THE BIRD TALISMAN - An Eastern Tale. [Illustrated by Gwen Raverat.]

UK,slim,small 8vo HB+dw/dj,illustrated 2nd edn, reprinted. [First printed,published 1852 then privately printed 1887 by the sister of the author. This publisher Faber & Faber Limited first published it with these illustrations by this illustrator in October 1939 and then reprinted it in 1947. A 2nd edition appeared in 1964 which was then reprinted in 1965 - this listing.] FINE-/NFINE. No owner inscrptn and no price-clip to dw/dj.Bright and generally clean with very minimal blemishes,wrap-around,matt,pale grey background with pictorial colour + b/w artwork illustrations by Gwen Raverat to front+rear panels of dw/dj respectively.Front of dw/dj with capitalised black lettered part-title and other black lettered sub-title; author and illustrator capitalised black lettered names; spine/backstrip with black lettered title,author and illustrator names and publisher's name to foot of same, rear panel of dw/dj with a black+grey illustration and no text and 'ghosts' of a pair of small adhesive labels,now no longer present.Negligible shelf-wear to edges and corners – no nicks,tears or splits present.Top edges alone with light dust-soiling and minimnal, sporadic foxing/spotting,fore-edges brighter and cleaner without foxing/spotting; contents exceptionally bright,tight,clean,solid and sound – no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corner tips – appears unread,apart from my own collation. Publisher's bright,crisp,clean/unblemished,sharp-cornered,original plain tan cloth boards with bright, crisp,blocked black ink lettering within a decorative border to spine/backstrip,and immaculate plain white endpapers. UK,slim,small 8vo HB+dw/dj,illustrated 2nd edn,reprinted,1-69pp [paginated] includes12 chapters - each with either a b/w woodcut engraving illustrated headpiece of thumbnail b/w illustration inset by start of sentences to chapter,profuse other b/w illustrations within the text and the book,eight 4-colour block illustrated plates includes the frntis; plus [unpaginated] half-title,title page with b/w illustration,illustrator's preface/explanation,and to the rear,2pp blanks. Visually the exterior appearance is exceptional and particularly internally,is also in an exceptional condition/state of preservation and presentation,for a book of its near 60 year-old age and nature, i.e. an child's book. It is only the minimal,minor faults described that prevents a slightly higher grading overall.Despite them it really is still an exemplary example for its cleanliness,brightness and lack of other detracting faults. Originally first published in The Family Tutor in 1852. The author H. A Wedgwood was a grandson of Josiah Wedgwood of Etruria,the potter,marrying his cousin Jessie Wedgwood,also a grandchild of Josiah. The story was liked by all the children of the Wedgwood and Darwin families that the author's sister Mrs Darwin in 1887,had it privately printed as a small book for the next generation of children. A charming story about a little princess and the magic ring which made her able to talk to birds. Gwendolen Mary Raverat (b. 1885 - d. 1957) worked as Gwen Raverat.Born in Cambridge,England,daughter of Sir George Darwin,Professor of Astronomy,and grand-daughter of Charles Darwin.She learned the rudiments of wood engravingfrom her cousin by marriage,Elinor Monsell,but was mainly self-taught as an engraver.She studied painting at the Slade School of Fine Art (c.1908-10) and married fellow-artist Jacques Raverat (1911).After the death of Jacques in 1925 in France where they had lived,she returned to London for 3 years where she designed sets and costumes for a new Vaughan Williams ballet 'Masque for Dancing' (performed 1931)She was art critic for Time and Tide (1928-39) and worked during WW2 as a draughtsman in the Naval Intelligence Office in Cambridge.A stroke in 1951 forced her to give up wood engraving but she continued pinting until the end of her life. An admirer since chikldhood of the work of Thomas Bewick,she began engraving seriously soon after her marriage.Her earliest book illustrations,for her cousin Frances Cornford's 'Spring Morning' (1915) showed the qualities of her mature style.Her most ambitious book was 'The Bird Talisman',a Victorian fantasy for children written by H. A. Wedgwood to whom,she was a great-niece.For the colour illustrations she used three or four blocks,a process little used for illustrations since Lucien Pissarro's Eragny Press publications.In these illustrations she succeeded in capturing the fairy-tale atmosphere of the story,while evoking something of the quality of hand-coloured children's books of the early 19thC. Please contact seller,for correct shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas customers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded, after order's receipt and before the order's despatch, especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard US AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always. **

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