Aesop; Rev. Thomas James — Aesop&Apos;S Fables: A New Version, Chiefly from Original Sources

London, John Murray, 1848 . First edition. Cloth. A vibrantly bound example of the first Thomas James edition of Aesop's fables, illustrated throughout by celebrated artist John Tenniel. The first edition of these fables from Rev. Thomas James.Lewis Carroll was so impressed by John Tenniel's animated designs for this edition of the fables that he chose the Tenniel to illustrate 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland&apos.Illustrated with an engraved title page and over one-hundred vignette illustrations from Tenniel.Aesop's Fables are a collection of brief moral tales attributed to a storyteller believed to have lived in ancient Greece around the 6th century BCE. These tales typically feature animals as characters who embody human traits and behaviours, teaching practical life lessons through their interactions. Classic fables like "The Tortoise and the Hare," "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," and "The Ant and the Grasshopper" use simple narratives to convey enduring wisdom about virtues such as perseverance, honesty, and hard work. With twelve pages of advertisements to the rear, dated March 1848.The leaves of this volume have been washed. Rebound by Eric Sweet in cloth, with endpapers renewed. With a slip case from Sweet, which incorporates the publisher's original cloth binding.Bound by Eric Sweet, a keen collector of private press and fables. He studied at the Brighton College of Art, before moving to London to work as a lettering artist and typographer for advertising agencies, later becoming the head of Birmingham School of Printing. Sweet's bindings are unique and striking, reflecting the topics of the volumes in distinctive style. Reboud in cloth, with endpapers renewed, housed in a cloth slip case with the publisher's original boards and back strip laid down. Externally, fine. Original boards lightly age toned, with ring mark to front board, and back strip age toned. Slip case in very good condition indeed. Internally, firmly bound. The leaves of this volume have been washed. Pages clean and bright. Fine . Ill.: John Tenniel. Fine .