Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, First Edition (5 results)

First edition of the second instalment in Lang's "Fairy Book" series, containing a range of popular tales including "The Twelve Dancing Princesses", "Jack and Beanstalk", and "Rapunzel", as well as "The Story of Sigurd", a condensation of William Morris's Volsunga Saga. Though it is Andrew Lang's name which appears as the author of the fairy books, they were largely the result of the work of others, most crucially female translators such as his wife, Leonora (1851-1933), and authors such as May Kendall and Margaret Hunt, both of whom also published fairy tales collections in their own name. Lang acknowledged this in the preface to The Lilac Fairy Book (1910): "The fairy books have been almost wholly the work of Mrs. Lang, who has translated and adapted them from the French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, and other languages". Octavo (190 x 123 mm). Contemporary red half morocco, spine with raised bands, gilt lettering and floral decoration in compartments, marbled boards and endpapers, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Frontispiece, 3 plates, title vignette, and numerous in-text illustrations by H. J. Ford and Lancelot Speed. A touch of rubbing to extremities, edges foxed, contents generally clean. A very good copy, attractively bound.

Hardcover. Condition: Good. 1st Edition. Good condition, shows minor shelf wear and rubbing on spine, some tearing on outside of spine. Gold lettering on spine is still readable albeit fading, graphic on front cover is surprisingly intact. Golding on outside of pages is still very intact, binding is surprisingly tight for age and shows no inside separation. Comes in protective plastic slip cover to avoid further wear.

Cloth. Condition: Good. H. J. Ford; Lancelot Speed (illustrator). First edition. An association copy of the first edition of Andrew Lang's second fairy book. Inscribed by Lang's friend and collaborator H. Rider Haggard to Haggard's own children, Dolly and Angie. The first edition of this work.The verso of the original front blank inscribed by novelist H. Rider Haggard with the message 'To Angie and Dolly from their Dad, 29. Nov, 1890'.Angela and Dorothy Haggard were the middle two of Haggard's four children, and would have been seven and six years old respectively at the time of publication.Lang and Haggard were personal friends, co-authoring the fantast novel 'The World's Desire' in 1890. Lang has also helped Haggard plan and revise the novels 'She', 'Allan's Wife', 'Beatrice', 'Eric Brighteyes', 'Nada the Lily' and also added poems to 'Cleopatra'.Illustrated with a frontispiece, three plates and numerous vignette illustrations by Henry Justice Ford and Lancelot Speed. Collated, complete.Including tales such as 'The Twelve Dancing Princesses', 'Jack and the Beanstalk', 'Rapunzel', 'Snowdrop', 'The Golden Goose', and more.With twenty pages of publisher's advertisements to the rear.Rebacked, with endpapers renewed.Andrew Lang is best known for these collections of fairy tales, and was an avid collector of folk and fairy tales. He was a Scottish poet, novelist, and literary critic. Rebacked, in the publisher's original pictorial cloth binding, with original back strip laid down and boards restored. Endpapers renewed. Discolouration to back strip. Bumping to fore edge of board, with small losses of cloth to board head and tail. Inscribed leaf tipped in between front pastedown and front free endpaper. Internally, firmly bound. Marginal tape repairs to margin and tail of half title, frontispiece, title page, and following three leaves. Pages a touch age toned, with light handling marks throughout. Instances of spotting and foxing throughout. Further tape repairs to tail of pages 240 and 242. Good. book.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. 367, 16 pages, frontispiece and three plates, illustrations. Rebacked, with original boards, a new author/title label at spine, and new endpapers. Binding sturdy, corners exposed, gold-stamped image at front panel rubbed but still pleasing; gift inscription at half title, text and plates unmarked and attractive, no tissue guards (if issued), 16 page advertising supplement dated "9/90." 640 grams.

1st edition. 1st edition, 1890. Lacks spine backstrip and one illustration (facing p. 328). Gift inscription on half-title page. 16pp ads at rear. A little scattered foxing. Some repaired cracks to hinges. Tissue guard for frontis quite worn. Stains on boards. Gilt decoration on front board. Could do with a rebinding. Used - Acceptable. Fair hardback in red cloth.