Oliver Twist; or, the Parish Boy s Progress -
Charles Dickens ( Boz )
1838 - Richard Bentley, London - First Edition, First Issue
‘Please, Sir, I want some more.’
First edition in fine contemporary bindings, first issue with the 'fireside' plate’ (i.e. Rose, Maylie and Oliver) between pages 312-13 (Vol.III), which was suppressed in the second issue. Illustrated throughout with frontispieces and twenty-one plates etched by George Cruikshank.
Dickens was severely criticised for introducing criminals and prostitutes in Oliver Twist to which he responded - ‘I saw no reason, when I wrote this book, why the very dregs of life, so long as their speech did not offend the ear, should not serve the purpose of a moral, at least as well as its froth and cream’.
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Price HK$ 32,000
1838 - Richard Bentley, London - First Edition, First Issue
‘Please, Sir, I want some more.’ First edition in fine contemporary bindings, first issue with the 'fireside' plate’ (i.e. Rose, Maylie and Oliver) between pages 312-13 (Vol.III), which was suppressed in the second issue. Illustrated throughout with frontispieces and twenty-one plates etched by George Cruikshank.
Dickens was severely criticised for introducing criminals and prostitutes in Oliver Twist to which he responded - ‘I saw no reason, when I wrote this book, why the very dregs of life, so long as their speech did not offend the ear, should not serve the purpose of a moral, at least as well as its froth and cream’.
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Price HK$ 32,000
The Christmas Books. Being; A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life and The Haunted Man -
Charles Dickens, Charles Brock (illustrator)
1905-1907 - J.M. Dent and Co., London - First Editions to be Illustrated by Charles Brock in Colour
An attractive set of these classic seasonal tales, splendidly illustrated and presented in festive green and cranberry red bindings, all housed in a bespoke fleece-lined cloth slipcase with ribbon pull.
Beginning with A Christmas Carol when old, surly Ebenezer Scrooge receives a visit from the ghost of Marley, his late business partner, on Christmas eve, and he beholds a series of visions of the past, present, and future that make him decide to amend his ways…
‘After the success attained with A Christmas Carol in 1843 Dickens continued the series throughout the 1840s, maintaining what he called "the Carol philosophy" to "strike a sledgehammer blow" for the poor, uneducated, and repressed. In typical Dickens fashion he drove his message home with a mixture of humour and good cheer’. [David Purdue].
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Price HK$ 20,000
1905-1907 - J.M. Dent and Co., London - First Editions to be Illustrated by Charles Brock in Colour
An attractive set of these classic seasonal tales, splendidly illustrated and presented in festive green and cranberry red bindings, all housed in a bespoke fleece-lined cloth slipcase with ribbon pull.Beginning with A Christmas Carol when old, surly Ebenezer Scrooge receives a visit from the ghost of Marley, his late business partner, on Christmas eve, and he beholds a series of visions of the past, present, and future that make him decide to amend his ways…
‘After the success attained with A Christmas Carol in 1843 Dickens continued the series throughout the 1840s, maintaining what he called "the Carol philosophy" to "strike a sledgehammer blow" for the poor, uneducated, and repressed. In typical Dickens fashion he drove his message home with a mixture of humour and good cheer’. [David Purdue].
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Price HK$ 20,000
Cinderella - together with - The Sleeping Beauty -
C. S. Evans, Arthur Rackham (illustrator)
1919 - William Heinemann, London - First Rackham Illustrated Editions
Once upon a time...
A uniform large pair of Arthur Rackham’s only magical silhouette illustrated titles. In superior condition, with the original decorated paper boards and dust jackets.
The decorations and silhouette illustrations are in both black and white and in colour, adding a simple yet mystical air to these two classical fairy tales.
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Price HK$ 12,000
1919 - William Heinemann, London - First Rackham Illustrated Editions
Once upon a time... A uniform large pair of Arthur Rackham’s only magical silhouette illustrated titles. In superior condition, with the original decorated paper boards and dust jackets.
The decorations and silhouette illustrations are in both black and white and in colour, adding a simple yet mystical air to these two classical fairy tales.
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Price HK$ 12,000
Snickerty Nick & the Giant - Inscribed -
Julia Ellsworth Ford, Arthur Rackham (illustrator), Witter Bynner
1933 - Suttonhouse, Los Angeles - Second Edition
A wonderful association copy of this children’s play inspired by Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Selfish Giant’, inscribed from the author to the legendary stage actress, producer, director, translator and author ‘Eva Le Gallienne, A brave woman who dared to carry out her ideals. In admiration from Julia Emsworth Ford. March 8th 1934, Hollywood Calif.’
Additionally with Eva Le Galliene’s fabulous engraved bookplate designed by the influential set and costume designer Waslav Richard Rychtarik (1894-1982), with a quote from her favourite Ibsen character, Hedda Gabler.
Illustrated by Arthur Rackham with three monochrome plates, and eight full page line drawings.
