1962 Tasha Tudor First Illustrated Edition - The Secret Garden by F. H. Burnett

Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett. Illustrated by Tasha Tudor.
Title: The Secret Garden.
Publisher: Philadelphia and New York, J. B. Lippincott Company, 1962. Real First Illustrated Edition by Tasha Tudor, without ISBN to the rear panel of the dust jacket.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 8.5" x 6.5".
Pages: 256 pages.
Binding: Attractive and very good original publisher’s rose-red cloth binding stamped in gilt to the spine and front board with a floral tree motif. Binding remains fresh, sound, and very well preserved, with only light signs of age and handling and a small light scuff to the front cover, as shown. Housed in the original illustrated dust jacket with floral border and central vignette by Tasha Tudor. Good to very good dust jacket, price unclipped, with rubbing, edgewear, small chips, and short closed tears at the extremities, as shown. Presented under a protective removable mylar cover.
Content: Near fine content. Pages are bright, clean, and very well preserved, with no foxing or markings observed. A beautiful and highly presentable copy.
Illustrations: Beautifully illustrated throughout by Tasha Tudor with delicate black-and-white decorations and numerous full-page color plates. Complete.

Estimate: (USD 275–350).

The book: A desirable real First Tasha Tudor Illustrated Edition of The Secret Garden, one of the most beloved visual interpretations of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic tale. Published by J. B. Lippincott in 1962, this edition is especially sought after when preserved in its original illustrated dust jacket, as here. First published in 1911, the story follows Mary Lennox’s transformation through friendship, fresh air, and the discovery of a locked and neglected garden, one of the great symbols of healing and renewal in children’s literature.

Tasha Tudor’s illustrations are particularly well suited to Burnett’s world. Her rose borders, quiet interiors, soft landscapes, robins, flowers, and children in old-fashioned dress bring a tender pastoral atmosphere to the story. This copy is especially appealing for collectors, retaining the original price-unclipped dust jacket and the bright rose-red cloth binding beneath.

The author: Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849–1924) was a British-American novelist and playwright, best remembered for her enduring works of children’s literature, including Little Lord Fauntleroy, A Little Princess, and The Secret Garden. Her stories often explore childhood resilience, class, imagination, loneliness, and the restorative power of affection and nature. The Secret Garden is widely regarded as her masterpiece and remains one of the most treasured children’s novels of the twentieth century.

The illustrator: Tasha Tudor (1915–2008) was one of the most beloved American illustrators of the twentieth century. Celebrated for her delicate watercolor style, pastoral sensibility, and deep affection for gardens, animals, children, and old New England traditions, Tudor illustrated many classics and original works. Her pictures for The Secret Garden are among her most admired achievements, bringing a gentle, nostalgic, and deeply atmospheric beauty to Burnett’s story.