Skip to content
Free Shipping on Orders Over $200 in Canada & USA | Free Shipping to Europe on Orders Over $500 | Competitive International Rates for Asia & Oceania!
Free Shipping on Orders Over $200 in Canada & USA | Free Shipping to Europe on Orders Over $500 | Competitive International Rates for Asia & Oceania!

1902 Rare First American Edition – The Field of Clover by Laurence Housman

Sold out
Original price $200 USD - Original price $200 USD
Original price
$200 USD
$200 USD - $200 USD
Current price $200 USD

Author: Laurence Housman. Engravings by Clemence Housman.
Title: The Field of Clover.
Publisher: New York, John Lane, 1902. First American Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7.5 x 5.5 inches.
Pages: 148 pages + publisher's catalog.
Binding: Attractive and near fine original publisher’s decorative green cloth binding, designed in gilt and black by Laurence Housman. The upper board features a pastoral design of a shepherd leaning on his staff before a woven fence, with gilt highlights. Spine lettered in gilt, publisher’s emblem in black to foot (hinges fine, light shelf wear with a faint mark to rear board - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. Overall an excellent and bright copy. Upper edge gilt.
Content: Near fine content (bright, tight and clean, ex-libris of Nelson L. Robinson (engraved bookplate) to front paste-down - as shown). 
Illustrations: Complete with 10 illustrations as called for, engraved by Clemence Housman after Laurence Housman’s designs. Includes decorative borders, headpieces, and full-page illustrations, rich in Pre-Raphaelite and Arts & Crafts style.

Estimate: (USD 250 – 300).

The book: Originally published in 1898 in London, The Field of Clover is a collection of imaginative fairy tales by Laurence Housman, blending fantasy, allegory, and moral reflection in richly stylized prose. This 1902 New York printing by John Lane represents the first American edition, bringing Housman’s visionary tales to a wider audience. Contents include The Bound Princess (in six parts), The Crown’s Warranty, The Wishing-Pot, The Feeding of the Emigrants, and The Passionate Puppets. Housman’s tales, often satirical and dreamlike, combine mythological figures, moral dilemmas, and fantastical elements, presented with the heightened aesthetic sensibility of the fin de siècle.

The author: Laurence Housman (1865–1959) was an English playwright, poet, illustrator, and activist, known both for his literary works and his bold contributions to the Arts and Crafts movement. His fairy tales, written for both children and adults, reflect his gift for blending moral allegory with imaginative storytelling. Beyond literature, Housman was an outspoken advocate for women’s suffrage and social reform, and his artistic circle included some of the leading figures of late-Victorian and Edwardian culture.

The illustrator: Clemence Housman (1861–1955), Laurence’s sister, was a distinguished wood engraver, author, and activist in her own right. Trained at the South London School of Technical Art, she collaborated with her brother on several illustrated works, including The Field of Clover and The Blue Moon. Her engravings are remarkable for their clarity, detail, and flowing decorative borders, perfectly embodying the Pre-Raphaelite aesthetic. Beyond her artistic contributions, Clemence Housman was also a notable figure in the suffrage movement.