1955 Rare Book - A Flower Fairy Alphabet (Flower Fairies) by Cicely Mary Barker.
(Description)
Author: Poems and Pictures by Cicely Mary Barker.
Title: A Flower Fairy Alphabet.
Publisher: London and Glasgow: Blackie & Son Limited., no date, circa 1955.
Size: 5.5" X 4.5".
Pages: Unpaginated + 24 plates.
Binding: Attractive and near fine original full-cloth binding (hinges fine) in a very good original dustjacket (small chip, light stain to the rear cover, price unclipped) in a protective removable mylar cover. The jacket is whole and retains the original publisher's price sticker (2 / 6) over the original price of 3 net.
Content: Near fine content (bright, tight, and clean - as shown).
Illustrations: Profusely illustrated with 24 beautiful color plates.
The book: Rare and very nice early edition with the dust jacket of this exquisite volume by Cicely Mary Barker. One of the great fairy texts, personifying every alphabet letter with a flower fairy. The back of the jacket has 12 previous publications, the latest being A Little Picture Hymn Book.
The author: Cicely Mary Barker (June 28, 1895 - February 16, 1973) was the illustrator who created the famous Flower Fairies, in the shape of ethereal smiling children with butterfly wings. As a child, she was greatly influenced by the works of the illustrator Kate Greenaway, whom she assiduously copied in her formative years. Her principal influence, however, which she duly credited, was the artwork of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Cicely was also influenced by the huge popular interest in fairies which developed from the Victorian enthusiasm for fairy stories and was epitomised by the immense popularity of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan in the early part of the 20th century.