Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Bannerman, Helen. The Story of Little Black Sambo. Grant Richards, London, 1899.
Price: US$3900.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: The Story of Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman. First edition, second printing. Publisher: Grant Richards, London, 1899. Stated Second edition, so stated on the title-page and October and November 1899 stated on the copyright page. This copy printed one month after the first printing and is identical as the first printing with the exception of the issue notations. Binding is in fine condition. Contents clean and bright, light foxing to the front and back endpaper & pastedowns. 57 pages. 3 ¼ x 5 inches. Housed in a custom clamshell. Wonderful copy of a scarce item. Inventory #14-324. Price: $3,900 Language: eng Language: eng Language: eng
Seller: Discovery Bay Old Books ABAA, ILAB, Brentwood, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$5445.00 + shipping
Description: First edition; 12mo; 27 full-page colour illustrations after the author printed by Edmund Evans, pages 4-5 with old repair to gutter, new endpapers; publisher's pale green cloth lettered and blocked in darker green, slight lean and bumping, very minor marking, overall a very attractive copy, presented in modern cloth-backed solander box. Helen Bannerman originally wrote this story during a long railway journey in India, to send to her two small daughters that she had just left to be educated in her native Scotland. It was eventually published as the fourth title in the 'Dumpy Books' series. Despite controversy it has gone through countless printings and translations, as well as many sequels, imitations, and parodies.
Seller: Shapero Rare Books, London, United Kingdom
Price: US$5808.00 + shipping
Description: First edition; 12m; half-title with advertisement for the Dumpy Books series on verso, 27 full-page colour illustrations after the author printed by Edmund Evans, usual minor finger-marking and occasional light soiling to leaves, overall internally very good; publisher's pale green cloth lettered and blocked in darker green, a little light rubbing and marking but an attractive copy, scarce to find in such condition. Helen Bannerman originally wrote this story during a long railway journey in India, to send to her two small daughters that she had just left to be educated in her native Scotland. It was eventually published as the fourth title in the 'Dumpy Books' series. Despite controversy it has gone through countless printings and translations, as well as many sequels, imitations, and parodies.
Seller: Shapero Rare Books, London, United Kingdom
Bannerman, Helen. The Story of Little Black Sambo. Grant Richards, London, 1899.
Price: US$6000.00 + shipping
Description: First edition. Illustrated with 27 full-page engravings after drawings by the author, printed in color by Edmund Evans. 1 vols. 16mo. First edition of one of the most celebrated titles in children's literature, a work whose small illustrated format heralded a change in children's publishing, and a book that has achieved classic status while remaining explosively controversial. Hay, Sambo Sahib (Paul Harris, 1981); Schiller, "The Story of Little Black Sambo," in The Book Collector 23, No. 3 (Autumn 1974), pp. 381-386; Blockson 101, no. 50 Original light green cloth ruled and lettered in dark green. Contemporary owner's signature dated Nov 1 1899 on title. Front hinge repaired, some rubbing and soiling of covers, a few spots in margins. Overall, a good copy of this notoriously fragile book. In green half morocco slipcase and chemise Illustrated with 27 full-page engravings after drawings by the author, printed in color by Edmund Evans. 1 vols. 16mo
Seller: James Cummins Bookseller, ABAA, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Bannerman, Helen. The Story of Little Black Sambo. Grant Richards, 1899.
