The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley (Ward, Lock & Co. Limited, circa 1930s) illustrated by Harry G. Theaker with dustwrapper
The Water-Babies
by Charles Kingsley, illustrated by Harry G. Theaker
Ward, Lock & Co. Limited, [No Date] circa 1930s
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 ‘Stories of King Arthur’ (1925), ‘Robin Hood and his Merry Men’ (1927), and ‘The Adventures of Don Quixote’ (1929). This edition of ‘The Water-Babies’ was originally published in 1922*, this copy being a later undated reprint.
Hardback – publisher’s beige cloth with onlay plate to front board, titles and decoration in black to front and spine. In a price-clipped dustwrapper with wrap-round artwork. pp [i]-x, [11]-340, [4] publisher’s list, including colour plates and illustrated endpapers. 8.5 x 6.25 inches approx. (215mm x 158mm).
Dustwrapper rubbed and worn; short tears with resultant creasing and wear to bottom edge of front panel, top edge of rear panel, and head of spine; small loss to extremities; some foxing and a little grubby/dusty in places. Cloth generally clean and bright; a little crushing to spine ends. A gift inscription (dated 1945) in blue ink to half-title page; heavy foxing to first few and last few pages; sporadic foxing throughout with occasional dustiness but generally pages clean; edges of page-block spotted/foxed with some encroachment on to margins.
Overall, showing some wear but otherwise a nice, clean copy – and uncommon to find with dustwrapper.
£75.00
*ref. British Library; The Dictionary of 20th Century British Book Illustrators by Alan Horne (Antique Collectors’ Club, 1994)
[Stock Code DBZ1722]