticIndulgence:
The book had the Bayntun red morocco binding when I acquired it. Because the original vellum over stiff boards bindings have fared poorly over the years, with soiling and dirt, drying and cracking of the vellum at the external hinges, bowing and curvatures of the covers due to retraction of the vellum, etc., it is quite common for these book to receive new custom bindings. The best rebindings, of course, are in full morocco with faithful reproduction of the gilt illustrations, ornaments and lettering on the front cover and spine.
The book had the Bayntun red morocco binding when I acquired it. Because the original vellum over stiff boards bindings have fared poorly over the years, with soiling and dirt, drying and cracking of the vellum at the external hinges, bowing and curvatures of the covers due to retraction of the vellum, etc., it is quite common for these book to receive new custom bindings. The best rebindings, of course, are in full morocco with faithful reproduction of the gilt illustrations, ornaments and lettering on the front cover and spine.
4kdweber
>1 dlphcoracl: Lovely edition, I have to make do with my FS copy.
Does the original trade edition use different paper and reproduction techniques for the illustrations than your signed, limited edition, originally bound in vellum version?
Does the original trade edition use different paper and reproduction techniques for the illustrations than your signed, limited edition, originally bound in vellum version?
5dlphcoracl
>4 kdweber:
The differences between the signed limited edition and the first trade edition vary from book to book. In this case (and most cases), the trade edition is not printed letterpress, is not printed on handmade paper, is somewhat smaller in size, has a less expensive binding (usually cloth), and, of course, does not have the artist's signature in the colophon. However, since the color illustrations are tipped in for both LE and trade edition, they should be identical.
The differences between the signed limited edition and the first trade edition vary from book to book. In this case (and most cases), the trade edition is not printed letterpress, is not printed on handmade paper, is somewhat smaller in size, has a less expensive binding (usually cloth), and, of course, does not have the artist's signature in the colophon. However, since the color illustrations are tipped in for both LE and trade edition, they should be identical.
6ultrarightist
Beautiful. Fantastic rebinding. The fact that the custom cover faithfully reproduced the gilt illustrations, ornaments and lettering must have raised the cost of rebinding significantly. As someone who is considering rebinding some books in the future, do you have a reasonable idea of how much such things add to the cost of rebinding, in terms of percentage over - say - full Morocco with simple gilt lettering on the spine?
7kdweber
>6 ultrarightist: When I had my copy of Ink & Blood: A Book of Drawings by Arthur Szyk (12 1/2" x 9 1/4" x 1") rebound in full Morocco with 24 Karat gold lettering stamped on the spine only it cost me $500. $400 for the binding and $100 for the title and author stamped on the spine. I bought a full goat hide and have enough left over to probably bind a small octavo. Of course, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area where everything seems to cost more.
8dlphcoracl
>6 ultrarightist:
No idea regarding the extra cost. However, with a major bindery such as Bayntun you are not asking them to reinvent the wheel. Since they have recreated this binding with the gilt lettering and illustrations numerous times for other collectors over many decades, they undoubtedly have the molds and types necessary to do this and it should add very little to the cost. If a bindery has to create these designs and ornate letterings from scratch it will add substantially to the cost. Good rule of thumb: ask the bindery if they have done this before and if they have retained the molds, etc.
No idea regarding the extra cost. However, with a major bindery such as Bayntun you are not asking them to reinvent the wheel. Since they have recreated this binding with the gilt lettering and illustrations numerous times for other collectors over many decades, they undoubtedly have the molds and types necessary to do this and it should add very little to the cost. If a bindery has to create these designs and ornate letterings from scratch it will add substantially to the cost. Good rule of thumb: ask the bindery if they have done this before and if they have retained the molds, etc.
9ultrarightist
>7 kdweber: Very informative, thank you.
10ultrarightist
>8 dlphcoracl: Great tip. Thank you.