Price: US$8500.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First Edition of "The Story of Little Black Sambo" BANNERMAN, Helen. The Story of Little Black Sambo. London: Grant Richards, 1899. First edition. Sixteenmo (4 7/8 x 3 inches; 124 x 75 mm). viii, 57, [1, blank], [1, printers imprint], [1, blank] pp. Twenty-seven full-page illustrations by the author, engraved on wood and color-printed by Edmund Evans. No. 4 of The Dumpy Books for Children. Original pale green cloth lettered and stamped in dark green with ruled borders and vertical stripes. Free endpapers with some minor toning, as usual. The slightest of wear to covers and spine. Otherwise, a very good or better copy of this rare item, clean with no previous owners notations. Usually found in much worse condition. Housed in a custom green cloth clamshell case with black morocco label, gilt-stamped on spine. Helen Bannerman (1862-1946) wrote this story during a long railway journey to India, after having left two small daughters to be educated in her native Scotland. The author never intended the book for publication, but through the encouragement of her children and friends the manuscript was shown to E.V. Lucas who agreed to publish it as the fourth title in his series of The Dumpy Books for Children" (Schiller, p. 381). When first published in October 1899, The Story of Little Black Sambo was a "revolutionary-style picture book. Compared with its contemporary school of illustratorsCrane, Greenaway, and Caldecottthe pictures are simple yet bold. The format of the book encouraged its handling by young owners, and the pages alternated between text and illustrations in a manner very appealing and appropriate to its compact size. It even seems probable that Beatrix Potters animal books, which began in 1901 with the privately printed Peter Rabbit, were at least influenced by the overall design of this book and, subsequently, so was the general success of the entire Dumpy series" (Schiller, pp. 381-382). Very few copies of the original printing have survived, and of the copies known, most have been badly worn because the small book was unable to withstand the constant handling of children. "Should a census eventually be attempted, there would probably be fewer copies located than of the notoriously rare and suppressed 1865 Alice" (Schiller, p. 386). See Schiller, "The Story of Little Black Sambo," in The Book Collector 23, No. 3 (Autumn 1974), pp. 381-386.
Seller: Weinstein-Perez Rare Books, Studio City, CA, U.S.A.
BANNERMAN, Helen. Story of Little Black Sambo. Grant Richards, London, 1899.
Price: US$8500.00 + shipping
Description: First edition. Sixteenmo (4 7/8 x 3 inches; 124 x 75 mm). viii, 57, [1, blank], [1, printer's imprint], [1, blank] pp. Twenty-seven full-page illustrations by the author, engraved on wood and color-printed by Edmund Evans. No. 4 of The Dumpy Books for Children. Original pale green cloth lettered and stamped in dark green with ruled borders and vertical stripes. Spine very lightly sunned. Some very minor rubbing to ink stamping on boards. Previous owner's gift inscription on front free endpaper, dated 1900. free endpapers with some minor toning. A near fine copy of this very rare item, usually found in much worse condition. In a green cloth clamshell case with black ink vertical stripes to match the book's binding. "Helen Bannerman (1862-1946) wrote this story during a long railway journey to India, after having left two small daughters to be educated in her native Scotland. The author never intended the book for publication, but through the encouragement of her children and friends the manuscript was shown to E.V. Lucas who agreed to publish it as the fourth title in his series of âThe Dumpy Books for Children'" (Schiller, p. 381). When first published in October 1899, The Story of Little Black Sambo was a "revolutionary-style picture book. Compared with its contemporary school of illustratorsâ"Crane, Greenaway, and Caldecottâ"the pictures are simple yet bold. The format of the book encouraged its handling by young owners, and the pages alternated between text and illustrations in a manner very appealing and appropriate to its compact size. It even seems probable that Beatrix Potter's animal books, which began in 1901 with the privately printed Peter Rabbit, were at least influenced by the overall design of this book and, subsequently, so was the general success of the entire âDumpy' series" (Schiller, pp. 381-382). Very few copies of the original printing have survived, and of the copies known, most have been badly worn because the small book was unable to withstand the constant handling of children. "Should a census eventually be attempted, there would probably be fewer copies located than of the notoriously rare and suppressed 1865 Alice" (Schiller, p. 386). See Schiller, "The Story of Little Black Sambo," in The Book Collector 23, No. 3 (Autumn 1974), pp. 381-386. HBS 68031. $8,500.
Seller: Heritage Book Shop, ABAA, Beverly Hills, CA, U.S.A.