[Rarebooks] Offering: From the Library of William Morris

[Michael John Thompson]

FROM THE LIBRARY OF WILLIAM MORRIS.

ANDERSEN, Hans Christian; GASKEL, Arthur J. [illustrator].

STORIES AND FAIRYTALES By Hans Christian Andersen. Translated by H. 
Oskar Sommer. Ph.D. With 100 Pictures by Arthur J. Gaskin. Two Volumes.

London & Orpington: Published by George Allen. 1893.

First printing of this edition, and the first printing with these 
illustrations. Two volumes. Octavo, original pictorial olive green 
cloth stamped in dark green on front & rear covers, gilt titles to 
spines, floral endpapers, top edges gilt. With full-page 
frontispieces and 100 fine drawings in the text, plus title pages and 
binding designs, all by Gaskell.

 From the Library of William Morris at Kelmscott House, with an 
inscription on the half-title leaf, repeated in each volume: "The 
Late William Morris' copy / To Theo: Goebel / with Geo: W. Jones' / 
best regards / Xmas 1899".

Spine lettering dull, covers dust soiled and rear panel of Volume Two 
soiled and dull, a very good set.

Arthur Gaskin (March 16, 1862 - June 4, 1928) was a British 
illustrator, painter and designer who studied and later taught at the 
Birmingham School of Art. Amongst his many works he collaborated with 
William Morris on several works for The Kelmscott Press, including 12 
illustrations for Spenser's 'The Shepheardes Calender' [1896]. 
William Morris died in 1896. His library at Kelmscott House was 
bought en bloc by Mr. Richard Bennet of Pendleton. He selected 31 
manuscripts and 239 printed books from the collection and put the 
rest up for auction at Sotheby's over five days in December 1898. A 
catalogue exists of that sale, and this set of books is listed on the 
first day of the sale. The books are inscribed a year later by George 
W. Jones to Theodore Goebel of Stuttgart. Both men were printers, 
Jones (1860-1942) issued fine press books under his own name 'At the 
Sign of the Dolphin', and Goebel was the editor and publisher of 'Die 
Grahischen Kunste Der Gegenwart (The Graphic Arts of Our Time)'.

The books in William Morris' library at Kelmscott House were 
collected by him with a definite purpose in connection with his Art 
and Typographical Work. His library has long been distributed and is 
housed mainly in institutional collections worldwide, with strong 
holdings at the Pierpont Morgan and the Widener library.

Images here:

http://www.mjtbooks.com/images/books/morris01.jpg

http://www.mjtbooks.com/images/books/morris02.jpg

http://www.mjtbooks.com/images/books/morris03.jpg

http://www.mjtbooks.com/images/books/morris04.jpg

The set: $1,500.00 US

Terms: As Usual.

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Michael John Thompson
ABAC / ILAB
5275 Jerow Road
Hornby Island, BC
Canada V0R 1Z0
250-335-1182

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