Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$2200.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens" by J.M. Barrie and ill. by Arthur Rackham. Hodder & Stoughton, London. 1906 limited edition of 500 copies, this being no 430 signed by Arthur Rackham. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. illustrations and 50 tipped-in colour plates by Arthur Rackham, captioned tissue guards, some light scattered spotting, original pictorial vellum, gilt, lacking ties, slight bowing to covers, rather soiled and spotted. Rackham's greatest illustrated achievement.
Seller: Neverland Books, waalre, Netherlands
Price: US$5166.42 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First Edition de Luxe, 1 of 500 copies numbered and signed by Arthur Rackham. 4to., Publisher's vellum decoratively gilt, ties sympathetically replaced by the bindery of George Bayntun, lettered in gilt to spine, top edges gilt, others untrimmed, endpapers with pictorial map printed in blue to front free endpaper; pp. [vi], vii-xii + 125 + [i] + plates at rear; with pictorial title-page, coloured frontispiece, 49 additional coloured plates by Rackham, all mounted on brown stock with captioned tissue guards, text printed on fine laid paper. Published by Hodder & Stoughton (London), 1906. Internally fine. Externally Near Fine, with light overall dusting and soiling, and minor marking to spine. A lovely example of this famous Children s classic and Arthur Rackham s first notable book illustration commission. Please contact us for shipping costs if ordering from outside the UK.
Seller: GEORGE HANCOCK RARE BOOKS PBFA, BATH, United Kingdom
Price: US$5747.50 + shipping
Description: Deluxe edition, number 204 of 500 copies, signed by Rackham on the limitation page; 4to (280 x 233 mm); engraved map to front free endpaper, 50 colour plates with captioned tissue-guards, tipped-in on thick light brown paper including frontispiece, the odd, tiny peripheral spot if one looks hard, otherwise near-fine; publisher's vellum, illustrative gilt block to upper cover, replacement ties, top edge gilt, others untrimmed, the usual slight splaying of the boards, a hint of dust-soiling to the spine, otherwise near-fine; xii, 125, [1]pp. Rackham's magnificent illustrations capture so succinctly the ethereal atmosphere of the story, with the still recognisable Kensington Gardens poignantly rendered, together with period charm, so much so, that one plate discreetly features King Edward VII.
Seller: Shapero Rare Books, London, United Kingdom
J. M. BARRIE. PETER PAN IN KENSINGTON GARDEN. Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1906.
Price: US$6000.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: A fine, clean and tight copy. Deluxe Edition, Limited Numbered Edition 294/500 copies. Signed by Arthur Rackham. Fifty Color Plates with Captions and Tissue Guards. Exceptional copy, missing it ties in a fine custom slip case.
Seller: Booklegger's Fine Books ABAA, Park Ridge, IL, U.S.A.
Price: US$6458.02 + shipping
Description: Signed limited edition, number 263 of 500 copies signed by the artist, of this acknowledged classic of the "Golden Age" of book illustration. It also represents the first ever appearance of Peter Pan in the title of a book. Following publication, Barrie wrote to Rackham stating he had "shed glory" on the text and requested they continue to collaborate (cited in Hudson, p. 66). The story of Peter Pan had its genesis in Barrie's 1902 novel The Little White Bird, in which the central chapters tell of a child "who escaped from being a human when he was seven days old. and flew back to Kensington Gardens". Barrie developed this story into a play (first performed in 1904, but not published until 1928), the present book, and finally the novel Peter and Wendy (1911). Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, the most popular Christmas gift book for 1906, was the second of Rackham's books to be published in both a trade edition and in this luxurious deluxe format. "Its publication and quality was a sure sign that Rackham had arrived, and was now to remain as one of the leading illustrators in a wide field of book titles" (Gettings, p. 112). Latimore & Haskell, p. 27; Riall, p. 74. Fred Gettings, Arthur Rackham, 1975; Derek Hudson, Arthur Rackham His Life and Work, 1960. Quarto. Original vellum, spine and front cover lettered in gilt, front cover with gilt illustration after the vignette title page, brown endpapers, front free endpaper with map of Kensington Gardens, top edge gilt, other edges uncut. Colour frontispiece and 49 colour plates tipped to brown art paper, as issued, with captioned tissue guards. Spine foot bumped, silk ties lacking, vellum lightly soiled, gilt bright, edges of white leaves foxed, contents unaffected. A very good copy.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom
RACKHAM, Arthur; BARRIE, J.M.. PETER PAN IN KENSINGTON GARDENS. Hodder & Stoughton, 1906.
