TGIPPB #3

Poe's Tales of Mystery & Imagination by Edgar Allen Poe, George G. Harrap & CO., Ltd. (London), 1935

Arthur Rackham needs no introduction to members of the LT Fine Press Forum - he is the best known and most prolific of the great illustrators from The Golden Age of Illustration (see link).

http://www.librarything.com/topic/302291

Amongst Rackham private press book collectors his finest work is usually considered to be found in 'Peter Pan In Kensington Gardens'. Other titles that are also highly prized are Poor Cecco, The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, and Rip Van Winkle, in addition to this title above. However, this may well have been one of Rackham's favorite projects, so much so that he famously remarked that his illustrations for this edition "even frightened ME". What sets this book apart from the many other books Rackham illustrated is, of course, the fabulous collection of tales and stories by Edgar Allen Poe. Frankly, I find reading Poe more interesting than reading Peter Pan or Rip Van Winkle and this may well be the best combination of great literature and classic Rackham watercolour illustrations.

About this book: This copy is the deluxe lilmited edition signed by Arthur Rackham. The skeleton endpapers and free end plates are justly famous and the book is profusely illustrated with twelve watercolour and seventeen black-and-white line illustrations. The colour illustrations were printed separately and tipped into the pages, each with its own captioned tissue-paper guard. The text was printed at Western Printing Services, Ltd., Bristol (letterpress) and the full page colour plates were printed by McLagan and Cumming, Edinburgh. Binding is full vellum over stiff boards with gilt front cover skeleton illustration and titling. 460 copies were printed, 450 for sale, and Rackham's neat script signature appears in each colophon.

Additional photos to follow.

Front cover of binding:

Book spine with gilt titling:

Skeleton pastedowns and endpapers:

Title page:

First page with header illustration in B&W:

From: The Imp of the Perverse.

"I walked vigorously - faster - still faster - at length I ran."

From: A Descent into the Maelstrom.

From: King Pest.

"The victorious Legs rushed out with her into the street, followed by the redoubtable Hugh Tarpaulin."

From: The Fall of the House of Usher.

"I at length found myself within view of the melancholy House of Usher."

From: The Oval Portrait.

" He turned suddenly to regard his beloved: -- She was dead!"

From: Ligeia.

"She came and departed as a shadow."

From: Eleonora.

"About this valley roamed I with Eleonora."

Macro photo #1 from: The Cask of Amontillado.

"The wall was now nearly upon a level with my breast. Unsheathing my rapier, I began to grope with it about the recess."

Macro photo #2: from The Pit and the Pendulum.

"At length for my seared and writhing body there was no longer an inch of foothold on the firm floor of the prison."

Colophon:

I am in love. This is an absolute must have for me and is now the very top of my list.

Wow. I realize that my original Dore illustrated The Raven is not fine press, but it had been my favorite Poe. No longer true, as I must find a copy of this for myself. Thank you for this wonderful series.

There was a deluxe trade edition of this publication, bound in full leather. Does anyone know in what respects it may differ from the deluxe limited edition pictured here (apart from the vellum binding and Rackham’s signature)?

That is just stunning

I saw this at bookstore once. It was in fine condition. The cost was $1K, and I passed on it. I've regretted it ever since.

>21 ultrarightist:

Non-Buyer's Remorse is far more frequent and far more painful than Buyer's Remorse.

May I request >1 dlphcoracl: to re-upload the images of his OP if still available? Thanks.

>19 kermaier: Four years too late but here is a listing of the full leather deluxe trade edition: https://www.abaa.org/book/1547844203

Here is a YouTube video by Peter Harrington showing a 'special' - one of 10 or 12 reserved copies not for sale from among the deluxe limited print run of 460 copies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT5kW4W5uSI

Harrap had begun to release limited editions - about 10 of which were reserved for special treatment viz. full green morroco binding with unique gold tooling by Sangorski & Sutcliffe and designed by Rackham, a bound-in original ink and watercolour artwork by Rackham and marbled endpapers.

Interestingly, this exact copy (no. 3) has been listed twice on Sotheby's in 2018 and 2019, both with the provenance note 'Sold in these rooms, 1 June 1989, lot 127'. So not sure if it was sold twice or just relisted. Estimate was 20K to 30K sterling.
https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/english-literature-sale-l18...
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/english-literature-history-children...

Some more 'specials' from the Peter Harrington YouTube channel:

The Brothers Grimm, illustrated by Arthur Rackham
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxoZ4KNGPTA

Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen, Arthur Rackham. Signed Limited Edition, 1932
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFEvTbGII_8

WALTON, Izaak. The Compleat Angler, or The Contemplative Man's Recreation, 1931
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xX8NRdN3Kc

Nielsen, Kay. East of the Sun, West of the Moon, 1922
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRbNZ8LCNNo

Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, illustrated by Arthur Rackham
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzagmyyOZV4

RACKHAM, Arthur. The Peter Pan Portfolio, 1912
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-eNzMz-B-A

>23 mr.philistine: I have the 1922 trade Edition of East of The Sun, West of the Moon. Though of course nowhere close to the vellum bound, signed edition; the tipped in illustrations are gorgeous and it was a lucky find of a decent copy

>24 Praveenna_Nagaratnam: The Folio Society edition dated 2000 is an 'improved facsimile of the Hodder edition of 1914' per Folio 75. Taschen also have an edition. Both compared here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NyejGYfIkQ