Robin Hood and his Merry Men by E. Charles Vivian (Ward Lock, circa 1928) illustrated by Harry G. Theaker Red Cloth
Robin Hood and his Merry Men
by E. Charles Vivian, illustrated by Harry G. Theaker
Ward, Lock & Co. Limited, [No Date] circa 1928
A volume in the 48 colour plate (incl. endpapers) ‘Prince Charming’ series from Ward, Lock & Co., published from the late 1910s and through the 1920s/1930s. Titles include ‘Alice in Wonderland’, ‘Hans Andersen’s Fairy Stories’, ‘Robinson Crusoe’, ‘The Water-Babies’, and ‘Tales from Shakespeare’.
Harry George Theaker (1873-1954) illustrated several titles in this series, including ‘Grimm’s Fairy Tales’ (1920), ‘Stories of King Arthur’ (1925), and ‘The Adventures of Don Quixote’ (1929). Originally published in 1927*, this copy likely an early reprint with no mention of ‘Don Quixote’ in the list of other books published.
Hardback – publisher’s red cloth with onlay plate to front board, titles and decoration in black to front and spine. pp 338, [6] publisher’s catalogue, including colour plates and illustrated endpapers. 8.25 x 6.25 inches approx. (212mm x 158mm).
Cloth lightly rubbed and worn to extremities, a little marked and stained in places; spine a touch sunned; spine ends turned-in; bumped to upper corner of front board; a small nick to onlay plate at left-hand edge. Endpapers split to gutter especially rear endpaper with mull/scrim exposed but hinges still holding firm; pages showing some light foxing and somewhat dusty and marked in places but generally appear clean throughout; edges of page-block dusty and spotted.
Nonetheless, remaining an attractive copy and nice to find in the red cloth (more commonly found in the usual grey/beige cloth of this series) – quite lovely.
[SOLD]
*ref. British Library; The Dictionary of 20th Century British Book Illustrators by Alan Horne (Antique Collectors’ Club, 1994)
