Mrs. C.E. Bowen [Charlotte Elizabeth Bowen] — The Robin&Apos;S Christmas Eve

London, Frederick Warne and Co. c1880. Paperback. A charming Christmas poem in toy book form, printed by German engraver and lithographer Joseph Kronheim. A charming toy book edition of The Robin's Christmas Eve, a children's poem written by children's author and poet Mrs. C.E. Bowen, part of the Alexandra series. In the publisher's original pictorial paper wraps, with six linen colour plates by German lithopgrapher and engraver Joseph Martin Kronheim, using the Baxter process. A charming Christmas poem centered on gratitude, Bowen wrote similar poems and stories such as Ben's Boyhood. Kronheim's primary innovation was the use of zinc rather than wood blocks for faster printing, phased out shortly later after the rise of steam lithography.  In the publisher's original pictorial paper wraps. Externally, minor browning and fading to wraps, with creases to edges. Wear to front joint with loss to colour decoration, and small chips to extremities and small closed tears to edges. Wear to head and tail of the spine. Slight spotting and browning to pastedowns with written poem. Internally, firmly bound, with minor wear to hinge to bottom of first two plates. Plates are bright and clean with minor age toning. Good . Ill.: Joseph Martin Kronheim. Good .