About this Item
(Hand-Colored Children's Books) MY BOX OF BOOKS: 12 VOLUMES OF HAND-COLORED CHILDREN'S BOOKS, LAID INTO ORIGINAL PUBLISHER'S BOOK-SHAPED DECORATIVE BOX. New York: W. H. Appleton, 92 and 94 Grand Street, circa 1865. FIRST EDITION. 32mo - 4-1/4" x 2-3/4" (12 volumes); 4-7/8" x 3-1/4" x 1" (box). Various different color paper wrappers, sewn as issued, with titles and "NEW YORK: Leavitt & Allen" printed in black, along with a hand-colored wood engraving to front wrappers. Original publisher's paper covered cardboard box, constructed to look like a book bound in blue book cloth, with titles and elaborate decoration printed in blue, gold and red to front and back covers and spine; three edges decorated in gilt to make the book-shaped box appear to be a.e.g.; inside front cover with title, list of the 12 volumes and publication information printed in black; at some point front cover became completely detached, but now reattached with old cellophane tape repair; box with additional signs of handling and wear. Each volume 16pp.; most with either nine or ten hand-colored wood engravings as follows: a vignette on front wrapper and title page and seven full page; some volumes with an additional vignette following the end of the story. The individual volumes are as follows: 1. THE SKATING PARTY, And Other Stories. NEAR FINE; corner creases to wrappers. 2. COLUMBUS AND THE EGG, AND Other Stories. VERY GOOD +; closed tear and minor discoloration to wrappers. 3. THE BIRD'S NEST, AND Other Stories. NEAR FINE; tiny chip to wrappers at tail of spine. 4. KRISS KRINGLE, AND Other Stories. FINE. 5. THE PET FAWN, AND Other Stories. VERY GOOD; a few pages with light spotting/small stains. 6. THE ROBINS AND Other Stories. NEAR FINE; minor spotting and a minuscule stain to one leaf. 7. THE SUMMER HOUSE, AND Other Stories. NEAR FINE; minor soiling to back wrapper. 8. THE OMNIBUS AND Other Stories. NEAR FINE; minor chip to upper fore edge corner of front wrapper. 9. HAYMAKING, AND Other Stories. VERY GOOD +; tiny split to wrappers at head and tail of spine fold, and minor offsetting from some of the hand-colored illustrations. 10. THE MUSICIAN, AND Other Stories. VERY GOOD; small chip to wrappers at tail of spine fold, and foxing to last page of book and back wrapper. 11. THE PAPOOSE, AND Other Stories. VERY GOOD; tiny chip to wrappers at tail of spine fold, and sporadic light spotting. 12 THE SKATERS, AND Other Stories. VERY GOOD -; wrappers neatly split from head to tail at spine fold and no longer attached to text block, and both wrappers creased; condition of the rest of the book is fine. All in all a wonderful collection of children's stories, all illustrated with multiple hand-colored wood engravings, and all contained within the original publisher's book-shaped box. Only one set located on WorldCat (Yale University Library). EXCEEDINGLY RARE; according to American Book Prices Current, no other copies of this set have sold at auction in the last 40 years. Seller Inventory # 001151
Contact seller
Report this item
