1886 Scarce Book - Under the Mistletoe illustrated by Lizzie Lawson Mack
Author: Lizzie Lawson and Robert Ellice Mack.
Title: Under the Mistletoe.
Publisher: London, Griffith, Farran & Company, St. Paul’s Churchyard, [1886]. First Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 9 x 7.5 inches.
Pages: 40 pages.
Binding: Attractive and very good original pictorial paper-covered boards over a tan cloth spine, illustrated front cover depicting a young girl beneath mistletoe, floral design to rear cover (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing or staining - as shown, the front free endpaper bears the elegant ink ownership inscription: Barbara L. Courthope, Xmas 1891 - as shown).
Illustrations: Beautifully illustrated throughout with 14 exquisite full-page chromolithographs and numerous sepia-toned text vignettes by Lizzie Lawson and Robert Ellice Mack. The illustrations are charmingly detailed, evoking the warmth of Victorian childhood scenes — from winter festivities to tender family moments. (Complete).
Estimate: (USD 200–250).
The book: A beautiful example of late-Victorian gift book artistry, Under the Mistletoe blends verse and illustration to create a nostalgic celebration of childhood innocence and seasonal charm. Poems and short verses are paired with richly detailed color plates, capturing moments of play, tenderness, and quiet reflection. The seasonal title, together with its fine chromolithographs, makes it a perfect example of the period’s richly produced Christmas gift books, much sought after by collectors today.
The authors: Lizzie Lawson was a British artist and illustrator whose delicate style was perfectly suited to children’s books and periodicals of the late 19th century. She was one of the few female illustrators regularly featured in illustrated gift books of the era. Robert Ellice Mack (1851–1909) was a prolific British poet, writer, and anthologist specializing in sentimental verse for children and adults. His works were frequently paired with high-quality chromolithographic illustrations, making them enduringly collectible.
The illustrators: Both Lizzie Lawson and Robert Ellice Mack collaborated closely on works such as this, with Lawson’s charming figures and soft color palette perfectly complementing Mack’s gentle verse. Together, they produced volumes that remain emblematic of the golden age of late-Victorian chromolithography.