Mother Goose, the Old Nursery Rhymes

[Rackham, Arthur]

Published by London: William Heinemann, 1913

About this Item

Illustrated by Arthur Rackham with 13 tipped-in color plates with captioned tissue guards, and many black and white drawings. Limited edition. One of 1100 numbered copies signed by Rackham (with an additional 30 copies for presentation), this being number 889. Publisher's white cloth, with front board and spine lettered and illustrated in gilt, Heinemann windmill symbol in blind to rear board, and top edge gilt; in publisher's brown slipcase. Very good or better, with light soiling to cloth, some toning to spine, some fading to spine gilt, bright gilt on front board, light spotting to endpapers, and some offsetting to half-title page and "Index of first lines" page at rear; fine slipcase, with just a touch of rubbing to corners. Overall, an excellent copy, with very clean plates and pages. Mother Goose contains a wealth of classic nursery rhymes, such as "Mary Had a Little Lamb," "Jack and Jill," "Little Miss Muffett," "Little Jack Horner," "This Little Pig Went to Market," "Humpty Dumpty," and many others. In Arthur Rackham's foreword, he writes, "There are many more Nursery Rhymes than are included in this book, though I think most of the best known are here. I have chosen those I knew and liked best in my own nursery days, and I have kept to the versions that I was familiar with." Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) was a prolific British artist and illustrator, best known for his deluxe editions of popular children's books. Artistically inclined since childhood, Rackham started out illustrating for newspapers, but it was not until he began drawing for children's literature that he received critical acclaim. In response to his burgeoning fame, Rackham's publisher, William Heinemann, began producing deluxe and trade editions of his illustrated works, the first being Rip Van Winkle in 1905. The recipient of multiple awards for illustrations, Rackham was a diverse artist with a talent for both the fantastical and the intricacies of human nature.

Seller Inventory # ARCM009

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Mother Goose, the Old Nursery Rhymes
• Publisher: London: William Heinemann
• Publication Date: 1913
• Binding: Hard Cover
• Illustrator: Rackham, Arthur
• Edition: Limited Edition.
• Condition: Very Good
• Signed: Signed by Illustrator
• Seller catalogs:
  • Fine Bindings
  • Illustrated Books
  • British Literature
  • Signed Books
  • Children's Literature
  • 20th Century
  • Fiction