Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$1000.00 + shipping
Description: . WALTON, Izaak. The Compleat Angler, or The Contemplative Man's Recreation. Being a discourse of rivers, fishponds, fish and fishing not unworthy the perusal of most anglers. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. London: George G. Harrap & Co., [1931]. Limited to 775 numbered copies, of which this is number 622 signed by the artist. Quarto. 223 pp. Twelve color plates, with descriptive tissue guards, and twenty-five drawings in black and white. Original full vellum boards stamped in gilt on front cover and spine. Top edge gilt, others uncut. Pictorial endpapers in brown and white. Spine soiled, edges browned, small puncture on frount outer hinge of spine. Overall, a very good copy. Latimore & Haskell, pp. 66-67. HBS 67127. $1,000.
Seller: Heritage Book Shop, ABAA, Beverly Hills, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$1100.00 + shipping
Description: "I Envy No Body But Him, And Him Only, That Catches More Fish Than I Do" [RACKHAM, Arthur, illustrator]. WALTON, Izaak. The Compleat Angler or The Contemplative Man's Recreation. Being a Discourse of Rivers, Fishponds, Fish and Fishing not unworthy the Perusal of most Anglers. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. London: George G. Harrap & Co., [1931]. Limited to 775 numbered copies (this copy being No. 408), signed by the artist. Quarto (10 5/16 x 7 13/16 inches; 263 x 198 mm.). 223, [1] pp. Twelve color plates, with descriptive tissue guards, and twenty-five drawings in black and white. Title printed in green and black. Original full vellum over boards. Front cover lettered in gilt within a gilt triple-rule border, spine pictorially stamped and lettered in gilt with three gilt rules at top and bottom of spine. Top edge gilt, others uncut. Pictorial endpapers in reddish brown and white. Small light stain at top of spine, light tape marks on free end-papers, otherwise a very good copy. "No fewer than six plates have landscape backgrounds, plates which should remind us of Rackham's very serious reputation as a landscape painter, with a fine vision of natural forms" (Gettings, Arthur Rackham, p. 159). Latimore & Haskell, pp. 66-67. Riall, p. 175.
Seller: David Brass Rare Books, Inc., Calabasas, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$1250.00 + shipping
Description: Signed/limited edtion. Limited to 775 copies, this no. 254 signed by Arthur Rackham. Quarto. 224p. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham with text drawings and twelve full-page color plates with captioned tissue guards. Illustrated title page in green and black. Bound in publisher's full vellum with illustrated endpapers, t.e.g., with gilt spine and covers titles, the spine with additional fish device. Minor spots of foxing on verso of frontispiece, else absolutely fine and entirely unopened. House in supplied cloth slipcase, Exellent copy Signed/limited edtion. Limited to 775 copies, this no. 254 signed by Arthur Rackham.
Seller: First Folio A.B.A.A., Paris, TN, U.S.A.
Price: US$1750.00 + shipping
Description: "I Envy No Body But Him, And Him Only, That Catches More Fish Than I Do" [RACKHAM, Arthur, illustrator]. WALTON, Izaak. The Compleat Angler or The Contemplative Man's Recreation. Being a Discourse of Rivers, Fishponds, Fish and Fishing not unworthy the Perusal of most Anglers. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. London: George G. Harrap & Co., [1931]. Limited to 775 numbered copies (this copy being No. 265), signed by the artist. Quarto (10 5/16 x 7 13/16 inches; 263 x 198 mm.). 223, [1] pp. Twelve color plates, with descriptive tissue guards, and twenty-five drawings in black and white. Title printed in green and black. Original full vellum over boards. Front cover lettered in gilt within a gilt triple-rule border, spine pictorially stamped and lettered in gilt with three gilt rules at top and bottom of spine. Top edge gilt, others uncut. Pictorial endpapers in reddish brown and white. In the original publisher's? white cardboard box. Spine very slightly creased otherwise a fine copy. "No fewer than six plates have landscape backgrounds, plates which should remind us of Rackham's very serious reputation as a landscape painter, with a fine vision of natural forms" (Gettings, Arthur Rackham, p. 159). Latimore & Haskell, pp. 66-67. Riall, p. 175.
Seller: David Brass Rare Books, Inc., Calabasas, CA, U.S.A.
