1919 Scarce First Edition - Godmother’s Garden Illustrated by Florence Harrison

Author: Netta Syrett.
Illustrated by: Florence Harrison.
Title: Godmother’s Garden.
Publisher: London, Glasgow, and Bombay: Blackie & Son Limited, circa 1919. First Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7 x 5 inches.
Pages: 223 pages.
Binding: Attractive and very good original pale green cloth binding with black-stamped spine and upper cover lettering, featuring a charming color plate onlay by Florence Harrison to the front board (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown). Preserved with the rare very good original printed dust jacket, illustrated in color (displaying mild toning, small edge nicks, and slight wear to spine extremities - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, some light foxing or staining visible primarily on the pages facing the color plates and along outer edges - as shown).
Illustrations: Beautifully illustrated by Florence Harrison with 4 color plates (including frontispiece) and 29 black-and-white drawings throughout the text. Harrison’s artwork—rich with Pre-Raphaelite inspiration and delicate fairy imagery—elevates this edition into one of Blackie’s most enchanting illustrated productions.

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

The book: Godmother’s Garden is one of the most exquisite collaborations between author Netta Syrett and illustrator Florence Harrison, published by Blackie & Son around 1919. Blending gentle fantasy with moral allegory, Syrett’s collection of seven tales—beginning with Sylvia Goes to the Garden—invites readers into a magical garden tended by a wise godmother. Harrison’s ethereal illustrations, with their soft color palettes and elegant line work, mirror the poetic beauty and moral tenderness of the stories. Copies in the original dust jacket, especially in this condition, are uncommon.

The author: Netta Syrett (1865–1943) was an English novelist, playwright, and children’s author associated with the New Woman movement. Her literary works often blend realism and mysticism, exploring female agency and imagination. Her children’s books, particularly The Garden of Delight and Godmother’s Garden, remain beloved for their lyrical prose and imaginative grace.

The illustrator: Florence Harrison (1877–1955) was among the most celebrated female illustrators of the early 20th century. Her luminous work for Blackie & Son—especially in books by Christina Rossetti, Alfred Tennyson, and Netta Syrett—embodies the golden age of illustration, characterized by romanticism, Art Nouveau linework, and a timeless fairy-tale spirit. Harrison’s ability to render innocence and wonder in human form makes this volume a visual delight and a fine collector’s piece.