RIP VAN WINKLE

First edition, first printing of the Arthur Rackham illustrated edition. Publisher's original light green cloth boards with gilt titles and illustration to the upper board and spine. Green top-stain. Frontispiece and 50 tipped in colour plates with captioned tissue guards. A lovely near fine copy, the binding square and firm, the cloth and gilt bright and fresh with some fading to the spine. The contents, with few foxing spots to the margins of the text pages and edges of the tissue guards, are otherwise unusually clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. All fifty tipped in plates and tissue guards are present as called for and in fine unblemished condition. Housed in a mid 20th century quarter leather slipcase and brown cloth chemise, with titles in gilt to the spine which erroneously include 'with A.L.S.'

The first of Arthur Rackham's popular Christmas gift books leading into the Golden Age of book illustration.