Flower Fairies of the Autumn : With the Nuts and Berries They Bring
London and Glasgow: Blackie & Son, [1927]. Twenty four full color illustrations by Cicely Mary Barker, with several black and white illustrations. First edition, first printing. Publisher's illustrated boards, in Cicely Mary Barker dust jacket (3/- net), in custom quarter, light brown, crushed morocco slipcase. 5.5" x 4.25" Gently pressed corners with spots of wear to extremities, very slightly bowed front board, still near fine, in very good plus dust jacket with shallow chipping to corners and tips, several vertical creases to spine, in mylar cover, housed in fine custom slipcase. Item #241887
CHANGING THE FAIRY LANDSCAPE
Britain craved whimsy as the country took a deep, post-WWI breath and slid into the fairy craze of the early twentieth century. Ignited by J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan, the English were ravenous for fairy stories, and Cicely Mary Barker's innocent, cherub-like fairies matched with botanically accurate flora stepped easily into the gap. Pairing a poem with each of her illustrations, Barker changed the public's conception of fairies from tall, elegant fae to children, complete with dimples in their elbows and impish grins on their faces, through her Flower Fairies series.
Presented here is the first edition, first printing of the third installation to her charming series, Flower Fairies of the Autumn, housed in a custom slipcase. And although Barker did not believe in fairies herself, her illustrations may have you seeing small folk when you're next in the garden.
Price: $250.00