Sale Price:
£425.00
Original Price:
£450.00
1893 1st Edition
THE TRUE STORY BOOK
A scarce first edition, large-paper copy of Andrew Lang's The True Story Book, published by Longmans, Green and Co. in 1893. This is copy no. 40 of only 150 copies printed in the special large-paper edition.
Illustrated throughout by L. Bogle, Lucien Davis, H. J. Ford, C. H. M. Kerr and Lancelot Speed, including full-page plates and numerous illustrations in the text.
Of particular interest is the distinguished provenance. The front pastedown bears the elaborate engraved pictorial bookplate of Agnes Marion Armitage (1896–1960), dated 1911, depicting a rose-framed private library and reading table beneath the motto “Un Livre Est Un Ami” — “A Book Is A Friend.” Armitage is independently recorded as the former owner of a number of important signed and limited Arthur Rackham editions, making this an attractive association copy from a documented early twentieth-century collection of deluxe illustrated books.
By Andrew Lang
Provenance: Agnes Marion Armitage (1896–1960) – engraved pictorial bookplate to front pastedown, dated 1911, bearing the motto:
“UN LIVRE EST UN AMI”
The plate depicts an idealised private library surrounded by roses, with leaded window, bookcases and open books upon a reading table. It is signed within the engraving “F.G.H. inv. 1911” and “J.A.C.H. sc.”
Other surviving books bearing Agnes Marion Armitage's ex-libris include a number of important signed and limited editions illustrated by Arthur Rackham, demonstrating that she assembled a notable collection of deluxe illustrated books during the early twentieth century.
Later Provenance: Ewbank's Auctioneers, Surrey, 24 March 2023, lot 2146, where this copy was catalogued by limitation number as no. 40/150.
Format: Hardcover, quarto (4to 9 1⁄2 × 12 in 241 × 305 mm )
Note: Binding/size selection follows standard bibliographic conventions and is approximate; exact measurements may vary.
Limited Edition: 40/150 Copies
Language: English
Published By: Longmans, Green and Co, London
Condition Report:
Dust Jacket: No Jacket, Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
Very Good - Publisher's original cream paper-backed blue-grey boards with printed paper spine label. Spine browned and showing expected age-related marking, with minor bumping and wear to head and tail. Boards with light age-soiling, rubbing and handling marks consistent with a large-paper volume of this period.
Front pastedown with the engraved Agnes Marion Armitage bookplate. Some offsetting and age-toning to the facing front free endpaper, together with a small contemporary or later manuscript/pencil notation near the inner margin. Light occasional spotting and toning elsewhere.
Binding remains sound. Pages are generally clean and well preserved, with generous margins and untrimmed/deckled edges characteristic of the large-paper issue. Illustrations remain clear and strongly printed.
A handsome surviving example of this scarce 150-copy edition, enhanced considerably by its identifiable early twentieth-century collector provenance.
Collation: xiv, [2], 337 pp.
Illustrated with full-page plates and numerous black-and-white illustrations throughout by L. Bogle, Lucien Davis, H. J. Ford, C. H. M. Kerr and Lancelot Speed.
Please see Photos as part of condition report.
Author Bio: Andrew Lang FBA (31 March 1844 – 20 July 1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, historian, anthropologist and one of the most influential editors of children's literature of the late nineteenth century.
He is particularly remembered for the celebrated series of coloured Fairy Books beginning with The Blue Fairy Book in 1889, through which Lang and his collaborators introduced generations of readers to folk and fairy tales gathered from cultures around the world.
Alongside those works, Lang edited a number of related anthologies of poetry, history, legend and adventure. The True Story Book appeared in 1893 and applies the accessible storytelling approach familiar from his fairy-tale collections to episodes drawn principally from history, biography and real-life adventure.
The Andrew Lang Lecture at the University of St Andrews commemorates his contribution to literature, folklore and scholarship.
Illustrated By: L. Bogle, Lucien Davis, H. J. Ford, C. H. M. Kerr and Lancelot Speed
Illustrator Bio: The volume brought together several prominent illustrators of the late Victorian illustrated-book tradition.
