THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE by VAN DYKE, Henry

Pyle, Howard. VAN DYKE, Henry. THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE. New York: Scribner's Sons, 1897. 8v. Full-morocco, top edge gilt. (vi), 76 pages including 4 plates. First edition. A charming story set in Pfalzel, Germany and written by American clergyman an author Henry Van Dyke who first delivered it as a sermon to his congregation 1897. Based on the legend of Winfrid - an English missionary known as St. Boniface "the Apostle of Germany" who brought Christianity to Germanic tribes the eight century. Illustrated with four plates by famed American illustrato Howard Pyle and rebound in green and gilt morocco by Whitman Bennett, famed N York bookbinder and Hollywood silent film director and producer. He incorporated the original green cloth front designed by Amy Richards with her monogram "A" and "R" joined with a common center stroke applied to the verso the front board as well as preserving the marbleized paper end leafs. Bookplate; spine darkened by sun, else very good.