Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$9500.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: DELUXE LIMITED EDITION in exceedingly rare original slipcase. WITH: RACKHAM INK DRAWING of the Gryphon. The book: "Rackham embarked on his new edition of Alice in Wonderland, with illustrations to rival John Tenniel's, when the book came out of copyright in 1907. Rackham's advantage over Tenniel was that now he could introduce colour; also his pen line would not be reproduced by wood-engraving. This gave him some new freedoms for invention, but his amendments to the ingrained image of Alice were not only technical. Rackham's Alice was very much a fleshly Edwardian child who would question the status quo of Wonderland. Her courtesy carried an undercurrent of insistent argument. A contemporary critic observed 'a tender, flickering light of imagination in [Alice's] eyes' (Daily Telegraph, 27 Nov 1907). (Dictionary of National Biography). This deluxe limited edition is number 1030 of 1130 copies, unsigned as issued. (Rackham was out of the country when the book was published and did not sign the edition.) Complete with thirteen large tipped-in color plates and many black and white drawings. In the exceedingly rare original "windowed" slipcase: We can only find records of very few references to the original slipcase, although numerous copies exhibit the patch of rectangular discoloration corresponding to the cut-out opening of the slipcase, designed to display the gilt title and the gilt cover illustrations of the turtle and gryphon. The drawing: Laid-in is a large pen and ink drawing of the gryphon, signed by Rackham ("ARackham") and dated ("07") the same year as the book. The drawing is similar to the one on page 119 of the text, but is larger and with much more detail. Size: sheet = 7 1/4x9 (184x228 mm); image = approx. 5 1/2x7 in (136x180 mm). London and New York: William Heinemann and Doubleday, Page, & Co., 1907.Quarto, original white buckram gilt, original marbled slipcase with morocco edges and cutout displaying the title and illustrations on the front panel. Drawing laid-in. Book with mild rectangular "ghosting" from where the cloth was exposed when in the slipcase; mild toning to spine and a few stray spots but cloth exceptionally clean and bright. Corners a little bumped. Slipcase with general rubbing to marbled paper and chips around the frame of the cutout. Matte for one plate with small abrasions at gutter. Text and plates nearly pristine. Drawing was previously framed, resulting in toning to paper where it was exposed (ink crisp and fine). A beautiful copy of a Rackham classic, complete with the very rare slipcase and a unique Rackham ink drawing.
Seller: Manhattan Rare Book Company, ABAA, ILAB, New York, NY, U.S.A.