2008 Signed First Edition - After Glow with bedpost tag by Charles van Sandwyk
Author: Charles van Sandwyk. Illustrated by the author.
Title: After Glow.
Publisher: North Vancouver, The Fairy Press, November 2008.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7 x 7.5 inches.
Pages: 8 pages.
Binding: Fine original linen-textured pictorial handmade card covers, elaborately lettered in gilt, with a hand-dyed rainbow silk ribbon tie along the spine. The upper cover with a folded flap opening to form a three-panel panoramic fairyland illustration in colours; the lower cover also with a folded flap. A highly decorative and inventive binding, combining elements of book and object under a protective, removable mylar cover.
Content: Fine condition. Clean, bright, and well-preserved throughout. Signed by Charles van Sandwyk in ink on the lower cover. Complete with the original ribboned bookmark “bedpost tag,” printed in gilt on maroon card and accompanied by its silk tie.
Illustrations: Calligraphic text throughout, accompanied by six delicate watercolour illustrations by the artist, printed in colour. The design includes unfolding panels forming a continuous panoramic fairyland scene.
Estimate: (USD 300 – 350)
The book: A beautifully conceived and executed Fairy Press production, After Glow presents an autumnal poem celebrating elfin revellers, expressed through Charles van Sandwyk’s signature blend of calligraphy, illustration, and handcrafted design.
The book is formed of two hand-sewn, double-folded sheets with deckled edges, giving it both a tactile and intimate quality. The text flows in the artist’s distinctive calligraphic style, interwoven with six gentle watercolour illustrations that evoke a quiet, dreamlike woodland world.
Its most enchanting feature lies in its interactive design: unfolding flaps reveal a panoramic fairyland scene, transforming the object into a miniature stage of imagination. The inclusion of the original ribboned “bedpost tag,” printed in gilt with a whimsical verse—
“If visions of Fairyland dance in your head,
then tie this old tag to a post on your bed.
Your dreams will be rich and your heart will feel light
as you wake up refreshed from the cool autumn night.”
—extends the experience beyond the page, embodying van Sandwyk’s philosophy of books as living, poetic objects.
Issued in a limited edition of approximately 2,000 copies, this work reflects the enduring appeal of small press artistry in the modern era. Signed examples, complete with all original elements, are increasingly desirable.
The author: Charles van Sandwyk is a Canadian artist, illustrator, and bookmaker renowned for his finely crafted limited editions inspired by fairy lore, nature, and the Arts and Crafts tradition. Through his Fairy Press, he creates works that merge illustration, typography, and bookbinding into unified artistic expressions, echoing the spirit of Golden Age illustrators while maintaining a uniquely personal voice.