Grimm's Fairy Tales, Illustrated by E. H. Wehnert, [n.d.]

Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Philadelphia: David McKay, Publisher, [n.d]. Illustrated by E.H. Wehnert. “McKay’s Colored Classics” edition. Octavo. In the publisher's original pictorial blue cloth boards, with front board titled and stamped in red, black, yellow, spine titled and stamped in gilt and black. Illustrated with 10 full color plates and numerous black and white in-text illustrations. New archival slipcase. 

This attractive early 20th century American edition of Grimm’s Fairy Tales was issued by the Philadelphia publisher David McKay as part of the firm’s popular “McKay’s Colored Classics” series. The volume is bound in the publisher’s original pictorial blue cloth boards, the front board decorated and titled in red, black, and yellow, while the spine is lettered in gilt and stamped in black. The book is illustrated with ten full color plates in addition to numerous black and white in-text illustrations by the German artist Eduard Heinrich Wehnert. The combination of vivid color plates and decorative binding reflects the period’s strong emphasis on producing gift and collectible editions of classic children’s literature.

The stories collected in Grimm’s Fairy Tales originate in the scholarly and cultural work of the German brothers Jacob Grimm (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859). First published in 1812 under the title Kinder- und Hausmärchen (trans: Children’s and Household Tales), the collection was the result of the brothers’ efforts to preserve the oral storytelling traditions of German-speaking regions. Drawing on stories gathered from writers and friends, acquaintances, and published sources, the Grimms compiled a group of narratives that blended fantasy, folklore, and moral tales of good and bad. Tales such as “Hansel and Gretel,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Snow White,” and “Rumpelstiltskin” became among the most widely recognized works in the Western storytelling tradition. Over the course of the 19th and 20th century the collection was repeatedly revised and expanded, gradually evolving from its origin as as scholarly project into one of the foundational compilations of children’s literature.

The illustrations in this edition are derived from the work of the German artist Eduard Heinrich Wehnert (1813–1868), whose interpretations of the Grimm stories were widely admired during the nineteenth century. Wehnert studied at the Leipzig Academy of Fine Arts. His illustrations for Kinder- und Hausmärchen, first published in the 1850s, are characterized by expressive figures and detailed natural settings. Wehnert’s work played an important role in shaping the visual tradition of Grimm illustration, and his designs continued to be reproduced in later editions well into the twentieth century, including in McKay’s American reprint series.

The present volume belongs to “McKay’s Colored Classics,” a series produced by publisher David McKay in the early twentieth century that sought to present established works of children’s literature in richly illustrated yet affordable editions. McKay was among the most active American publishers of children's and illustrated books during this period, frequently issuing reprints of European classics alongside new works for young readers. The “Colored Classics” volumes were distinguished by their bright pictorial cloth bindings and the inclusion of ten color plates from well-known illustrators of the time, like Sir John Gilbert, Harrison Weir, Walter Crane, John Tenniel, and others. Designed as attractive gift books, the series helped introduce a new generation of American readers to canonical works of fantasy and folklore.

CONDITION: 

Near fine condition. “McKay’s Colored Classics” edition. Octavo. In the publisher's original pictorial blue cloth boards, with front board titled and stamped in red, black, yellow, spine titled and stamped in gilt and black. Bumping to corners and top and bottom of spine, but color is very bright and gilt is intact. New joints and linings. The interior pages are clean and bright. Illustrated with 10 full color plates, including frontispiece,  and numerous black and white in-text woodcut illustrations. All illustrations accounted for. Very light staining to the top margin of the frontispiece. Inked gift inscription on front endpaper, “To Mr. Robert Aye Tate/ Allenwood Pa./ From/ Uncle Tom & Aunt Mabel Schooley/ Detroit, Mich/ With their best Christmas wishes/ 1919” in blue ink. Presented with a new archival blue slipcase with front inlay. 

Book Dimensions: 7 3/4” H x 5 5/8” W x1 1/2” W.

Slipcase Dimensions: 8 1/4” H x 6” W x 1 1/8” D. 

Accompanied by our company’s letter of authenticity.