1918 Scarce 1stED - The Book of Elves and Fairies illustrated by Milo Winter

Author: Frances Jenkins Olcott. Illustrated by Milo Winter.
Title: The Book of Elves and Fairies.
Publisher: Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company, The Riverside Press Cambridge, 1918. First Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 8 x 5.5 inches.
Pages: xix-430 pages.
Binding: Attractive and near fine original olive-green cloth binding, spine and front cover lettered in white, with mounted color illustration on the front board (hinges fine, overall - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover.
Content: Near fine content (bright, tight and clean - as shown).
Illustrations: Illustrated by Milo Winter, including a full-colour frontispiece and three additional colour plates, all present and in very good condition, with strong colours and fine detail.

Estimate: (Scarce with no or few other copies available for sale worldwide).

The book: The First Edition of The Book of Elves and Fairies is a richly curated anthology designed for storytelling, reading aloud, and independent reading, bringing together fairy lore, elfin legends, and classic tales drawn from Irish, English, Cornish, and broader European traditions. Compiled with a strong pedagogical and literary sensibility, the book reflects the early 20th-century movement to preserve folklore while making it accessible to young readers.

The illustrations by Milo Winter add a refined visual dimension to the text, blending romanticism and narrative clarity in a style emblematic of the Golden Age of American book illustration. His color plates, particularly the evocative fairy scenes reproduced here, elevate the volume beyond a simple anthology into a true illustrated gift book.

The author: Frances Jenkins Olcott (1872–1963) was an influential American librarian, editor, and author, best known for her work in children’s literature and storytelling. As head of the Children’s Department at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, she played a key role in shaping early library services for children and authored numerous anthologies intended to foster a love of literature and oral storytelling.

The illustrator: Milo Winter (1888–1956) was a prominent American illustrator whose work appeared in many classic children’s books of the early 20th century. Renowned for his ability to convey atmosphere and narrative through delicate line and color, Winter’s illustrations are especially admired in fairy tales and mythological subjects, where his style brings warmth, elegance, and emotional depth.