THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. A story for children by LEWIS. C. S. ; BAYNES. PAULINE. Illustrates - 1950

Henry and Co. London. 1893. FIRST EDITION. Octavo. Original blue buckram, lettered in gilt. Housed in a custom green cloth slipcase and chemise. Small bookplate to front pastedown, related bibiliographic material pasted to endpapers. Shaw's very scarce first play, published in an edition, according to Laurence, of "not more than 500" copies. It was not an overwhelming bestseller. Shaw wrote to John Lane (quoted in Laurence) that the publisher "never advertised it even once; and the sale, which was only effected by great perseverance & determination on the part of the purchasers, was 150 copies." When the publisher retired in December 1897, they ceded to Shaw 194 sets of unbound sheets, which Shaw claimed to have commissioned Sotheran & Co. to bind for him. "So few of these [in purple cloth] in the Sotheran binding have turned up, however, that it is unlikely Shaw had all of the copies bound; a considerable number must eventually have been pulped â¦" Copies in green cloth have been noted as well,… Read More

William Heinemann Ltd. London. 1961. THREE VOLUMES. Reprint of the 1951 Edition. 8vo. (8.1 x 5.7 inches). Fine and clean set in attractive leather bindings by Bayntun of Bath. Contemporary full blue polished calf. Spines with five raised bands, each with gilt decorative roll. The compartments are ruled, lettered and fully decorated in gilt. Red and green labels, gilt. Double gilt ruled border on boards. Board edges with decorative floral gilt roll. Inner gilt dentelles. Marbled endpapers. All edges gilt. Housed in a blue paper coveredslip case which has some minor wear but has done its job of keeping the books protected. The slip case is felt lined and has a beige silk tie pull. The spines are just a touch faded and there are a couple of small scratches but overall this is an attractive and finely bound set of this important collection.

Longmans, Green, and Co. London and Bombay. 1902. FIRST EDITION. Colonial Issue. 8vo. (7.4 x 5.3 inches). Illustrated with sixteen mono plates by Sidney Paget. Tisue guard to the frontispiece. A few of the plates are bound in different places than listed on the contents page but all are present. 4 pages of publishers adverts for the colonial library at the rear of the book. The text and illustrations are fine, clean and bright throughout and look unread. Publishers decorative green cloth which has dark blue illustration to the front board and spine. Gilt lettering to the spine. Decorative light blue and white floral endpapers with ship and swan designs. There are a couple of small closed tears to the spine and the cloth is a bit rubbed and bumped and has a few small marks but is generally in very good condition with the gilt on the spine still quite bright. Previous owner's small typed name label on the plain verso of the front free endpaper, reading H. B. Rattray. This is almost certainly Captain… Read More

William Heinemann Ltd. London. 1961. THREE VOLUMES. Reprint of the 1951 Edition. 8vo. (8 x 5.4 inches). Fine and clean set in the rare Publishers delux leather bindings of full red Morocco. Spines with blind ruled bands and lettered in gilt. Gilt stamped Author's symbol device to the front boards. Blue marbled endpapers. Top edges gilt. Each volume with a red silk page marker. Housed in a red cloth covered slip case with marbled paper lining. The spines are a bit rubbed and there are a couple of small scratches but overall this is an attractive set of this important collection. Only a few sets were issued in these publishers delux leather bindings and they seldom turn up on the market.

Frederick Warne & Co. London. 1908. FIRST EDITION. 4to. (10.8 x 8.5 inches). Fully illustrated with 24 wonderful full colour plates (XYZ appear together on one page) within a border and above a humourous verse, plus 2 double page decorative line drawings, printed in different shades of brown on parchment paper, for the endpapers. Colour pages are printed on one side only. A bright and clean copy throughout. Publishers original grey/dark green paper covered, bevelled edged, boards with lettering and illustration to the front board by Dulac, printed in Gold, white, orange and light green. Rear board with circular design printed in white, gold and green. Plain yellow cloth spine. Some minor marking to the spine but overall a lovely clean, tight, near fine copy. Among the artists best and most imaginative works, this title is also one of the scarcest books that he illustrated. The humour in his verse is far surpassed by the comical imagination of the plates and shows the lighter side of Dulac's nature.… Read More

