The Sleeping Beauty and Other Fairy Tales, Retold by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, Illustrated by Edmund Dulac, [n.d.]

Quiller-Couch, Sir Arthur T., The Sleeping Beauty and Other Fairy Tales From The Old French. Garden City: Garden City Publishing, [n.d.]. Illustrated by Edmund Dulac. Octavo. In original black cloth boards with pastedown illustration to the front, bordered in teal, with spine lettered and stamped in teal. Cream and teal illustrated endpapers. With seven full color plate illustrations, including the frontispiece. Presented with a new archival black cloth slipcase with inlay. 

Offered is The Sleeping Beauty and Other Fairy Tales From the Old French, as retold by Sir Arthur T. Quiller-Couch. This beautiful American edition dates to the early 20th century and was published in Garden City, New York by Garden City Publishing. The compilation includes four cherished children’s stories, The Sleeping Beauty, Blue Beard, Cinderella, and The Beauty and the Beast. It is illustrated with seven full color plates by the famed illustrator Edmund Dulac. The book is presented in its original black cloth boards with illustrated pastedown bordered in teal on the front board, the spine titled in teal, and decorative cream and teal illustrated endpapers. It is presented with a new archival cloth slipcase. 

The Sleeping Beauty is a tale that has been told and retold over centuries. The story dates back to as early as the 14th century, and has been adapted for film, ballet, and literature. Some of the first to pen the tale include famed folklorists Charles Perrault and Madame D’Aulnoy. Similarly, the French tales of Bluebeard and Cinderella were originally penned by Charles Perrault in his 1697 Histoires ou Contes du Temps Passé. Beauty and the Beast is a fairy-tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, first published in 1740 in La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins. This retelling of The Sleeping Beauty and Other Fairy Tales From the Old French was written by Sir Arthur T. Quiller-Couch (1863-1944). Quiller-Couch, a Cornish novelist and literary critic, is best known for his monumental publication The Oxford Book Of English Verse 1250–1900.

This edition is accompanied by seven full-color, full page illustrations by Edmund Dulac (1882 – 1953). The frontispiece illustrates a scene from The Sleeping Beauty. Dulac was a French artist, working as a magazine illustrator, book illustrator, and stamp designer during the early 20th century. While in London, Dulac was commissioned by publishers Hodder and Stoughton to produce illustrations for their illustrated gift books, which they published once per year. Dulac illustrated tales such as Stories from the Arabian Nights, Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and French fairy tales. "Dulac remained true to the medium of watercolor, and the critics were unanimous in their praise. He was recognized as an illustrator of first rank, a master of the fantastic and exotic and a dreamer of extraordinary dreams" (Dalby, 82-83).

CONDITION:

Very good condition. Octavo. In original black cloth boards with pastedown illustration to the front, bordered in teal, with spine lettered and stamped in teal. Toning, chips, scratches to front pastedown illustration. Light fading of teal titles to spine. Bumping to corners, light fraying to black cloth at top of spine and bottom right corner of front board. New linings and caps. Original cream and teal illustrated endpapers. Inked past ownership “Sharon Hollis” and stains from tape residue on front pastedown endpaper. Interior pages are healthy, with light, even toning. With seven full color plate illustrations, including the frontispiece. Missing text page and illustration for Cinderella, “She was driven away, beside herself with joy” on pg. 113, 114. The rest of the illustrations are accounted for, with bright strong colors. xx, 196pp. Presented with a new archival black cloth slipcase with inlay. 

Book Dimensions: 9 1/4"H x 6 1/2"W x 1 1/2"D. Slipcase Dimensions: 9 3/4"H x 6 5/8"W x 1 7/8"D.

Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity.