The Land of Enchantment Illustrated by Arthur Rackham

MCMVII at title page; Rackham prefatory note dated 1907 and several pages dated 1907 near gutter. Lt. brown full cloth boards, dark brown cover titles and design, gilt spine titles, moderate shelf wear, rub. Cover features Rackham illustration of Ben the Sailer with his catch of lobsters and turtles. Pages very good. Frontispiece w/tissue guard illustrated with a Fisherman who been piping to make the fish dance. Title page w/vignette of fairies. Prefatory Note by Arthur Rackham refers to "Little Folks" where these tales and illustrations first appeared between 1896 and 1902. Fine string-bind good; hinges intact. Includes the beautifully whimsical imagery of Arthur Rackham. Thirty-six illustrations in total w/several being full-page plates. Majority w/earth toned monochromatic element. Also, headers, tailpieces and vignettes throughout. Tales include: The Maker of Ghosts and the Maker of Shadows, and, The Mines of Experience by A. E. Bonser; Harry and Herodotus: Or, Tales of an Old Traveller by Sidney Woolf; The Stories of Ben the Sailorman by A. E. Bonser; and, Stories from the Edda by E. S. Buchheim. Attractive good example of this rarity. Printed by Cassell & Company, Limited, La Belle Sauvage, Ludgate Hill, London. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. 144 pages. Insured post. Arthur Rackham was one of the great illustrators of the early 20th century, a period which is referred to as the "golden age" in British book design. His works were produced in both limited and mass market editions as there was a large market for ornately illustrated books before the First World War. Rackham used a unique style, thought to mix European and East Asian influences, that involved both pen and India Ink as well as watercolor. His work was displayed all over Europe - and received awards at International Exhibitions in Milan and Barcelona and Rackham would influence heavily many illustrators, especially those of children's books, who came after him. Rackham's illustrations to Grimm, Hans Andersen and Poe show him at his most imaginative and observant of human nature, while his gnomes, fairies and gnarled anthropomorphic trees in Peter Pan, Sleepy Hollow, or A Midsummer Night's Dream represent his more fantastic side. He was - and remains - a soloist in front of an orchestra, a player with the responsibility to interpret and add a personal lustre to great works with variations of infinite subtlety and grace. Size: 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall.…