Henry Justice Ford (1860–1941) is particularly associated with Andrew Lang's Fairy Books and became one of the defining illustrators of the series.
Lancelot Speed (1860–1931) was a prolific British illustrator whose work appeared in books of legend, history and adventure and in several of Lang's anthologies.
Lucien Davis (1860–1941) was a painter and illustrator whose work appeared extensively in British illustrated periodicals and books.
Charles Henry Malcolm Kerr (1858–1907) was a British painter and illustrator known for historical and genre subjects.
Together with L. Bogle, their illustrations give The True Story Book much of the visual character associated with Lang's great illustrated anthologies of the 1890s.
Synopsis: The True Story Book is Andrew Lang's anthology of remarkable episodes drawn from history, biography, exploration, warfare, adventure and escape, retold for a younger readership in the lively narrative manner associated with his celebrated story collections.
The volume contains twenty-four stories, principally drawn from European and world history. Subjects include piracy, exploration, famous escapes, military episodes and extraordinary incidents from the lives of historical figures.
Among the stories are:
A Boy among the Red Indians;
Captain Snelgrave and the Pirates;
The Spartan Three Hundred;
The Escape of Cervantes;
Casanova's Escape;
Adventures on the Findhorn;
Prince Charlie's Wanderings;
The Story of Kaspar Hauser;
The Tale of Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift;
The Worthy Enterprise of John Foxe;
The Adventure of John Rawlins;
The Escape of Cæsar Borgia from the Castle of Medina del Campo; and
The Conquest of Montezuma's Empire.
The combination of historical adventure, the exceptionally small 150-copy large-paper limitation, extensive period illustration and the documented Agnes Marion Armitage provenance makes this an especially appealing copy for collectors of Andrew Lang, Victorian illustrated books and Golden Age children's literature.
SKU: BTETM0002208
Shipping Info: Approximate Package Dimensions H: 12.5, L: 30, W: 25 (Units: cm), W: 2Kg
Tracked Shipping, Insurance Coverage as per Customer Request
1893 1st Edition
THE TRUE STORY BOOK
A scarce first edition, large-paper copy of Andrew Lang's The True Story Book, published by Longmans, Green and Co. in 1893. This is copy no. 40 of only 150 copies printed in the special large-paper edition.
Illustrated throughout by L. Bogle, Lucien Davis, H. J. Ford, C. H. M. Kerr and Lancelot Speed, including full-page plates and numerous illustrations in the text.
Of particular interest is the distinguished provenance. The front pastedown bears the elaborate engraved pictorial bookplate of Agnes Marion Armitage (1896–1960), dated 1911, depicting a rose-framed private library and reading table beneath the motto “Un Livre Est Un Ami” — “A Book Is A Friend.” Armitage is independently recorded as the former owner of a number of important signed and limited Arthur Rackham editions, making this an attractive association copy from a documented early twentieth-century collection of deluxe illustrated books.
By Andrew Lang
Provenance: Agnes Marion Armitage (1896–1960) – engraved pictorial bookplate to front pastedown, dated 1911, bearing the motto:
“UN LIVRE EST UN AMI”
The plate depicts an idealised private library surrounded by roses, with leaded window, bookcases and open books upon a reading table. It is signed within the engraving “F.G.H. inv. 1911” and “J.A.C.H. sc.”
Other surviving books bearing Agnes Marion Armitage's ex-libris include a number of important signed and limited editions illustrated by Arthur Rackham, demonstrating that she assembled a notable collection of deluxe illustrated books during the early twentieth century.
Later Provenance: Ewbank's Auctioneers, Surrey, 24 March 2023, lot 2146, where this copy was catalogued by limitation number as no. 40/150.
Format: Hardcover, quarto (4to 9 1⁄2 × 12 in 241 × 305 mm )
Note: Binding/size selection follows standard bibliographic conventions and is approximate; exact measurements may vary.