(Rackham, Arthur) Walton, Izaac. The Compleat Angler. George G. Harrap, London, 1931.
Price: US$2250.00 + shipping
Description: Rackham, Arthur. First Rackham edition, no. 23 of 775 copies, signed by the artist. Illustrated title-page in green and black, 12 colored plates, numerous black and white illustrations in text, pictorial endpapers by Rackham. 1 vols. 4to. Of all the Rackham books, one of the most delightful and sought-after, and a gem for any Walton collector. A much nicer copy than ordinarily encountered in original slipcase. Latimore and Haskell, p. 66; Coigney 312 Full white parchment, lettered and ruled in gilt, t.e.g., fore and lower edges uncut. Fine copy in original printed slipcase (some splitting along folds) Illustrated title-page in green and black, 12 colored plates, numerous black and white illustrations in text, pictorial endpapers by Rackham. 1 vols. 4to First Rackham edition, no. 23 of 775 copies, signed by the artist.
Seller: James Cummins Bookseller, ABAA, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$3537.26 + shipping
Description: First Rackham edition, publisher's special binding, with an original drawing by Rackham on the half-title, signed and dated "Arthur Rackham 1931". The spirited drawing shows two birds stealing bait from a sleeping angler. The Compleat Angler was first published in 1653; this edition uses the text of the fifth edition of 1676, the last to be revised by the author, alongside new illustrations by Rackham, who "dominated the art of book illustration" from the start of the 20th century (ODNB). A review of the book in The Observer noted that "Mr Rackham takes his own way with Walton, and poses him more for the literary than for the angling reader. But he seems to understand the tones of sky and atmosphere that make angler's weather, and his own vein of the playful-fantastic is most winningly exemplified". Describing his artistic method for his occasional additional drawings, Rackham noted that "my little sketches must inevitably be of a light-hearted or joking nature. They have to be spontaneous and free handed. The nature of the paper is such that there can be no preparatory drawing and no alterations". Latimore & Haskell pp. 66-7; Riall, p. 175. The Observer, 29 November 1931, p. vii. Quarto. Original dark green morocco, spine and front cover lettered and illustrated in gilt, illustrated endpapers, top edge gilt. Colour frontispiece and 11 similar plates with captioned tissue guards, black and white illustrations in the text, all by Rackham. Spine slightly toned, some occasional foxing: a near-fine copy.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom
Price: US$28941.24 + shipping
Description: Signed limited edition, special issue, number 2 of 14 copies for presentation issued with an original signed pen-and-ink and watercolour sketch by Rackham, here depicting Izaak Walton being served a fish on a plate, and in a specially commissioned luxury binding decorated in gilt with tools designed by the artist. The signed edition was limited to 775 copies. Harrap launched The Compleat Angler at a presentation party on 24 September 1931 during which each one of the 14 guests was presented with a leather-bound edition of the book, each with a signed ink sketch by Rackham on the half-title. Rackham had been adding special watercolour to volumes since the early 1920s as commissions to supplement his income, but it was George Harrap who hit on the idea of a "Rackham special", the most exclusive format of Rackham's books. From The Vicar of Wakefield on, Harrap held back the first dozen or so copies to be specially bound, as here, and asked Rackham to add a unique original watercolour sketch to the limited page. The first few copies were usually reserved for the publisher and his family; only a handful were available to the public. Describing his artistic method for these "specials", Rackham pointed out that "my little sketches must inevitably be of a light-hearted or joking nature. They have to be spontaneous and free handed. The nature of the paper is such that there can be no preparatory drawing and no alterations". Latimore & Haskell, pp. 66-67; Riall, p. 175. Small quarto. Publisher's special binding by Sangorski & Sutcliffe in red crushed morocco, titles in gilt direct to spine, raised bands, single gilt fillet frames to compartments and gilt fish motif (closely resembling that used on copies in the vellum binding), concentric gilt panels on boards with fish motif to corners, three frames in gilt to turn-ins, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, others untrimmed, red silk page marker. Colour frontispiece and 11 coloured plates with captioned tissue guards, black and white illustrations in the text, by Rackham, title printed in green and black. Bequeathal inscription dated 1956 loosely inserted. The binding sharp, a few spots of faint foxing to contents, very slight foxing to fore- and bottom edges, else internally crisp and unmarked. A fine copy.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom