Red Magic. A Collection of the World's Best Fairy Tales from All Countries. With Illustrations in Colour and Line.

First edition of the final work that Nielsen illustrated in full. Drawing on sources ranging from ancient Greece to 19th-century Europe, Red Magic is the last in a series of three collections of fairy tales arranged by Florence Wilson under her pseudonym Romer Wilson. "[Wilson's] collection of stories in all three volumes reflects an erudite mind bent on displaying cultural treasures - namely fairy tales to challenge readers. Wilson was one of the first anthologists of fairy tales to include major and minor fairy tales from all over the world with an evident intention to demonstrate the 'dazzling' power of the narratives she selected. The ethics and mystery of the tales drew her to them" (Zipes, pp. 2-3). Jack Zipes, "Introduction", Red Magic, 2023. Octavo. Colour frontispiece, 7 plates, illustrations within text, the majority full-page, all by Kay Nielsen. Original red cloth, spine lettered in gilt, publisher's device blocked on rear cover in blind, top edge red. Ticket of Times Book Club on rear pastedown. Spine toned, ends and corners bumped, foxing to contents: a very good copy.…