Limited Edition: 40/150 Copies
Language: English
Published By: Longmans, Green and Co, London
Condition Report:
Dust Jacket: No Jacket, Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
Very Good - Publisher's original cream paper-backed blue-grey boards with printed paper spine label. Spine browned and showing expected age-related marking, with minor bumping and wear to head and tail. Boards with light age-soiling, rubbing and handling marks consistent with a large-paper volume of this period.
Front pastedown with the engraved Agnes Marion Armitage bookplate. Some offsetting and age-toning to the facing front free endpaper, together with a small contemporary or later manuscript/pencil notation near the inner margin. Light occasional spotting and toning elsewhere.
Binding remains sound. Pages are generally clean and well preserved, with generous margins and untrimmed/deckled edges characteristic of the large-paper issue. Illustrations remain clear and strongly printed.
A handsome surviving example of this scarce 150-copy edition, enhanced considerably by its identifiable early twentieth-century collector provenance.
Collation: xiv, [2], 337 pp.
Illustrated with full-page plates and numerous black-and-white illustrations throughout by L. Bogle, Lucien Davis, H. J. Ford, C. H. M. Kerr and Lancelot Speed.
Please see Photos as part of condition report.
Author Bio: Andrew Lang FBA (31 March 1844 – 20 July 1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, historian, anthropologist and one of the most influential editors of children's literature of the late nineteenth century.
He is particularly remembered for the celebrated series of coloured Fairy Books beginning with The Blue Fairy Book in 1889, through which Lang and his collaborators introduced generations of readers to folk and fairy tales gathered from cultures around the world.
Alongside those works, Lang edited a number of related anthologies of poetry, history, legend and adventure. The True Story Book appeared in 1893 and applies the accessible storytelling approach familiar from his fairy-tale collections to episodes drawn principally from history, biography and real-life adventure.
The Andrew Lang Lecture at the University of St Andrews commemorates his contribution to literature, folklore and scholarship.
Illustrated By: L. Bogle, Lucien Davis, H. J. Ford, C. H. M. Kerr and Lancelot Speed
Illustrator Bio: The volume brought together several prominent illustrators of the late Victorian illustrated-book tradition.
Henry Justice Ford (1860–1941) is particularly associated with Andrew Lang's Fairy Books and became one of the defining illustrators of the series.
Lancelot Speed (1860–1931) was a prolific British illustrator whose work appeared in books of legend, history and adventure and in several of Lang's anthologies.
Lucien Davis (1860–1941) was a painter and illustrator whose work appeared extensively in British illustrated periodicals and books.
Charles Henry Malcolm Kerr (1858–1907) was a British painter and illustrator known for historical and genre subjects.
Together with L. Bogle, their illustrations give The True Story Book much of the visual character associated with Lang's great illustrated anthologies of the 1890s.
Synopsis: The True Story Book is Andrew Lang's anthology of remarkable episodes drawn from history, biography, exploration, warfare, adventure and escape, retold for a younger readership in the lively narrative manner associated with his celebrated story collections.
The volume contains twenty-four stories, principally drawn from European and world history. Subjects include piracy, exploration, famous escapes, military episodes and extraordinary incidents from the lives of historical figures.
Among the stories are:
A Boy among the Red Indians;
Captain Snelgrave and the Pirates;
The Spartan Three Hundred;
The Escape of Cervantes;
Casanova's Escape;
Adventures on the Findhorn;
Prince Charlie's Wanderings;
The Story of Kaspar Hauser;
The Tale of Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift;
The Worthy Enterprise of John Foxe;
The Adventure of John Rawlins;
The Escape of Cæsar Borgia from the Castle of Medina del Campo; and
The Conquest of Montezuma's Empire.
The combination of historical adventure, the exceptionally small 150-copy large-paper limitation, extensive period illustration and the documented Agnes Marion Armitage provenance makes this an especially appealing copy for collectors of Andrew Lang, Victorian illustrated books and Golden Age children's literature.
SKU: BTETM0002208
Shipping Info: Approximate Package Dimensions H: 12.5, L: 30, W: 25 (Units: cm), W: 2Kg
Tracked Shipping, Insurance Coverage as per Customer Request
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