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Bound in full red leather by Riviere & Son, gilt borders on covers, gilt medallion on front cover, spine in six compartments separated by raised bands, gilt lettering in two compartments, elaborate gilt tooling in remainder, a.e.g., gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers. Illustrated with B&W drawings by the author. In red, cloth-covered slipcase. Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (1836 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for the 14 comic operas (known as the Savoy operas) produced in collaboration with the composer Sir Arthur Sullivan. The most famous of these include H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and one of the most frequently performed works in the history of musical theatre, The Mikado. The Bab Ballads are a collection of light verse by W. S. Gilbert, illustrated with his own comic drawings. Gilbert wrote the Ballads before he became famous for his comic opera librettos with Arthur Sullivan. In writing the Bab Ballads, Gilbert developed his unique "topsy-turvy" style, where the humour was derived by setting up a ridiculous premise and working out its logical consequences, however absurd. The Ballads also reveal Gilbert's cynical and satirical approach to humour. They became famous on their own, as well as being a source for plot elements, characters and songs that Gilbert would recycle in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas. The Bab Ballads take their name from Gilbert's childhood nickname, and he later began to sign his illustrations "Bab". Nothing else quite like the Ballads has ever been produced in the English language. They contain both satire and nonsense, as well as a great deal of utter absurdity. The Ballads were read aloud at private dinner-parties, public banquets and even in the House of Lords. The ballads have been much published, and there are even recordings of readings of some of them. . The volume is in excellent condition, unmarked, tight, square and clean. The leather on the spine (only) is very mildly sunned, some mild wear to slipcase, else fine. A very beautiful book. NEAR FINE. . B&W Drawings. 12mo 7" - 7½" tall. xii, 563, (1) pp. Seller Inventory # 16271
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Bibliographic Details
Title: The Bab Ballads: With Which are Included ...
Publisher: Macmillan and Co., London
Publication Date: 1926
Binding: Leather
Illustrator: Illustrated by Sir William Schwenck Gilbert
Condition: Near Fine
Dust Jacket Condition: No Dust Jacket
Edition: Sixth Edition. 1.
