THE FAIRY TALES OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM.

Revised and enlarged edition with Arthur Rackham illustrations. Publisher's original red cloth with gilt titles and illustration to the upper board and spine. Dark red top edge. Illustrated with 40 tipped in colour plates, each with a captioned tissue guard, and 55 black and white drawings by Arthur Rackham, both full page and within the text. An excellent near fine copy, the binding square and firm with a little bumping and minor fraying at the head of the faded spine, the cloth otherwise bright and fresh. The contents, with just some mild spotting to the pictorial endpapers, are clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. All of the plates are present as called for and in excellent near fine condition, with the occasional small corner crease.

One of the most beautiful of all Arthur Rackham gift books and most ambitious in production. In collecting 60 stories (including favourites such as Hansel and Grethel, Red Riding Hood, Tom Thumb and Rapunzel) and featuring 95 illustrations, the page block is so thick and heavy that it is prone to detaching from its binding in the course of even light use. The result being that most copies of the trade edition have not survived without the need for repair, restoration or rebinding. The present example has escaped any form of intervention and is offered in entirely original condition. Scarce thus.