The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Illustrated by Arthur Rackham [Signed Limited Edition of 250]

Rare limited edition beautifully signed and likely numbered by Arthur Rackham with what appears to be fountain pen at limition page: "Edition limited to Two Hundred and Fifty Copies for England and One Hundred and Twenty-five Copies for the United States, of which this is No. '80' of the English issue. 'Arthur Rackham.'" Stated at copyright: "Published 1928 by George G. Harrap & Co." Larger 8 1/4" x 10 1/2" gift book design. Cream vellum (leather) boards, whimsically stylish gilt cover and spine titles, moderate cover, edge wear, discoloration, bow. Rough-cut deckled leaves very good, no writing. Frontispiece color plate by Rackham: "Frequently see strange sights, and hear music and voices in the air." Classic two-page illustrated spreads at front and back endpapers in monochromatic golden browns, with varying hues of black & white. Scene features main characters below trees teeming with ghouls and black cats and Sleepy Hollow in b.g. Beautifully, aptly illustrated throughout by the esteemed artist Arthur Rackham. Includes eight richly colored mounted plates with partial-page imagery, decoration, headers and tailpieces throughout. Plates are captioned at adjacent page with vignette verso this preceding page. Bind good; hinges intact. Rare signed limited edition of this classic. Contains a prologue by D. K., Irving's most well known public persona, Diedrich Knickerbocker. One of American literature's most enduring and popular tales, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow tells the tragic story of the love triangle that develops between the ill-fated Ichabod Crane, Brom Bones and Katrina Van Tassel. Lavishly decorated by Rackham in his, by turns, humorous and blood-curdling illustrations. Headless horsemen hail from Northern European storytelling, in German, Irish, Scandinavian (The Wild Hunt) and English legends, and were included in Robert Burns's "Tam o' Shanter" (1790) and The Wild Huntsman (1796). Appearing as omens for those who disregard apparitions, these spectors found victims in proud schemers bearing hubris and arrogance. The most notable, however, was the spector of Sleepy Hollow, who had been riding the trails with his horse among the church yard graves. Enter Brom Bones, who made light of the galloping Hessian as an arrant horseman. He disaffirmed that returning one night from a neighboring village, being overtaken by the midnight trooper. That he had offered to race with him for a bowl of punch and should have won it too, for Daredevil beat the goblin horse all hollow, but as they came to the church bridge, the Hessian bolted and vanished in a flash of flame. All these haunts, told in a hushed undertone as men whisper in the dark, the countenances of the listeners only now and then receiving a casual gleam from the shine of a pipe, sank deep in the mind of Ichabod.Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. In 1809, he published, The History of New York, under his most well known public persona, Diedrich Knickerbocker. Irving is best known for his short stories, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle". Printed in Great Britain by H. & J. Pillans & Wilson, Edinburgh. 103 pages. Insured post. Size: 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall.…