1931 Rare First US Edition - The NIGHT Before CHRISTMAS illustrated by Arthur Rackham.

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Author: Clement C Moore. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
Title: The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore Lld. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.B. Lippincott Co, no date (1931). First US Edition illustrated by Rackham.
Language: Text in English.
Size : 9 " X 6 ".
Pages: 35 pages.
Binding: Attractive and good illustrated full cloth binding (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown). 
Content: Good content (bright, clean, and tight - as shown, small margin close tears on 2 plates without affecting the illustrations - as shown). 
Illustrations: Complete with the 4 wonderful color plates and numerous beautiful figurative vignettes by Arthur Rackham.

The book: Rare and nice First American illustrated edition by Rackham of The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore. A Visit from St. Nicholas, more commonly known as The Night Before Christmas and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously in 1823 and later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, who claimed authorship in 1837. The poem has been called "arguably the best-known verses ever written by an American" and is largely responsible for some of the conceptions of Santa Claus from the mid-nineteenth century to today. It has had a massive effect on the history of Christmas gift-giving. Before the poem gained wide popularity, American ideas had varied considerably about Saint Nicholas and other Christmastide visitors. A Visit from St. Nicholas eventually was set to music and has been recorded by many artists.

The illustrator: Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) was a prolific British artist and illustrator, best known for his deluxe editions of popular children's books. Artistically inclined since childhood, Rackham started illustrating for newspapers, but it was not until he began drawing for children's literature that he received critical acclaim.