retold by Arthur Ransome
PRESENTATION COPY WITH ALS
Aladdin in Rhyme retold by Arthur Ransome
Nisbet, 1920.
First edition. 4to. Publisher's pictorial cloth with lettering and designs in red and blue. Top edge gilt. Inscribed by the illustrator on the front blank, "To Mr Butler Wood/ with best wishes/ T. Mackenzie/ 1919". In addition there is an accompanying letter in Mackenzie's hand. Pictorial endpapers with striking silhouette drawings. 12 wonderful art nouveau style colour plates and each page decorated with silhouette and line drawings. A fine copy.
This book is a wonderful co-operation of Ransome telling the story of Aladdin and his lamp in rhyme and beautiful decorations by Thomas Mackenzie. The recipient of this book was one of the founders of the Bronte society and the librarian for Bradford public libraries, West Yorkshire. The handwritten letter from Mackenzie to Mr Wood thanks him for sending a "rather flattering" notice from the "Athenaeum" and saying that he can now "judge the book itself from the endorsed copy". Mackenzie laments problems with the production of the Edition-de-luxe of the book saying that the sheets are not dry enough to be bound up yet because of "The continuous damp weather and the hand made paper it is printed on". As a result he estimates that the Deluxe edition will not go on sale until sometime in 1920 (the book was aimed at the Christmas gift market of 1919). He also says that he hopes that Mr Wood will like the book, "there are mistakes in it due to inexperience and immaturity which I hope you will close your eyes to."
Stock ID: 44289
