The Ingoldsby Legends; or, Mirth and Marvels

Ingoldsby, Thomas (Barham, Richard Harris); Rackham, Arthur (illustrator).. The Ingoldsby Legends; or, Mirth and Marvels. E.P Dutton. New York. 1907. 24 tipped-in plates (including frontice), with tissue guards, illustrated by Arthur Rackham. 12 illustrations printed with tint and 66 illustrations in text. 10 X 8. Green cloth boards with gilt illustration and title design. Vignette illustration on spine, featuring title, illustration and publisher design. Deckled page edges. Shelf wear to top and tail of spine with rubbing to spine edges. Some bumping to corners. Noticeable discolouration to front and back cover boards. Sound binding. Pictorial endpapers. Frontice tissue guard show moderate foxing but plate itself is clean. Light foxing found sporadically throughout but does not impact readability of text. Plate located on page 184 is present but not affixed to page itself.

The Ingoldsby Legends is a collection of legends, myths, folktales, poetry and ghost stories, attributed to Thomas Ingoldsby, the pseudonym of Richard Harris Barham. The legends were first serialized in Bentley's Miscellany and then later in New Monthly Magazine. The collection contains one of the earliest transcripts of A Franklyn's Dogge, which is an early version of the children's song Bingo. In addition to this notable song, the most recognizable poem is the Jackdaw of Rheims, about a jackdaw who steals a cardinal's ring and becomes a saint.

Richard Harris Barham (1788-1845) was an English cleric of the Church of England, while his pen name, Thomas Ingoldsby was a humourist, poet and storyteller. Following his death, Barham's son published his father's miscellaneous poems, called the Ingoldsby Lyrics.

Arthur Rackham (1867 - 1939) was an English illustrator, known for his pen and ink works, combined with watercolour technique. Rackham became one of the leading names throughout the "Golden Age" of British Book Illustration. During this period, there was high demand for illustrated works, often given as gifts. Following his death, Rackham's works have become increasingly popular.