1899 First Edition - The Reign of the Princess Naska Illustrated by Paul Hardy

Author: Amelia Hutchison Stirling. Illustrated by Paul Hardy.
Title: The Reign of the Princess Naska.
Publisher: London, Blackie & Son, Limited; Glasgow and Dublin, 1899. First Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7.5 x 5.5 inches.
Pages: ix, 208 pages + publisher’s catalogue.
Binding: Attractive and very good publisher’s original decorative blue cloth binding, front cover and spine richly stamped in gilt, green, and white with Art Nouveau floral and heart motifs (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 - as shown, contemporary gift inscription to front endpaper - as shown). 
Illustrations: Illustrated with numerous charming black-and-white drawings by Paul Hardy, including frontispiece and vignette chapter headings, all present.

Estimate: (USD 225–250).

The book: A delightful late-Victorian juvenile romance set in a quasi-imaginary Eastern European court, following the brief and poignant reign of the child princess Naska. Issued as an illustrated gift book by Blackie & Son, this first edition is notable for its elegant Art Nouveau binding and its sensitive narrative blending fairy-tale atmosphere with moral and emotional depth. The fine decorative cloth and Hardy’s evocative line illustrations place the volume squarely within the golden age of illustrated children’s literature at the turn of the century.

The author: Amelia Hutchison Stirling (1865–1965), later known as Mrs. Stirling of Keir, was a Scottish writer and historian. She produced several works of fiction for young readers before turning to historical and genealogical studies. Her juvenile writings are marked by refined sentiment, strong moral tone, and an interest in aristocratic and historical settings.

The illustrators: Paul Hardy (1862–1942) was a prolific British illustrator closely associated with Blackie & Son’s high-quality gift books. Renowned for his delicate pen work and narrative clarity, Hardy contributed to many late Victorian and Edwardian children’s classics, helping to define the visual style of illustrated juvenile fiction at the fin de siècle.