1911 Rare First Edition - The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Title: The Secret Garden.
Publisher: New York, Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1911. First edition with "1911" on the copyright page and no additional printings listed.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 8 × 6 inches.
Pages: 375 pages.
Binding: Very good and attractive original green cloth-covered boards with gilt stamped title on front cover, decorative rose border design, and mounted pictorial onlay on the upper cover (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown, light wear and slight rubbing at the head and foot of the spine - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing or staining - as shown, decorative previous owner’s bookplate on the front blank page - as shown).
Illustrations: Beautifully illustrated by Maria Louise Kirk with color frontispiece and four additional color plates. A charming line drawing decorates the endpapers and the visual program perfectly complements the dreamy and restorative atmosphere of the story. Complete.
Estimate: (USD 450 – 650)
The book: One of the most beloved classics of children’s literature, The Secret Garden tells the story of Mary Lennox, a lonely and difficult child transformed by friendship, nature, and the discovery of a hidden garden at Misselthwaite Manor. First published in book form in 1911, the novel remains Frances Hodgson Burnett’s most enduring work after Little Lord Fauntleroy and A Little Princess, and is cherished for its themes of renewal, healing, and quiet wonder. This attractive Stokes edition, illustrated by Maria Louise Kirk, captures the gentle magic of the story and remains a highly desirable edition for collectors of classic illustrated children’s literature.
The author: Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett (1849–1924) was a British American novelist and playwright whose works became staples of children’s literature. Her stories often explore transformation, resilience, and the emotional lives of children, themes that helped secure her enduring place in literary history. The Secret Garden remains her most celebrated work and continues to enchant readers more than a century after its publication.