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1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated
1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated

1914 First Edition - Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Color Illustrated

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$200 USD - $200 USD
$200 USD
$200 USD - $200 USD
$200 USD

Author: Woislav M. Petrovitch. Preface by Chedo Miyatovich.
Title: Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians.
Publisher: London, George G. Harrap & Company, 2 & 3 Portsmouth Street Kingsway W.C., 1914. First Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 9.5 x 6.5 inches. 
Pages: xxiii-393 pages.
Binding: Attractive and very good original decorated publisher’s cloth binding (gilt and black illustration of a Serbian hero on horseback to cover, design carried onto 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, gift inscription dated 1915 on front free endpaper - as shown). 
Illustrations: Complete with a beautiful color frontispiece, 32 full-page color illustrations by William Sewell and Gilbert James, and a double-page map of Serbia. The artwork vividly captures Serbian epic poetry and folklore, filled with drama, heroism, and mythic atmosphere.

Estimate: (USD 250 – 300).

The book: Published in 1914, on the eve of the First World War, this is one of the earliest English-language collections devoted exclusively to the epic and folkloric heritage of Serbia. Drawing on oral traditions and national legends, Woislav M. Petrovitch offers an invaluable insight into the heroic cycles of figures such as Tsar Lazar, Banovitch Strahinya, and the mighty Kraylevitch Marko. The preface by Chedo Miyatovich, Serbia’s former Minister to the Court of St. James, situates the tales in their broader historical and cultural context. Illustrated throughout with vibrant plates, this edition brought Serbian folklore to a Western readership during a moment when the fate of the Balkans was of immense international interest.

The author: Woislav M. Petrovitch served as attaché to the Serbian Royal Legation in London. His work combined diplomatic service with cultural advocacy, introducing Serbian history and epic traditions to English audiences. His literary contribution remains a cornerstone for scholars and readers interested in Balkan folklore.

The illustrators: William Sewell and Gilbert James were both known for their evocative work in color book illustration at the turn of the century. Their collaboration here provides dramatic interpretations of Serbia’s heroic legends, balancing romantic landscapes with intense depictions of battles, trials, and mythic figures. The richness of their color plates makes this volume one of the most visually compelling illustrated folklore works of its era.