Henry and Co. London. 1893. FIRST EDITION. Octavo. Original blue buckram, lettered in gilt. Housed in a custom green cloth slipcase and chemise. Small bookplate to front pastedown, related bibiliographic material pasted to endpapers. Shaw's very scarce first play, published in an edition, according to Laurence, of "not more than 500" copies. It was not an overwhelming bestseller. Shaw wrote to John Lane (quoted in Laurence) that the publisher "never advertised it even once; and the sale, which was only effected by great perseverance & determination on the part of the purchasers, was 150 copies." When the publisher retired in December 1897, they ceded to Shaw 194 sets of unbound sheets, which Shaw claimed to have commissioned Sotheran & Co. to bind for him. "So few of these [in purple cloth] in the Sotheran binding have turned up, however, that it is unlikely Shaw had all of the copies bound; a considerable number must eventually have been pulped â¦" Copies in green cloth have been noted as well,… Read More

William Heinemann Ltd. London. 1961. THREE VOLUMES. Reprint of the 1951 Edition. 8vo. (8.1 x 5.7 inches). Fine and clean set in attractive leather bindings by Bayntun of Bath. Contemporary full blue polished calf. Spines with five raised bands, each with gilt decorative roll. The compartments are ruled, lettered and fully decorated in gilt. Red and green labels, gilt. Double gilt ruled border on boards. Board edges with decorative floral gilt roll. Inner gilt dentelles. Marbled endpapers. All edges gilt. Housed in a blue paper coveredslip case which has some minor wear but has done its job of keeping the books protected. The slip case is felt lined and has a beige silk tie pull. The spines are just a touch faded and there are a couple of small scratches but overall this is an attractive and finely bound set of this important collection.

Longmans, Green, and Co. London and Bombay. 1902. FIRST EDITION. Colonial Issue. 8vo. (7.4 x 5.3 inches). Illustrated with sixteen mono plates by Sidney Paget. Tisue guard to the frontispiece. A few of the plates are bound in different places than listed on the contents page but all are present. 4 pages of publishers adverts for the colonial library at the rear of the book. The text and illustrations are fine, clean and bright throughout and look unread. Publishers decorative green cloth which has dark blue illustration to the front board and spine. Gilt lettering to the spine. Decorative light blue and white floral endpapers with ship and swan designs. There are a couple of small closed tears to the spine and the cloth is a bit rubbed and bumped and has a few small marks but is generally in very good condition with the gilt on the spine still quite bright. Previous owner's small typed name label on the plain verso of the front free endpaper, reading H. B. Rattray. This is almost certainly Captain… Read More

William Heinemann Ltd. London. 1961. THREE VOLUMES. Reprint of the 1951 Edition. 8vo. (8 x 5.4 inches). Fine and clean set in the rare Publishers delux leather bindings of full red Morocco. Spines with blind ruled bands and lettered in gilt. Gilt stamped Author's symbol device to the front boards. Blue marbled endpapers. Top edges gilt. Each volume with a red silk page marker. Housed in a red cloth covered slip case with marbled paper lining. The spines are a bit rubbed and there are a couple of small scratches but overall this is an attractive set of this important collection. Only a few sets were issued in these publishers delux leather bindings and they seldom turn up on the market.

Frederick Warne & Co. London. 1908. FIRST EDITION. 4to. (10.8 x 8.5 inches). Fully illustrated with 24 wonderful full colour plates (XYZ appear together on one page) within a border and above a humourous verse, plus 2 double page decorative line drawings, printed in different shades of brown on parchment paper, for the endpapers. Colour pages are printed on one side only. A bright and clean copy throughout. Publishers original grey/dark green paper covered, bevelled edged, boards with lettering and illustration to the front board by Dulac, printed in Gold, white, orange and light green. Rear board with circular design printed in white, gold and green. Plain yellow cloth spine. Some minor marking to the spine but overall a lovely clean, tight, near fine copy. Among the artists best and most imaginative works, this title is also one of the scarcest books that he illustrated. The humour in his verse is far surpassed by the comical imagination of the plates and shows the lighter side of Dulac's nature.… Read More