1865 Scarce First Edition - George Cruikshank's Fairy Library. Illustrated

Author: George Cruikshank. Illustrated by George Cruikshank.
Title: George Cruikshank's Fairy Library: Hop O’ My Thumb, Jack & the Bean-Stalk, Cinderella, Puss in Boots.
Publisher: London, Routledge and Sons; F. Arnold, 86 Fleet Street, [circa 1865]. First consolidated edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7.5 " X 6 ".
Pages: 30-32-31-40 pages.
Binding: Attractive and very good original publisher’s deep violet cloth binding, stamped in gilt and blind. The upper cover features a gilt fairy figure with wand, birds, and grotesque mask motif; spine elaborately gilt with fairy-tale vignettes including Cinderella and Puss in Boots (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. A very well-preserved example of a delicate and decorative Victorian binding.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing and staining - as shown, gift note of a previous 1875 owner on the first endpaper - as shown). 
Illustrations: Wonderfully illustrated throughout with detailed black-and-white wood engravings designed and etched by George Cruikshank. The illustrations are highly expressive, with humorous and gothic elements that elevate the narratives and reflect Cruikshank’s distinctive satirical style. All illustrations are complete.

Estimate: (USD 600–1000).

The book: This scarce First consolidated edition of George Cruikshank’s Fairy Library gathers together four of the most enduring tales from the European folk canon—Hop O’ My Thumb, Jack and the Bean-Stalk, Cinderella, and Puss in Boots—each delightfully retold and imaginatively illustrated by George Cruikshank. Originally issued as separate chapbooks beginning in 1853, these fairy tales were intended by Cruikshank to offer moral instruction and counteract the “pernicious” versions he saw in circulation. His illustrations, filled with theatrical detail and visual wit, reflect his career-long mission to combine artistry with social commentary.

The author: George Cruikshank (1792–1878) was one of the most influential British illustrators and caricaturists of the 19th century. Known for his satirical etchings and political cartoons, he later devoted himself to moral and temperance works. His illustrations for Charles Dickens’s early novels—Oliver Twist among them—cemented his place in literary history. In The Fairy Library, Cruikshank reimagines the classic tales through a didactic lens, imbuing them with comic pathos and a Victorian sense of propriety.

The illustrator: As both author and illustrator, George Cruikshank brought a unique perspective to these tales, using his mastery of visual storytelling to reframe well-known fairy tales in a socially conscious context. His fantastical linework, imaginative compositions, and theatrical staging make these stories both charming and visually compelling. These illustrations remain some of the most iconic in the history of children's book illustration.