1890 Scarce Edition - At The Back of The North Wind Illustrated by Arthur Hughes.
(Description)
Author: George MacDonald. Arthur Hughes, illustrator.
Title: At the Back of the North Wind. "New Edition" with Seventy-Five illustrations by Arthur Hughes.
Publisher: London, Blackie and Son Limited, no date (circa 1890).
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7.5" X 5".
Pages: vi-378 pages + publisher's catalog.
Binding: Attractive and very good original decorated full-cloth binding (hinges fine, overall slightly scuffed and worn - as shown, spine lightly sunned - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. All edges are gilt. Scarce in this binding red variant.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight, and clean, some light foxing or staining - as shown).
Illustrations: Beautifully illustrated with 75 illustrations by Arthur Hughes.
Estimate: (Scarce with no or few other copies in this binding variant for sale worldwide).
The book: Attractive and scarce early edition of At the Back of the North Wind -- a children's book written by Scottish author George MacDonald. It was serialized in the children's magazine Good Words for the Young beginning in 1868 and was published in book form in 1871. It is a fantasy centered on a boy named Diamond and his adventures with the North Wind. Diamond travels together with the mysterious Lady North Wind through the night. The book includes the fairy tale Little Daylight, which has been pulled out as an independent work, or separately, added to other collections of his fairy tales.
The author: George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister known for his pioneering works in the fantasy genre. His writings, including Phantastes, The Princess and the Goblin, and Lilith, have influenced many prominent authors such as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Madeleine L'Engle.
The illustrator: Arthur Hughes (1832-1915) was a British painter and illustrator associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. His delicate and imaginative illustrations have graced the pages of many classic children's books, including works by George MacDonald and Christina Rossetti.