Price: US$9687.04 + shipping
Description: First edition. Edition de Luxe, number 389 of 500 copies signed by Arthur Rackham. Large 4to. Full white vellum with gilt lettering and decoration. Top edge gilt and others untrimmed. An exceptional copy of this sumptuous book, in fine, bright condition. Minimal bowing to covers and silk ties lacking, else, clean, bright and stunning. Endpaper with map of Kensington Gardens and fifty colour plates mounted onto brown art paper and protected by captioned tissue guards. The plates for this version of Barrie's tale are magnificent. The first edition of Peter Pan. A contemporary review of this book published in "The World" reads "Mr Barrie has done what no one else has done since the inventor of "Alice", he has invented a new legend, a modern folk story which comprehends all the innermost secrets of the modern child, be he four or forty. Mr Rackham, for his part, has been bewitched in his cradle: he does not dream of fairies or hobgoblins, he knows them."
Seller: Jonkers Rare Books, Henley on Thames, OXON, United Kingdom
Price: US$15000.00 + shipping
Description: A Most Significant Copy of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens Inscribed by J.M. Barrie to "Tootles" RACKHAM, Arthur, illustrator. BARRIE, J.M. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1906. First edition, first impression. A remarkable presentation copy inscribed in ink on the half-title "To Joan Burnett / from her friend / J.M. Barrie / Christmas 1906" On the verso of the half-title is another ink inscription "To dear Renée Deschamps / In loving memory of her Cousin / "Joan" / a gift from her / mother / Auntie Amy Donds / With much love to dear René / September 27 1922 / 7 New Steine Brighton / England" Quarto (9 7/8 x 7 3/8 inches; 251 x 187 mm.). xii, 125, [126] pp. Tipped-in color frontispiece and forty-nine tipped-in color plates all mounted on heavy stock dark gray paper, each with a lettered tissue-guard. On the half-title (on the top left above the inscription) is a booksellers neat pencil note "17184 / GIKRT / $150" Publisher's russet cloth, front cover pictorially decorated in gilt, spine decoratively lettered in gilt. Heavy stock dark gray paper end-papers with map of Kensington Gardens. Small (7/8 inch) split at head of spine, very minor rubbing to extremities, otherwise a near fine copy. Chemised in a ca. 1930s quarter red morocco over red cloth slipcase, spine with five raised bands, lettered in gilt in compartments. Spine of slipcase a little faded. This is an astonishing presentation copy of the first edition of "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens," inscribed by author J.M. Barrie to one of the 'lost Boys' in the original 1904 stage production at the Duke of York's Theatre in London. "Peter Pan; or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up or Peter and Wendy, often known simply as Peter Pan, is a work by J.M. Barrie, in the form of a 1904 play and a 1911 novel. Both versions tell the story of Peter Pan, a mischievous yet innocent little boy who can fly, and has many adventures on the island of Neverland that is inhabited by mermaids, fairies, Native Americana, and pirates. The Peter Pan stories also involve the characters Wendy Darling, and her two brothers, Peter's fairy Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys, and the pirate Captain Hook. The Play debuted at the Duke of York's Theatre in London on 27 December 1904 with Nina Boucicault, daughter of the playwright Dion Boucicault, in the title role. [and Miss Joan Burnett as Tootles]. The Lost Boys are characters from J.M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. They