A Christmas Carol

London: William Heinemann, 1915. Edition de Luxe, Signed by Arthur Rackham

[RACKHAM, Arthur, illustrator]. DICKENS, Charles. A Christmas Carol. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. London: William Heinemann, [1915].

Limited to 525 numbered copies, of which 500 are for sale in Great Britain, Ireland and Colonies (this copy being No. 444), signed by Arthur Rackham.

Large quarto (11 7/16 x 9 inches; 291 x 230 mm.). xv, [1, blank], 147, [1] pp. Twelve color plates mounted on heavy brown paper, with descriptive tissue guards printed in red, and twenty drawings in black and white. Title-page printed in red and black.

Publisher's (truncated) vellum over boards pictorially stamped and lettered in gilt on front cover and spine. Later yellow silk ties. Top edge gilt, others uncut. Gray and white pictorial endpapers. The inner hinges have been expertly strengthened and there is a small (one inch) neat repair to the top of the front free end-paper. For some unexplained reason there is an additional front free endpaper. Very feint tape marks on endpapers from a removed protective jacket. With the rectangular pictorial bookplate of Betty Kampmann on front paste-down. Apart from the aforementioned this is a very fine and bright copy, one of the best that we have ever seen, the vellum is very fine and the gilt stamping on the front cover and spine much brighter than is usually seen. Housed in a felt-lined, white buckram over marbled boards clamshell case, spine with black leather label lettered in gilt.

"He [Rackham] is not usually remembered as an illustrator of Dickens, but A Christmas Carol (1915) was decidedly successful, for he contrived to adapt the tradition of 'Phiz' and Cruikshank to his own characteristic style in the pictures of Victorian London and at the same time found scope for his fantasy in the ghost scenes. We also find him here developing his special talent for silhouette, rare among illustrators…" (Derek Hudson. Arthur Rackham, p. 106).

Latimore and Haskell, pp. 44-45. Riall, pp. 124-125. (Inventory #: 05831)