1920 Rare Book - Russian Fairy Tales Illustrated by Noel L. Nisbet
Author: R. Nisbet Bain. Illustrated by Noel L. Nisbet. From the Russian of Polevoi.
Title: Russian Fairy Tales.
Publisher: London, George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd.,1920. First Edition, Second printing.
Language: Text in English (translated from Russian).
Size: 8.5" x 6.5".
Pages: 251 pages + publisher's catalogue.
Binding: Very good original publisher’s decorative light blue cloth binding, with bold black Art Nouveau–style stamped title and illustration to front cover and spine (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing or staining - as shown).
Illustrations: Beautifully illustrated with 4 color plates and 12 black-and-white line drawings by Noel L. Nisbet. The illustrations capture the richness of Russian folk tradition, blending stylized figures and folkloric settings with an early 20th-century decorative sensibility. (Complete).
Estimate: (USD 250–300).
The book: This finely illustrated edition of Russian Fairy Tales offers English readers a vivid portal into the world of Slavic folklore, with stories drawn from the collection of Polevoi and translated by R. Nisbet Bain, a scholar of Eastern European literature. The tales include such classics as “The Golden Mountain,” “Morozko,” “The Frog-Tsarevna,” and “The Enchanted Ring.” Published by George Harrap, known for their high-quality illustrated books of the early 20th century, this edition combines scholarly translation with Noel L. Nisbet’s evocative illustrations, situating Russian folk narrative within the great tradition of art publishing of the period.
The author: Robert Nisbet Bain (1854–1909) was a British historian, linguist, and translator specializing in Eastern European languages and literature. Proficient in over twenty languages, Bain played a crucial role in making the myths, legends, and histories of Hungary, Russia, and Scandinavia accessible to English readers. His translations retain both scholarly rigor and the narrative spirit of the originals.
The illustrator: Noel Laura Nisbet (1887–1956), a British illustrator and artist, trained at the Glasgow School of Art, was known for her richly decorative style influenced by both the Arts and Crafts movement and early modernist currents. Her illustrations in Russian Fairy Tales combine bold line work and atmospheric composition, reflecting both the magic of the stories and the stylization of early 20th-century book design.