Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Illustrated by M.V. Wheelhouse, 1925

Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women. Illustrated by M. V. Wheelhouse. London: G. Bell and Sons, 1925. In original orange pictorial boards, stamped in gilt on front and spine. New archival slipcase to match. 

Presented is a charming 1925 edition of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. This book was published in London, by G. Bell and Sons, and features full color illustrations by the famous British artist Mary V. Wheelhouse. The book retains its original, orange pictorial cloth boards, with the front cover and spine stamped in gilt. 

Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) began her literary career in 1852, publishing her first story anonymously in The Olive Branch, a weekly Boston newspaper. She continued to write under pseudonyms, contributing short fiction and thrillers to various newspapers. Her first book under her own name, Flower Fables, a collection of fairy tales, appeared in 1854. Alcott went on to publish short stories in Atlantic Monthly, several plays, autobiographical sketches drawn from her Civil War nursing experience, and in 1864, her first adult novel, Moods.

Alcott's most enduring work, Little Women, has a particularly noteworthy publishing history. In 1868, her publisher, Roberts Brothers, asked that she try writing a “girls’ story” for their company. She wrote the original manuscript in just six weeks, loosely basing the story on her own experiences growing up in a family of four sisters. The first part of the novel was released on September 30, 1868, in bindings of green, purple, and terra cotta cloth, priced at $1.25. Its popularity was immediate; the initial print run of 2,000 copies sold quickly, prompting a price increase of twenty-five cents for subsequent printings. Responding to public demand, Alcott wrote the second part of the story, completing it in only two months. Published in April 1869, Part Two concluded the beloved story of four sisters growing up in mid-nineteenth-century New England.

This 1925 edition presents the complete text of Little Women, including both parts of the novel, and features richly detailed color illustrations by Mary V. Wheelhouse. Wheelhouse (1868- 1947) was a British painter, illustrator, and toymaker. Educated at the Scarborough School of Art and the Académie Delécluse in Paris, she is celebrated for illustrating works by Alcott, George Sand, and Elizabeth Gaskell. A committed suffragette, she co-founded the Artists’ Suffrage League in 1907. She also operated Pomona Toys, a toy shop specializing in handcrafted wooden dolls, with fellow artist Louise Jacobs.

CONDITION:

Good condition overall. In original orange pictorial boards, stamped in gilt on front and spine. Orange cloth with light staining and wear to front, bumping to spine. Gilt is bright and intact. With new joints and linings. Interior pages clean and healthy. Illustrated with full color illustrations by Wheelhouse. Presented with a new archival cloth slipcase, with inlay. 

Book Dimensions: 7 1/8" H x 5 3/8" W x 1" D.  Slipcase Dimensions: 7 9/16" H x 5 1/2" W x 1 1/2" D. 

Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity.