1896 First Edition - Legends from River and Mountain by Queen of Roumania

Author: Carmen Sylva (H.M. Queen of Roumania) and Alma Strettell. Illustrated by T. H. Robinson.
Title: Legends from River and Mountain.
Publisher: London, George Allen, 156 Charing Cross Road, 1896. First Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 8 x 5.5 inches.
Pages: xi-328 pages.
Binding: Attractive and very good original publisher’s decorative sage-green cloth binding, gilt and black stamped with an Art Nouveau illustration of a witch in flight on the upper cover and gilt vignette on the spine (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. Upper edge gilt.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing or staining - as shown, small rust stain in the inner margin of two pages - as shown). 
Illustrations: Illustrated with fine black-and-white frontispiece and numerous drawings by T. H. Robinson, vividly capturing scenes of Romanian and Germanic legend. (Complete).

Estimate: (USD 250–400).

The book: This first edition of this 1896 collection presents a rich gathering of folktales drawn from Romania, Saxony, the Harz Mountains, and the Black Forest, blending mysticism, moral allegory, and natural wonder. Authored by Carmen Sylva (the literary pseudonym of Queen Elisabeth of Romania) in collaboration with translator Alma Strettell, the tales are accompanied by dramatic illustrations from T. H. Robinson, a prominent illustrator of the period. With its striking Art Nouveau binding and folkloric content, the book embodies the late 19th-century fascination with myth and legend, as well as the golden age of decorative publishing.

The authors: Carmen Sylva (1843–1916), the pen name of Queen Elisabeth of Romania, was admired across Europe for her literary works, which spanned poetry, plays, and folklore. Her writings often drew from Romanian traditions, infused with a Romantic sensibility. Alma Strettell (1853–1939) was an English translator known for her skill in rendering European folklore into engaging English prose.

The illustrator: Thomas Heath Robinson (1869–1950), elder brother of W. Heath Robinson, was a notable illustrator whose early work often graced books of myth and legend. His atmospheric pen drawings enhanced the narrative depth of this collection, and he later became widely recognized for his contributions to Edwardian book illustration.