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Price HK$ 5,000
1933 - Suttonhouse, Los Angeles - Second Edition
A wonderful association copy of this children’s play inspired by Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Selfish Giant’, inscribed from the author to the legendary stage actress, producer, director, translator and author ‘Eva Le Gallienne, A brave woman who dared to carry out her ideals. In admiration from Julia Emsworth Ford. March 8th 1934, Hollywood Calif.’Additionally with Eva Le Galliene’s fabulous engraved bookplate designed by the influential set and costume designer Waslav Richard Rychtarik (1894-1982), with a quote from her favourite Ibsen character, Hedda Gabler.
Illustrated by Arthur Rackham with three monochrome plates, and eight full page line drawings.
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Price HK$ 5,000
The Wind in the Willows -
Kenneth Grahame, Ernest H. Shepard (illustrator)
1931 - Methuen &, London - First Edition with Shepard&rsquo
‘And you really live by The River? What a jolly life!’
‘By it and with it and on it and in it,’ said the Rat... ‘It’s my world, and I don’t want any other. What it hasn’t got is not worth having, and what it doesn’t know is not worth knowing.’
A superior example of the first edition to contain the classic and charming illustrations by Ernest Shepard, with his wonderful two page map endpapers at the front .
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Price HK$ 4,500
1931 - Methuen &, London - First Edition with Shepard&rsquo
‘And you really live by The River? What a jolly life!’ ‘By it and with it and on it and in it,’ said the Rat... ‘It’s my world, and I don’t want any other. What it hasn’t got is not worth having, and what it doesn’t know is not worth knowing.’
A superior example of the first edition to contain the classic and charming illustrations by Ernest Shepard, with his wonderful two page map endpapers at the front .
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Price HK$ 4,500
Collins Schoolgirls Annual -
Katherine L. Oldmeadow, Frances Cowen, V.M. Methley, S. G. Hedges and others.
Circa 1934 - Collins&rsquo, London and Glasgow
A bright copy in the rare dust jacket, with 38 stories for modern girls, memorable titles include The Cowgirl of Roaring Bull Ranch, Stella and the Stockings, What is Wrong with your Tennis?, and The Girls Do A Good Turn.
Profusely illustrated with five coloured and eight half-tone full page plates, together with colour and black and white vignettes throughout.
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Price HK$ 1,100
Circa 1934 - Collins&rsquo, London and Glasgow
A bright copy in the rare dust jacket, with 38 stories for modern girls, memorable titles include The Cowgirl of Roaring Bull Ranch, Stella and the Stockings, What is Wrong with your Tennis?, and The Girls Do A Good Turn.Profusely illustrated with five coloured and eight half-tone full page plates, together with colour and black and white vignettes throughout.
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Price HK$ 1,100
The Story of Ferdinand -
Munro Leaf, Robert Lawson (illustrator)
1936 - The Viking Press, New York - First Edition
A superior first edition of this high point in 20th century children's literature, in a better than usually encountered first issue dust jacket.
Ferdinand, the Bull who preferred to smell the flowers, quickly became popular, striking a chord of anti-fight in a world infected by war. Banned by Franco and burned in Nazi Germany. Translated into over 60 languages and made into an Oscar winning animated film by Disney in 1938.
‘Once upon a time in Spain there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand.’
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Price HK$ 55,000
1936 - The Viking Press, New York - First Edition
A superior first edition of this high point in 20th century children's literature, in a better than usually encountered first issue dust jacket.Ferdinand, the Bull who preferred to smell the flowers, quickly became popular, striking a chord of anti-fight in a world infected by war. Banned by Franco and burned in Nazi Germany. Translated into over 60 languages and made into an Oscar winning animated film by Disney in 1938.
‘Once upon a time in Spain there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand.’
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Price HK$ 55,000
The Pooh Books - When We Were Very Young; Winnie the Pooh; Now We Are Six; and The House at Pooh Corner -
A. A. Milne, Ernest H. Shepard (illustrator)
1924 to 1928 - Methuen &, London - First Editions
'Pooh looked at his two paws. He knew that one of them was the right, and he knew that when you had decided which one of them was the right, then the other one was the left, but he never could remember how to begin.'
A lovely set of the Pooh books, finely bound in full morocco leather to match their respective original published colours, and housed in custom made felt-lined slipcase.
‘I often wish I were a King, And then I could do anything.
If only I were King of Spain, I’d take my hat off in the rain.
If I were King of Norroway, I’d ask an elephant to stay.
If I were King of Timbuctoo, I’d think of lovely things to do.’
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Price HK$ 50,000
1924 to 1928 - Methuen &, London - First Editions
'Pooh looked at his two paws. He knew that one of them was the right, and he knew that when you had decided which one of them was the right, then the other one was the left, but he never could remember how to begin.'A lovely set of the Pooh books, finely bound in full morocco leather to match their respective original published colours, and housed in custom made felt-lined slipcase.
‘I often wish I were a King, And then I could do anything.
If only I were King of Spain, I’d take my hat off in the rain.
If I were King of Norroway, I’d ask an elephant to stay.
If I were King of Timbuctoo, I’d think of lovely things to do.’
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Price HK$ 50,000