1925 First Edition - Old Swedish Fairy Tales Illustrated by Jeannette Berkowitz
Author: Anna Wahlenberg. Illustrated by Jeannette Berkowitz.
Title: Old Swedish Fairy Tales.
Publisher: Philadelphia, The Penn Publishing Company, 1925. First Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 9.5 x 8 inches.
Pages: 296 pages.
Binding: Attractive and very good publisher’s original black cloth, the upper cover richly stamped in gilt with an inset color illustration, gilt title and decorative frame, matching gilt spine lettering and ornament. Plain cloth rear board (hinges fine, overall slightly scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. A very attractive and well-preserved example of 1920s illustrated children’s publishing.
Content: Good content (bright, tight, some light foxing present to the outer page edges and is more pronounced on the leaves immediately preceding and following the color plates - as shown). The remaining text pages are generally clean, with only light scattered age-toning. No loose leaves. Overall a solid copy.
Illustrations: Complete with all color plates including the frontispiece, printed in rich, vibrant colors, as well as numerous black-and-white illustrations and decorative headpieces by Jeannette Berkowitz. All illustrations present and well preserved.
The book: A highly charming first edition of Old Swedish Fairy Tales, presenting a selection of Scandinavian folk narratives by Anna Wahlenberg, translated into English by Antoinette DeCoursey Patterson. Published in 1925 by The Penn Publishing Company, this volume belongs to the golden age of illustrated fairy books, when folklore, decorative design, and color illustration were combined to produce books of lasting visual appeal.
Jeannette Berkowitz’s illustrations are a particular highlight. Her work blends folkloric costume, stylized landscapes, and early 20th-century decorative sensibility, resulting in images that are both theatrical and intimate. The color plates, with their bold palette and flattened perspective, evoke the atmosphere of Nordic legend while remaining accessible to young readers.
The author: Anna Wahlenberg (1858–1933) was a Swedish writer and educator whose work often drew upon folklore, moral storytelling, and childhood imagination. Her fairy tales reflect the narrative traditions of Scandinavia, populated by trolls, enchanted forests, magical objects, and quiet moments of moral testing. Through translation, her stories reached a broader English-speaking audience during the early 20th century, at a time of renewed international interest in folk literature.
The illustrator: Jeannette Berkowitz was an American illustrator active in the 1910s and 1920s, best known for her work on children’s books and fairy tales. Her illustrations in Old Swedish Fairy Tales are among her most distinctive, combining strong line work with decorative patterning and expressive color.