A GALLERY OF CHILDREN. Signed by A.A. Milne. by MILNE, A. A. Illustrated by Henriette WILLEBEEK LE MAIR (Saida).:

London, Stanley Paul, 1925.. FIRST DE LUXE EDITION 1925, LIMITED TO 500 COPIES SIGNED BY MILNE, THIS BEING No.257. 4to, 325 x 260 mm, 12¾ x 10¼ inches, cream cloth, bevelled boards, gilt lettered and gilt illustrated upper cover and spine, top edges gilt, 105 pages. Coloured title vignette and 12 enchanting mounted colour plates of young children, each with a pastel frame and coloured border. Covers very bright, endpapers faintly browned and very lightly marked, slight pale margin foxing to early pages, few small pale splashes in lower margin of 2 facing pages maximum 10 mm (½") (see image 4). Near Fine copy, no inscriptions. This is the first UK edition of these stories which were commissioned by the U.S. publisher David McKay to go with the illustrations by Willebeek Le Mair. Milne lost thousands on the deal as he foolishly accepted a lump sum payment of £200. The book was a huge success and when McKay suggested to Milne another project with Shepard for which he would receive a royalty, Milne told him to 'go to San Francisco and chew gum' (See Thwaite page 286). MORE IMAGES ATTACHED TO THIS LISTING, ALL ZOOMABLE. FURTHER IMAGES ON REQUEST. POSTAGE AT COST.