1892 Rare First Edition- Celtic Fairy Tales by J Jacobs Illustrated by JD Batten
Author: Joseph Jacobs (Selected and edited). John D. Batten, illustrator.
Title: Celtic Fairy Tales.
Publisher: London, David Nutt, 1892. First Edition, second printing.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 8.5 " X 6.5 ".
Pages: xiv-267 pages + publisher's add.
Binding: Attractive and very good original full cloth binding (hinges fine, overall slightly scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. A rare find in such a nice condition!
Content: Very good content (bright, tight, and clean, rare light foxing - as shown, pages generally clean with light, occasional toning - as shown, a contemporary inscription dated 1901 to the front endpaper - as shown, two pages with small triangular repairs to the upper margins, now browned - as shown).
Illustrations: Profusely illustrated with a wood-engraved frontispiece, 7 full-page illustrations, and some in-text illustrations by John D. Batten. Complete.
Estimate: (USD 300-350).
The book: A beautiful first edition of Celtic Fairy Tales (1891), the first of Joseph Jacobs’ celebrated fairy tale collections, following his English Fairy Tales of 1890. Drawing on Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and Breton sources, Jacobs brought together fourteen classic tales including Connla and the Fairy Maiden, The Story of Deirdre, and The Wooing of Olwen. His retellings preserved the authentic folkloric voice while making the stories accessible to a wider readership. This edition is enhanced by John D. Batten’s striking illustrations, which fuse Pre-Raphaelite romance with Celtic revival design.
The author: Joseph Jacobs (1854–1916) was an Australian-born folklorist, literary critic, and historian, best known for his influential collections of English and Celtic folk tales. A major figure in the late-Victorian folklore revival, Jacobs drew on both oral tradition and earlier printed sources, aiming to preserve and popularize these stories in an accessible, child-friendly format without losing their cultural resonance.
The illustrator: John Dickson Batten (1860–1932) was a British painter, book illustrator, and printmaker associated with the Arts and Crafts movement. His fairy tale illustrations are characterized by fine line work, rich ornamentation, and a deep engagement with the medieval and mythological sources of the stories he depicted. In Celtic Fairy Tales, his designs merge traditional Celtic decorative motifs with narrative detail, capturing both the mystery and vitality of the tales.