Edmund Gosse [intro.] — The Allies&Apos; Fairy Book

London, William Heinemann, 1916. First edition. Cloth. Beautifully illustrated with colour plates by Arthur Rackham, this is the first trade edition of this wartime fairy tale anthology, gathering short stories native to the Allied powers. The first trade edition of this work. The first issue of the trade edition, identified by the presence of illustrated endpapers [Riall].Illustrated with eleven colour plates by Arthur Rackham, one of the most celebrated book illustrators of all time, a leading figure of the Golden Age of British book illustration.Collated, lacking the frontispiece, which has been replaced in facsimile.A wartime anthology of traditional fairy tales collected and edited by Edmund Gosse, designed to offer readers a selection of thirteen folk and fairy stories drawn from the cultures of the Allied nations of the First World War.With an introduction from Edmund Gosse.Inscription of Doreen Archer to front free endpaper. In the publisher's original cloth binding. Back strip a touch age toned, with rubbing to joints, and shelf wear to back strip tail. Areas of fading to board perimeters, with area of residue to tail of front board. Front hinge and head of rear hinge strained, but firmly held. Inscription to front free endpaper. Internally, firmly bound. Spotting to title page, with the odd spot and light handling mark throughout. Lacking frontispiece, which has been replaced in facsimile. Good . Ill.: Arthur Rackham. Good .