1879 Scarce First Edition – Cornertown Legends, Kathleen Knox Presentation Copy
A scarce and beautifully illustrated 1879 first edition of Cornertown Chronicles: New Legends of Old Lore by Kathleen Knox, featuring twenty charming Victorian illustrations, an unusually attractive gilt-decorated green cloth binding, and a touching handwritten presentation inscription from the author to her sister.
Author: Kathleen Knox.
Title: Cornertown Chronicles: New Legends of Old Lore.
Publisher: London: Griffith and Farran, successors to Newbery and Harris; New York: E. P. Dutton and Co., 1879.
Edition: First Edition, 1879. Scarce.
Language: English.
Pages: 256 pages, followed by the original publisher's illustrated catalogue.
Size: 7 x 5.5 inches.
Binding: Good to very good original green publisher's cloth, elaborately decorated on the front board and spine with gilt and black lettering and illustrations, including a charming architectural vignette, an ornamental gilt medallion, and a double gilt border. The author's name appears prominently in gilt on both the front cover and spine. The rear board features a blind-stamped decorative border. Some rubbing and wear to the extremities, particularly the spine ends and corners, with minor surface marks and age-related wear. The original decorative binding remains particularly attractive, with its gilt ornamentation well preserved. Protected in a removable mylar cover.
Content: Good to very good and complete. Scattered light to moderate foxing, occasional age-toning, and minor handling marks throughout, as illustrated in the photographs. The rear endpaper inner hinge shows wear along the fold, but the binding remains tight and secure. Of particular interest is a contemporary handwritten presentation inscription on the front free endpaper, dated June 1879, from the author to her sister, affectionately signed "The Author." An appealing association copy retaining its original character.
Illustrations: Complete with all four full-page black-and-white illustrations, including the frontispiece, and sixteen smaller illustrations incorporated into the text, as specified in the publisher's list of illustrations. The finely executed Victorian engravings depict children, families, fairy-tale scenes, woodland settings, and episodes from the six chronicles.
Estimate: USD $200–250.
The book: Published in London in 1879, Cornertown Chronicles: New Legends of Old Lore is a delightful and now scarce work of Victorian children's literature, blending domestic storytelling with fairy lore, botanical symbolism, and gentle moral reflection. Through six interconnected chronicles set in the imaginary community of Cornertown, Kathleen Knox introduces a world in which everyday human experiences are touched by the mysterious influence of flowers and fairies. The stories include The Golden Wedding and the Wonder Flower, The Two Birthdays and the Passion Flower, The King of the Woods and the Snow Flower, Under the Rainbow and the Star Flower, Across the Stream and the Horizon Flower, and Child's Play and the Gold Flower. Together, they explore affection, generosity, childhood, family relationships, and the imaginative possibilities hidden within ordinary life.
The book is especially attractive for its distinctive original publisher's binding, with imaginative gilt lettering, black pictorial decoration, and a rich green cloth background characteristic of the more decorative Victorian gift books. Its twenty black-and-white illustrations beautifully complement the narrative, portraying children, domestic scenes, woodland adventures, and moments of enchantment. This copy is particularly noteworthy for its contemporary handwritten dedication from the author to her sister, dated June 1879, lending the volume an intimate personal connection to its creator. Complete with all illustrations and its original publisher's catalogue, it is an appealing example of nineteenth-century illustrated children's fiction and Victorian fairy literature.
The author: Kathleen Knox was a nineteenth-century British writer of children's literature, whose works include Father Time's Story-Book, Fairy Gifts, and Cornertown Chronicles. Her writing belongs to the rich tradition of Victorian juvenile literature, in which imaginative storytelling, fairy-tale elements, and moral instruction were frequently interwoven. Her narratives reflect the period's fascination with childhood innocence, the natural world, and the capacity of fantasy to illuminate human relationships.
In Cornertown Chronicles, Knox brings together traditional fairy motifs and the familiar rhythms of domestic life, using flowers and supernatural interventions to explore the emotional experiences of her characters. The author's affectionate handwritten presentation of this copy to her sister, dated in the year of publication, provides a particularly charming glimpse into the personal history of a writer whose books are seldom encountered today. It makes this scarce first edition especially interesting to collectors of Victorian children's books, illustrated fairy tales, and literary association copies.