Various [ed. by J.W. Gleeson White] — The Pageant

London, Henry & Co. 1896-1897. First edition. Cloth. The complete two volume series of the esteemed Christmas annual celebrating the greatest of Aesthetic and Decadent artists and writers. The Pageant, the short-lived Christmas Annual series which brought together the best artists and writers of the Aesthetic and Decadent movements at the turn of the twentieth century, with J.W. Gleeson White as the literary editor and Charles Hazelwood Shannon as the art editor. Complete in two volumes, published between 1896-1897. In the publisher's decorative original brown cloth, with the original end papers preserved. 1896 contains a frontispiece by Gabriel Rosetti, and all nineteen other full-page illustrations, including two colour plates, while 1897 includes a frontispiece by Gustave Moreau, and all twenty-three full-page illustrations, including colour plates. Collated complete. Contains publisher's original advertisements to the rear of both volumes. Following Oscar Wilde's conviction in 1895, artists and writers were determined to prove that the Aesthetic and Decadent movements would not collapse along with Wilde's career. Including the writings from progressives such as Algernon Charles Swinburne and Laurence Housman, as well as art from Walter Crane and Rossetti, The Pageant is a forward-thinking work which reflects the undergoing social transformation from the nineteenth to twentieth century. An 1898 edition was prevented due to the death of White before the Christmas of that year. In the publisher's decorative original brown cloth, with the original end papers preserved. Externally, mostly smart, with a couple of faint marks to boards. Slight fading to boards and spine of 1896, with faint spots near tail of spine. Bumping to the heads and tails of the spines, and to the extremities. A couple of minor dents to edges, with small creases and dents to rear board of 1897. Slight browning to end papers. Internally, firmly bound, with hinge starting but firm between pp.162-163 of 1896. Pages are bright and clean, with the rare faint spot to leaf extremities. Very Good . Ill.: Various [ed. by Charles Hazelwood Shannon]. Very Good .