1900 Rare First Edition - THE BOOK OF GNOMES by Fred E. Weatherly, illustrated by Evelyn Stuart Hardy.
(description)
Author: Fred E. Weatherly. (Evelyn Stuart Hardy, illustrator).
Title: THE BOOK OF GNOMES.
Publisher: London, Ernest Nister; E P Dutton & Co., no date (circa 1900).
Language: Text in English.
Size: Oblong 12.5 " X 10 ".
Pages: Unpaginated (48) pages (8) color plates.
Binding: Attractive and good to very good original quarter cloth illustrated binding (hinges fine, overall worn and scuffed at corners and edges - as shown, staining to back cover - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. A rare find in any condition!
Content: Good to very good content (bright and tight, some foxing and staining - as shown, nice handwritten gift verse from the Author to the inside on the first endpaper - as shown, some nicely repaired closed tears - as shown, one tear repaired by a previous owner on the title page - as shown, some pages inner hinge reinforced with matching paper by a previous owner - as shown).
Illustrations: Complete with the wonderful 8 chromolithographed plates and black&white illustrations by Evelyn Stuart Hardy.
Estimate: (USD 650 - USD 850)
The book: Attractive and scarce First edition of this wonderful Collection of 8 fairy, elves and gnomes illustrations by Evelyn Stuart Hardy. One of the masterpieces of late 19th-century Victorian colour printing. 'The Book of Gnomes' is widely considered Evelyn Stuart Hardy's finest work.
The author: Frederic Edward Weatherly, KC (4 October 1848 – 7 September 1929) was an English lawyer, author, lyricist and broadcaster. He was christened and brought up using the name Frederick Edward Weatherly, and appears to have adopted the spelling 'Frederic' later in life. He is estimated to have written the lyrics to at least 3,000 popular songs, among the best-known of which are the sentimental ballad "Danny Boy" set to the tune "Londonderry Air", the religious "The Holy City", and the wartime song "Roses of Picardy".
The illustrator: Evelyn Stuart Hardy (1866-1935) was an English illustrator and author. She practiced his art mainly in the illustration of children's books, fairy tales and other stories. Coming from a family of artists, it is with a certain mastery of her art that she drew the portrait of a pretty mermaid or elaborated on these scenes of meetings of elves which allow her to find her place among the artists of Fairyland!