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Kingsley, Charles : The Water-Babies

Dodd, Mead & Co., New York, 1916

Former owner's bookplate, else a nearly fine copy, Small 4to, 362 pp., With 12 color plates by Jessie Willcox Smith and numerous text illustrations printed in green and black, Bound in green cloth with gilt lettering and circular mounted illustration on the front board

1st

Kingsley, Charles : The Water-Babies

Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, 1916

Original publisher's green cloth binding with gilt lettering on front cover and spine. Original tipped-in color plate on front cover of one of the titular "water-babies." 5 1/4" x 7 1/2." 270 pages, complete. Eight full-page color plates, complete. Pages and covers are very clean and intact overall. Pages have the occasional small pencil annotation and a tear affecting Pages 111-112 (a portion appears to have been punched through; text is still complete and readable). Covers have slight wear to the extremities. A Very Good copy. Charles Kingsley (1819-1875) was an English author, professor, and clergyman of the Church of England. He was also a friend of Charles Darwin. Arguably Kingsley's best-known work, The Water-Babies is a children's fable. The story is about the main character, Tom, who must prove himself to be of good moral character after entering the world of fairies. Also within this tale are a number of topics relevant to the author's time. For example, Kingsley had written this novel as a way to satirize the dismissal of Darwin's theory of evolution by contemporary scientists as well as to speak out against child labor in England. The Water-Babies, first published in 1863, was a popular book that retained its popularity into the twentieth century. Jessie Willcox Smith (1863-1935) was an American illustrator. She was part of the "Golden Age of American Illustration." Smith illustrated for a number of books and magazines including Little Women, A Child's Garden of Verses, Century, Collier's, Harper's, and Good Housekeeping. In 1991, Smith became only the second woman to be inducted into the Society of Illustrators' Hall of Fame. The illustrations she made for The Water-Babies were among her most famous.. Illustr.: Smith, Jessie Willcox. Book. Book Condition: Very Good. Binding: Hardcover

Kingsley , Charles : THE WATER-BABIES

Dodd & Mead Co., New York, 1916

1st. Edition , ( USA ) Green cloth with gilt letters at the spine and front board with round illustrated paste down ( baby laying in water ) see image . With eleven color tipped in full page plates and black & white line drawings . A very collectable childrens book . Condition : Very Good with bumped corned light edge ware , a clean tight binding and complete copy . Size: 4to - over 9¾ - 12" tall. Illustr.: Jessie Willcox Smith. Book. Book Condition: Very Good. Binding: Hardcover. Jacket: No Jacket

1st Edition American.

KINGSLEY**, CHARLES: : THE WATER-BABIES

UK.LIMPSFIELD,SURREY.DRAGON'S WORLD LIMITED/PAPER TIGER,1980.

ISBN 0905895509.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.[Abridged by Ines de Hosson.] FINE+/VG.No owner inscrptn per se,but colour pictorial illustrated adhesive owner bookplate with handwriten owner's name,pasted to front free endpaper and no price-clip to dw/dj. Bright,crisp,clean,glossy laminated,colour pictorial artwork by Susan Rowe,illustrated front panel of dw/dj with blacck+white lettering; with negligible shelf-wear or creasing to edges and corners - no major nicks or tears present.A vertically oblique,angled accidental crease to front panel along with some minimal scoring and other indents but without penetration or affecting the boards beneath,rear panel and board similar.Top edges with light toning,fore-edges bright and clean; contents bright,tight,clean,solid and sound - pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corners,appears unread - apart from my own collation.Bright,crisp,clean,sharp-cornered, publisher's original plain dark blue cloth boards with bright,crisp,blocked silver gilt letters to spine/backstrip,a blue+white striped headband and clean plain white endpapers.UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,9-142pp [paginated] includes 8 chapters,each with a b/w line illustrated headpiece,26 full page,full colour illustrations,2 double-page full page,full colour illustrations,and 2 b/w full page illustrations - all called for (present) and all by Susan Rowe - interspersed throughout the text and the book; plus [unpaginated] blank,a half-title page,a b/w vignette illustrated title page,a contents list/table and to the rear a blank after last paginated page and before rear free endpaper. 'The Water-Babies' is an evocative fairy tale in which Victorian escapism and morality walk hand in hand.Greedy or stupid adults get their come-uppance in a water after-life explored vividly by Charles Kingsley through the eyes of his chimney-urchin hero Tom,the "water-baby". The story is a series of picturesque allegories,where Tom meets talkative dragonflies,flees from evil otters,then learns the intricacies of river-life status from a majestic salmon.He is captured by and then escapes from an incredulous scientist. Alternately stern and kindly fairies guide him towards the "other-End-of-Nowhere". The book ends on a note of forgiveness,with Mr Grimes,the heartless sweep who mercilessly exploited Tom on dry land,being released from torture by Tom's guiding fairy,Mrs Bedonebyasyou did. Susan Rowe's delicate,precise water colours throw a glowing new light on this eminent Victorian clergyman's extraordinary fantasy. This abridged version brings the story up to date (then 1980) and is a perfect successor to previous editions. Susan Rowe (b.1950) Leicester.She followed a two-year foundation course in Art at Harlow in Essex,intending to be a textile designer.In 1976 she graduated from Brighton Polytechnic,Faculty of Art and Design,Visual Communications and moved to the Lower ichen area of Hampshire,where she worked on 'The Water-Babies'. Her chosen specialism was children's book illustration.At her graduation exhibition, she was approached by Roger Dean,a local man and entrepreneur,intending to set up a publishing business.She was commissioned by him to illustrate 'The Water-Babies' - her first book for her new publisher.She then began a successful career as an illustrator working for Dragon’s World and Paper Tiger. Please contact seller,for correct shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - 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 AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj, 1st edn.
Not SIGNED.

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