Search Results: children's books from BATTLEDORE LTD

Created by Felixmüller for his sons Luca and Titus, also for children of his friends, this elaborate picture-book was printed by master craftsman Zielinski in December 1925 under the supervision of the artist. Felixmüller's glowingly hand-colored images contribute to one of the most significant artist books of German Expressionism. Partly as a result of economic decline in Germany during the early 1920s, Felixmüller took overall control of all aspects of this publication, thereby keeping costs to a minimum, but at the same time enhancing significantly its quality and harmony.

One of perhaps 10 copies hand-colored by the artist, from the total edition of 350, comprising 100 copies on Bütten paper, numbered and signed by the artist bound in cloth and 250 copies on Ingres paper bound in wrappers. This copy is from the Ingres issue, and is inscribed by the artist "Eigenhandig coloriert C. Felixmüller" on the title-page, though the few other hand-colored copies traced have all been on… Read More

DODGSON (Charles L) "Lewis Carroll":
LAURENCIN (Marie) [1883–1956]
Alice in Wonderland. [Paris: Black Sun Press, 1930].
Complete set of six colored pastel drawings for this unusual Art Deco vision of ALICE, being the actual finished originals made by MARIE LAURENCIN inside a set of black and white outline designs printed as proofs on wove paper. Her original outlines would have been made directly on lithographic stones for printing whereas this manuscript series was prepared for the printers to create color-separation plates (which explains why the color-printed images in the book do not precisely match the published drawings).
Each picture is signed by the artist in colored pencil, with page size measuring 10-7/8 x 14-1/4 inches.
[Additional images available]
Together with: 6 canceled outline proofs from the printer E Desjobert, signed and dated "October 1930", with their printers' stamp. These measure 9-3/4 x 11-7/8 inches on tinted BFK wove paper.
This is one of the artist's most… Read More

SCHILLER (Justin G) and GOODACRE (Selwyn): Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. An 1865 printing re-described and newly identified as the Publisher's "File Copy". With a revised and expanded Census of the suppressed 1865 "Alice" compiled by Selwyn H Goodacre, to which is added a short-title index identifying and locating the original preliminary drawings by John Tenniel for ALICE and LOOKING-GLASS. Catalogued by Justin G. Schiller. [Kingston NY:] Privately Printed for The Jabberwock, 1990. Illustrated with 98 reproductions, chiefly original sketches by John Tenniel and Charles Dodgson ("Lewis Carroll"), the majority published here for the first time, and with a foldout plate reproducing a page from the British Museum's Dalziel Bros album of woodblock proofs (1865) for ALICE. Tall 8vo, 112pp on Mohawk soft-white Superfine 100lb. Acid-free archival paper; full color laminated boards simulating an art nouveau gilt leather binding by Riviere especially done for this copy in 1899. With inserted errata slip.… Read More

(ABC).
An Alphabet of Owls et cetera by Donald Friend with a Text suitable for all Children, Grown-ups, Non-Readers, Ornamental Hermits, et alia.
[South Melbourne]: Gryphon Books, 1981.
Illustrated with large black and white block printed capitals decorated with various animals and people within the letter design. Produced on a Furnival stop cylinder machine, printed on heavy Bemboka hand-made paper with text in sepia by Jim Walker at The Croft Press, Cobargo, NSW.
Limited to 150 copies (#101), Signed by Donald Friend.

LEAR (Edward)A BOOK OF NONSENSE with many new pictures and versesLondon: Routledge, Warne and Routledge, [1862].Oblong 8vo., [ii] 112 ff. (the final leaf unpaginated); printed pictorial boards (a bit worn and scuffed), red cloth spine rebacked following the original format.Third Edition, but in actuality the FIRST ENLARGED PRINTINGFirst appearance of Edward Lear's unique woodcut illustrations, most of which are based on his earlier lithographs from 1846Edward Lear was an English writer and artist. The youngest child in a large family, he received little formal education, and was looked after by his eldest sister until he found success as an illustrator, publishing a folio of parrot lithographs. He later honed his untrained style at the Royal Academy and became a popular landscape painter. Lear was a constant traveller, chiefly in the Mediterranean and Middle East regions, and published numerous travel books, usually generously illustrated. He is certainly best known for his nonsense verse and… Read More

ARDIZZONE (Edward):
Complete Poems for Children. 1973.
Original ink and watercolor drawing for the dust-jacket of Complete Poems for Children by James Reeves. London: William Heinemann, 1973. Measures 9-1/2 x 14-3/16 inches, framed and glazed.

GREENAWAY (Kate) and LOCKER (Frederick):
Cradle Verses. 1880. Illuminated Manuscript of Four Poems by Frederick Locker, written by his own hand, with extensive illustrations in watercolors by Kate Greenaway. This charming book was prepared on commission for presentation on the birthday of Frederick Locker's wife, Jane. 24mo., [48] pages; presentation vellum binding with full watercolors on corners, titled: "Babies and Blossoms", all edges green. Housed in custom green morocco leather box, gilt-lettered: "Hannah Jane Locker | 1880", with hand-made velvet pouch.
Unique and extremely charming miniature book.
Reference: Spielman and Layard p.96, illustrated pp 280-281.
Provenance: Jane Locker Lampson, thence by descent; acquired by Mrs. Robert S. Pirie from Seven Gables bookshop circa 1961.

(JAPANESE Children's Books). HERRING (Ann): The Dawn of Wisdom: Selections from the Japanese Collection of the Cotsen Children's Library. [Los Angeles:] Cotsen Occasional Press [2000]. Profusely Illustrated in color. 4to., x 136 pp.; printed pictorial wrappers. First edition of this important monograph on Japanese children's books in the Cotsen Children's Library from the late 17th century to the present focusing not only on books and magazines but also on printed games, puzzles, posters, broadsides, prints, panel-theater-sets, educational material for home and school use, and playing cards. This selection of items gives a survey of the early production of books for children from the Heian Period (794-1185), Tokugawa (Edo) period (ca. 1615-1868), the Meiji Era (1868-1911), Taisho Democracy and its influence (1912-1932), the strong Nationalist sentiments from the 1930s onwards, and the reconstruction period from 1945.

POTTER (Beatrix)Dear Ivy, Dear June; Letters from Beatrix PotterToronto: Friends of the Osborne and Lillian H Smith Collections, 1977.Illustrated, including many facsimile sketches taken from Helen Beatrix Potter's original picture-letters, here transcribed. 8vo., x 166 pp.; brown cloth with gilt title on spine and pictorial design gilt-stamped on upper cover, orange pictorial board slip-case. As New. First and only edition of these fifty-four letters written from 1924 to 1943 to Ivy Hunt Steel and her daughter Jane. The elder recipient was born in London and emigrated ti Canada in 1920. With an introduction and biographical end-piece "Beatrix Potter 1866-1943" by Margaret Crawford Maloney and a checklist of the Beatrix Potter holdings at the Osborne Collection (compiled by Dana Tenny. Fine Condition.

Der Struwwelpeter. Ein Bilderbuch macht Karriere,by Johannes Baumgartner. 2 volumes. Freiburg: privately printed for the author, 1996-1998Tall 8vo., 88, 103 pp.; blue and red cloth bindings with printed pictorial cover labels. Highly important, one of its kind, and profusely illustrated survey of 300 different variations, translations, re-illustrations, anthologies and parodies of these famous cautionary rhymes for children, including controversial political adaptations. The international scope and notes make these volumes essential as a research tool, despite the limited German language text. Finally there has been published a descriptive catalogue of what is probably the best collection in private ownership of Heinrich Hoffmann's famous picture-book: Struwwelpeter (or Slovenly Peter as he is known from English translations). Originally published in 1844, this book of moralizing verse tales with fantastic pictures has never been out of print, and it has generated countless reprints, piracies,… Read More

REY (H A):
Die Sommerfrische [Summer Refresh]
Berlin, 1923
Series of 10 Linocut prints (some corners slightly chipped), each signed and captioned in pencil
Each sheet measures 13-1/8 x 9-1/8 inches, loose in original paper portfolio with cover label (edges torn)
Apparently only known copy of this artist's first publication
H[ans] A[ugusto] REY[ersbach], (1898–1977) is best known for his children's book "Curious George" (1941).

Illustrated with black and white designs by Monica Walker. 12mo., 79[1] pp.; gilt-stamped blue boards. First published 1954 as a selection of nursery rhymes known during the reign of George III, Mrs Opie took her texts from an 1805 chapbook Original Ditties for the Nursery published by John Harris which documents the appearance of 'Tweedledum and Tweedledee' later used by Lewis Carroll, 'A farmer went trotting upon his grey mare' selected as a picture-book subject by Randolph Caldecott, 'Little Jenny Flinders' and 35 other rhymes for children. An excellent nursery Gift-book; very uncommon being one of 150 copies numbered and signed in ink by Mrs. Opie on the title-page. Fine condition. Bookseller Inventory # ABB005

(Folklore)English Folk-Lore by T. F. Thiselton Dyer.London: Hardwicke & Bogue, with a rare announcement slip at the front endpaper dated 1 July 1879 with change of address and business name, 1878.8vo, viii 290pp, [vi] adverts + 32pp catalogue dated November 1878; original brown cloth gilt-titled on front cover and spine.First edition of this fascinating history and discussion on English folklore, created and published in response to the formation of the Folk-Lore Society (U.K.) earlier this same year. It includes an interesting look into English folklore: plants, the moon, birds, animals, charms, birth, death, marriage, and more. Written by T. F. Thiselton-Dyer, a curate who was known for his popular non-fiction works, including 'British Customs: Past and Present', and 'Strange Papes From Family Papers'.

POTTER, Beatrix (1866-1943). The Fairy Caravan. Philadelphia: David McKay, 1929. With illustrations by the author, including 6 full-page colored plates and many text vignettes. Quarto, 225 pp.; original green cloth, gilt-titled spine and colored pictorial cover design on upper cover.Fine Limited First edition, one of 100 copies signed by Beatrix Potter. This is copy no. 14, signed by the author on a tipped-in leaf bearing the statement: "The autographed edition of this book is limited to one hundred copies, none of which will be offered for sale." VERY RARE AND OBSCURE version of this title, not detailed in Linder, Quinby or the V&A catalogue; apparently published to reserve USA copyright, issued simultaneously with the first trade edition also produced by McKay. Provenance: Veronica Thorn (bookplate); afterwards in the personal collection of MAURICE SENDAK (but without any internal markings). The limited edition also came in a presentation box with printed pictorial cover label, while the Trade… Read More

POTTER (Beatrix)Ginger & Pickles.London: Frederick Warne, 1909.Frontispiece and 9 color illustrations by the author, also text vignettes.Square 8vo, 52pp; original buff boards, titles to front cover and spine in green, pictorial label with illustration to front cover, illustrated endpapers.First edition.The third of Potter's books to be printed in large format, Ginger & Pickles was worked up from an original manuscript given to Louie Warne, Harold Warne's daughter, as a Christmas gift in 1908. The story was based on a village shop in Sawrey owned by John Taylor when Potter bought Hill Top farm, so the book is dedicated to him. From the personal library of MAURICE SENDAK with his Jennie bookplate pasted verso front free endpaper. Laid in is a Sendak notecard with a design from The Bat-Poet, inscribed "A very special book for very special Lynn -- on her Birthday! With all my love Maurice May (April) '90", the recipient being Lynn Caponera, who began working for the artist in 1972 as caretaker of his… Read More

(Grammar for Children)
LEFÈVRE D'ÉTAPLES, Jacques (1450 ?-1537)
Grammatographia. Paris: Simon de Colines, June 1533 [Bound with:] Jacques LEFÈVRE D'ÉTAPLES. Clavis tesserarum Grammatographiae. [Paris: S. de Colines] 1530.
Two works in one, Small Quarto (204 x 145mm), [60, 14] ff. collates A-P4, a-c4 [d2], Printed in red and black (two minor marginal repairs). Modern calf tooled in blind to a Renaissance style.'Second edition of one of Colines' most ingeniously impressive typographic achievements' (Schreiber). First published 1529, it was composed by Lefèvre d'Étaples, tutor to the French royal children, in order to teach them Latin and its pronunciation; it is dedicated to Princess Madeleine of France (1520-36), daughter of François I.
Colines devised a 'system of periods, accents, and brackets' resulting in highly complex typography showing off his great skill. It is accompanied by its very rare supplement (not seen by Renouard) which takes the form of a dialogue between two young woman,… Read More

PARLEY (Peter) aka [Samuel G Goodrich]: HISTOIRE de La Chine et des Chinois traduit de l'anglais par Mme A. B. Paris: Librairie de l'Enfance et de la Jeunesse, P. C. Lehuby, Libraire-Editeur, circa 1850s. Four tinted page illustrations, including frontispiece. 12mo, viii 280pp with gilt edges; full black leather extra gilt with four rules on each cover, spine gilt-titled, with front cover medallion indicating a school prize and presentation label inside front cover (dated 1860). Very attractive copy.
First edition thus, a French translation travelogue for children originally created by the American author S G Goodrich and originally published 1843. "Vous trouverez dans cet ouvrage la description de l'une des plus intéressantes nations du globe La Chine, une des plus merveilleuses contrées de la Terre.".

Beatrix Potter's first book
POTTER (Beatrix): A Happy Pair. Verses by F E Weatherley
[London:] Hildesheimer & Faulkner, 1890.
Illustrated with six chromolithographs by Potter (one duplicated as the front cover design).
12mo., [7] ff.; pictorial card wrappers (slight staining, but an exceptionally clean copy), with original silk ties and tassels, all edges gilt. Protective clamshell cloth box.
First edition.
Beatrix Potter's FIRST Book, most likely published without her knowledge, based upon her contribution towards creating Christmas Card designs. Precedes "Peter Rabbit" by nearly 10 years.

(Christopher COLUMBUS)The History of America.London: W. Wetton, circa 1830.Small 8vo, 176pp + [4] adverts, listing this title as number 15 (of 22); original gilt leather-backed marbled boards, the spine titled "Columbus".Rare juvenile biography of Christopher Columbus, of which there is apparently no copy in OCLC.

GRIMM (Brothers)
CRANE (Walter) [1845–1915]
Grimms Fairy Tales: Household Stories, 1882
(London: Macmillan, 1882)
Gouache over graphite on paper
Original design for the cloth cover and spine
Measures 7-7/8 x 6-7/8 inches

Exhibited: Chrysler Museum of Art,
Myth Magic and Mystery, 1996, Cat # 151