About this Item
First impressions of Kipling's iconic story collections
Publisher and Year : London: Macmillan and Co., 1894 & 1895 Edition : First editions in book form, first impressions, with the copyright pages entirely blank, as called for (reprints would be stated). Kipling's stories previously appeared in various magazines from 1893 to 1894. (Livingston 104; Richards A76)
Condition and Description : Small octavos, blue cloth stamped in gilt, all edges gilt, dark blue coated endpapers. 212 pp. (Vol. 1). 238 pp. + 2 pp. ads (Vol. 2). Complete, with all pages present. Both volumes contain extensive illustrations by J. L. Kipling, as well as W. H. Drake and P. Frenzeny. Only the first volume contains a frontispiece (the second was issued without one). Gilt bright on both volumes, especially the second, with trace rubbing to the first. Minor wear to the boards. The price of the book at publication ("6/-") is penciled on the verso of the front free endpapers. The first volume has a contemporary, blind debossed stamp of a British retailer to the front free endpaper ("W.H. Smith & Son / London"). No other prior owner markings. Tight hinges in both books, with no trace of the seemingly ubiquitous separation. Additional condition details for each volume are as follows. Vol. 1: Mild spine lean. Secure binding, though with a few gutters exposed (most significantly at p. 33, with a handful of minor instances elsewhere). Gutter at p. 212 discreetly and reversibly strengthened. Faint stain to the bottom right corner of the first blank leaf, extending to just before the first page of text. Vol. 2: Securely bound. Scattered instances of foxing, but most pages are clear. Additional pictures available upon request. An attractive set, and uncommon in this condition.
"Now this is the Law of the Jungle ? as old and as true as the sky?"
Since its publication in 1894, The Jungle Book has become one of the most enduring works in children's literature, inspiring a vast range of adaptations in film, animation, and theater. Its characters and themes?Mowgli, Baloo, the "Law of the Jungle"?have become cultural touchstones, reinterpreted across generations by Disney, the BBC, and others.
Inventory ID: 336 - 984 - 296.
Seller Inventory # 336 - 984 - 296
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