are boys "who fall out of their prams when the nurse is looking the other way and if they are not claimed in seven days, they are sent far away to the Neverland," where Peter Pan is their captain. There are no "lost girls" because, as Peter explains, girls are far too clever to fall out of their prams. Tootles is described as the most unfortunate and humblest of the band, because "the big things" and adventures happen while "he has stepped round the corner." This however has not soured but sweetened his nature. He is the one who shoots Wendy with a bow and arrow after Tinker Bell tells them Wendy is a bird that Peter wants killed. When Tootles realizes his mistake, he asks Peter to kill him. Wendy however survives, and Tootles is spared. Tootles is the first to defend Wendy when she wants to return to London. When Peter takes possession of "The Jolly Roger," Captain Hook's pirate ship, Tootles takes Smee's place as boatswain. At the end of the novel, he returns to London with Wendy and the other lost boys and eventually grows up to become a judge." (Wikipedia - Lost Boys (Peter Pan)). Provenance: James M. Barrie, who scarcely signed books, presented this copy to Joan Burnett (ca. 1890-1922), who played Tootles in the original stage production in December 1904 at the Duke of York's Theatre in London. Joan Burnett died in her early twenties and the book was presented on September 27th, 1922 by Joan's mother "Auntie Amy Donds" to her niece Renée Deschamps (ca. 1890-1978). It would appear that sometime later the book was either handled or purchased by a bookseller and that it was purchased for $150 by Sheila Rose Bolger Becker (ca. 1930-2000) who was a great friend of Auntie Amy Donds. Sheila Rose Bolger Becker (stage name Sheila Jackson) was a TV personality who hosted the US Steel Hour with Steve Allen in the 1960s. The book then passed to her daughter Lisa Becker Edmundson (b. 1959) from whom David Brass Rare Books, Inc. purchased it in March 2021. Included is an original photo postcard (3 3/8 x 5 1/2 inches; 87 x 140 mm.) showing the 1904 cast of the play (including Joan Burnett as Tootles and Hilda Trevelyan (1877-1959) - the original 'Wendy'. The back of the postcard is inscribed (upside down) [by Auntie Amy Dolds] and reads "To Renée / From where / the spot is / The children in bed Wendy / telling them the / story". Also a very old bookseller's description and printed card - and a photographic playbill listing the original cast members. This copy possesses one of the strongest author association of any that have yet to (or will likely ever) surface in the marketplace. It snaps the head back. This deeply satisfying example of the book - illustrated by Arthur Rackham to critical acclaim - is a collector's dream. With its strong association and inscription dated at the time of publication, our copy is undoubtedly one of the most significant and desirable examples extant. Within the last fifty years, only four Barrie-inscribed copies of "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens" have come to market. Four years ago we sold another copy of the same book with a presentation from J.M. Barrie dated January 1907 to Mary Hodgson who was the nanny of the Llewelyn boys George and Jack, and their baby brother Peter. These children were the inspiration for the character of Peter Pan. Of the three other copies, one was inscribed to his niece, Mary Barrie; the second to Godfrey Tearle, who played Captain Hook in the 1913-14 stage production, and another newly rebound cop
Seller: David Brass Rare Books, Inc., Calabasas, CA, U.S.A.
RACKHAM Arthur BARRIE J. M.. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. , 1906.
