1926 Rare Book - Grimm's Fairy Tales Selected and Illustrated by Elenore Abbott

Author: Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm.
Title: Grimm’s Fairy Tales.
Publisher: New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1944.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 9 x 7 inches.
Pages: 308 pages.
Binding: Very good original publisher’s dark cloth binding, spine lettered in gilt. Front cover with mounted color illustration by Elenore Abbott within a gilt-ruled frame (hinges fine, overall slightly scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. 
Content: Near fine content (bright, tight and clean, contemporary gift inscription to the illustrated endpapers - as shown).
Illustrations: Illustrated throughout with a color frontispiece and eight color plates by Elenore Abbott. Illustrations are complete and well preserved, retaining strong color and fine detail.

The book: This Scribner edition of Grimm’s Fairy Tales presents a carefully selected group of the Brothers Grimm’s most enduring stories, including The Frog Prince, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Little Red Cap, Rumpelstiltskin, The Six Swans, and Snow-White. Originally issued in 1920, the volume reflects a mature phase of American illustrated book production, combining solid wartime-era craftsmanship with refined pictorial design. Elenore Abbott’s illustrations bring a lyrical, dreamlike quality to the tales, balancing delicacy with an undercurrent of mystery that remains faithful to the darker roots of the Grimm tradition.

The author: Jacob Grimm (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859) were German scholars, linguists, and folklorists whose systematic collection of oral tales laid the foundation for modern folklore studies. First published in the early nineteenth century, their fairy tales shaped Western narrative imagination, preserving ancient motifs of transformation, trial, and moral reckoning. The stories’ enduring power lies in their symbolic depth and narrative economy, which continue to resonate across generations.

The illustrator: Elenore Abbott (1876–1935) was an American illustrator celebrated for her ethereal, flowing line and imaginative use of color. Strongly influenced by Art Nouveau and early twentieth-century decorative illustration, her work appeared in deluxe editions of fairy tales and fantasy literature. Abbott’s interpretations of Grimm are particularly admired for their elegance and emotional subtlety, making editions illustrated by her highly sought after by collectors.