1882 Rare First Edition - Fly-Away Fairies and Baby-Blossoms by L. Clarkson

Author: L. Clarkson.
Title: Fly-Away Fairies and Baby-Blossoms, or What the Winds are Saying.
Publisher: New York: E.P. Dutton & Co. / London: Griffith and Farran, 1882. First thus.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 11" x 8".
Pages: Unpaginated (approximately 60 pages).
Binding: Attractive and very good original pictorial boards with a grey cloth spine. Upper cover with elaborate chromolithograph of cherubs, blossoms, and swallows; rear cover with floral vignette and gilt roundel design (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed mainly on the spine extremities and corners - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. 
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, some light foxing - as shown, endpapers decorated in pale green floral motifs with inner hinges worn but still tight - as shown).
Illustrations: Complete with the 2 color title pages and the 14 beautiful full-page color illustrations by L. Clarkson, including scenes of winged cherubs, fairies, blossoms, butterflies, and imaginative childhood visions. The colors remain vivid and charming, with delicate pastels and bright accents that capture the dreamlike quality of Victorian fairy books.

Estimate: (USD 250 – 350).

The book: A rare first edition (1882) of L. Clarkson’s Fly-Away Fairies and Baby-Blossoms, a splendid Victorian picture book combining the era’s fascination with fairies, childhood innocence, and the beauty of nature. Published by E.P. Dutton (New York) and Griffith & Farran (London), this work is a fine example of late 19th-century chromolithography, blending poetry with enchanting imagery. Such books were prized gifts in their day and are now sought-after for their artistry and rarity.

The author: L. Clarkson was an illustrator and designer active in the late 19th century, known for creating elaborately illustrated children’s books and gift volumes. Clarkson’s works, often centered around floral motifs, cherubs, and allegorical fairy imagery, were highly popular among Victorian audiences for their mix of innocence, fantasy, and decorative artistry.