1930 First Edition - Andersen's Fairy Tales illustrated by Ben Kutcher
Author: Hans Christian Andersen.
Title: Andersen's Fairy Tales.
Editor: Margherita O. Osborne.
Illustrator: Ben Kutcher.
Publisher: New York: The Hampton Publishing Company, 1930. First Hampton Edition. Published the same year as the Penn Publishing Company edition of Philadelphia.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 10" x 7".
Pages: 367 pages.
Binding: Very good to near fine original blue cloth binding with gilt lettering to the spine. Binding remains bright, clean, and remarkably well preserved. Housed in the scarce original publisher's dust jacket with the original price unclipped. Dust jacket is in good condition only, showing tears, chips, edge wear, and some loss, chiefly at the spine ends and corners, as shown. Protected in a removable mylar cover.
Content: Very good content. Pages are clean and complete with light age toning. Small marginal tear to the illustration facing page 88, not affecting the image itself, as shown. No ownership inscriptions noted. The text block remains sound and attractive. Illustrations: Complete with all 6 full-page color illustrations, including the frontispiece, together with numerous decorative black-and-white Art Deco-style illustrations and ornaments by Ben Kutcher throughout.
Estimate: (USD 175 - 200)
The book: A handsome early twentieth-century illustrated edition of Hans Christian Andersen's beloved fairy tales, edited by Margherita O. Osborne and enriched by the distinctive artwork of Ben Kutcher. This collection gathers many of Andersen's most enduring stories, including The Snow Queen, The Wild Swans, Thumbelina, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Nightingale, The Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, The Emperor's New Clothes, and many others.
What distinguishes this edition is its striking Art Deco design. Ben Kutcher's illustrations and decorative borders reflect the artistic sensibilities of the late 1920s and early 1930s, combining elegant line work with richly colored plates that bring Andersen's magical worlds vividly to life. The result is a volume that bridges the timeless charm of Andersen's storytelling with the refined visual aesthetics of the Art Deco era.
Examples retaining the fragile original dust jacket are increasingly difficult to locate, as the jackets were particularly susceptible to wear and loss. This copy remains an appealing survival, preserving both the attractive cloth binding and the rare dust jacket.
The author: Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875) remains one of the most influential storytellers in world literature. Born in Odense, Denmark, Andersen transformed the fairy tale into a sophisticated literary form capable of delighting children while speaking profoundly to adult readers. His tales, including The Little Mermaid, The Snow Queen, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Ugly Duckling, and The Nightingale, have been translated into more than 150 languages and continue to inspire readers, artists, filmmakers, and illustrators around the globe.
The illustrator: Ben Kutcher was an American illustrator whose work flourished during the Art Deco period. His illustrations are noted for their decorative elegance, stylized figures, and sophisticated use of color. In this edition, Kutcher's artwork provides a uniquely modern interpretation of Andersen's classic tales, creating one of the most visually appealing American illustrated editions of the early twentieth century.