Price: US$15000.00 + shipping
Description: "(RACKHAM, Arthur) BARRIE, J.M. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1906. Quarto, original full pictorial vellum gilt, cartographic front endpaper, top edge gilt, uncut. Housed in a custom slipcase. $15,000.Signed limited first separate edition, number 476 of only 500 copies signed by Rackham, with 50 mounted color illustrations.Peter Pan wasn't always the boy from Never Land who lost his shadow and fought Captain Hook. The character's first name "came from Peter Llewelyn Davies, who when still a baby became the subject of stories told by Barrie to [Peter's older brothers]. According to these stories Peter, like all babies, had once been a bird and could still fly out of his nursery window and back to Kensington Gardens, because his mother had forgotten to weigh him at birth. From these stories came the 'Peter Pan' chapters in The Little White Bird [published 1902], afterwards re-issued with Arthur Rackham illustrations as Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens" (Carpenter, 177). "The 50 color plates were unanimously praised by all who saw them. One critic wrote: 'Mr. Rackham seems to have dropped out of some cloud in Mr. Barrie's fairyland, sent by special providence to make pictures in tune with his whimsical genius'" (Dalby, 76-77). The bookwith which the "gift book" genre originated (Eyre, 41)established Rackham's worldwide reputation and remains "his acknowledged masterpiece [Barrie praised] Rackham's rendering of the fairy world but the book has much more to offer. The glimpses he provides of stylized London reality effectively set off the fairy life that exists in unsuspected conjunction with it, and he captures the loveliness of the Gardens themselves with masterly skill" (Ray, 204, 206 [catalogue number 329]). "A much-sought-after volume" (Quayle, Early Children's Books, 87). Frontispiece plate bound before title page, as called for; other mounted plates bound together at the end of the text rather than throughout as suggested by plate list, as often. Latimore & Haskell, 27. Riall, 74. Plates fine; scattered light foxing to text. Expected usual soiling to vellum, gilt bright. Without ties. A most attractive, near-fine copy of a scarce, most desirable classic."
Seller: Bauman Rare Books, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.
RACKHAM Arthur BARRIE J. M.. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. , 1906.
Price: US$26000.00 + shipping
Description: "(RACKHAM, Arthur) BARRIE, J.M. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1906. Quarto, early half vellum gilt over light grey boards, brown morocco spine label, top edge gilt, uncut. Housed in a custom chemise and clamshell box. $26,000.Signed limited first separate edition, number 128 of only 500 copies signed by Rackham, with 50 mounted color illustrations. A superb association copy, inscribed on the illustrated original endpaper by J.M. Barrie to Pauline Chase, who played Peter Pan in the original London production of the play, "To Pauline Pan, a great Peter, from a grateful JMB."Peter Pan wasn't always the boy from Never Land who lost his shadow and fought Captain Hook. The character's first name "came from Peter Llewelyn Davies, who when still a baby became the subject of stories told by Barrie to [Peter's older brothers]. According to these stories Peter, like all babies, had once been a bird and could still fly out of his nursery window and back to Kensington Gardens, because his mother had forgotten to weigh him at birth. From these stories came the 'Peter Pan' chapters in The Little White Bird [published 1902], afterwards re-issued with Arthur Rackham illustrations as Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens" (Carpenter, 177). "The 50 color plates were unanimously praised by all who saw them. One critic wrote: 'Mr. Rackham seems to have dropped out of some cloud in Mr. Barrie's fairyland, sent by special providence to make pictures in tune with his whimsical genius" (Dalby, 76-77). The book-with which the "gift book" genre originated (Eyre, 41)-established Rackham's worldwide reputation and remains "his acknowledged masterpiece [Barrie praised] Rackham's rendering of the fairy world but the book has much more to offer. The glimpses he provides of stylized London reality effectively set off the fairy life that exists in unsuspected conjunction with it, and he captures the loveliness of the Gardens themselves with masterly skill" (Ray, 204, 206 [catalogue number 329]). "A much-sought-after volume" (Quayle, Early Children's Books, 87). Mounted plates bound together at the end of the text rather than throughout as suggested by plate list, as often. Latimore & Haskell, 27. Riall, 74. This copy is inscribed by Barrie to actress Pauline Chase. When the play premiered in London in 1904, Chase played one of the Lost Boys; she graduated to the role of Peter Pan in 1906, having been chosen for the part by Barrie himself, along with producer Charles Frohman. After Peter Pan, Chase retired from the stage in 1913, making only one appearance after that, in the silent film The Real Thing at Last, which was also written by Barrie.Plates fine, text with just a bit of occasional faint foxing; binding lovely."
Seller: Bauman Rare Books, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.