Lang, Andrew | The Fairy Books, a Complete Set

Property from the Workman Collection

Lang, Andrew

The Fairy Books, a Complete Set 

Set comprising: The Blue Fairy Book, 1889; The Red Fairy Book, 1890; The Green Fairy Book, 1892; The Yellow Fairy Book, 1894; The Pink Fairy Book, 1897; The Grey Fairy Book, 1900; The Violet Fairy Book, 1901; The Crimson Fairy Book, 1903; The Brown Fairy Book, 1904; The Orange Fairy Book, 1906; The Olive Fairy Book, 1907; The Lilac Fairy Book, 1910

12 volumes. Illustrated throughout; a few stray spots, one or two closed marginal tears. Cover designs by H.J. Ford, coated, patterned, and plain endpapers, all edges gilt; one or two stains, one or two corners just bumped, one or two spines slightly faded.  All together, a superb set, each housed in custom clamshell case.

(Group lots not subject to return.)

First editions. An exceptionally fine, bright set of these classic fairy tales. Andrew Lang (1844-1912) and his wife Leonora helped revive interest in the world of fairies with their series of fairy books. The titles were immensely successful and Lang's tales were complimented by Henry Justice Ford's evocative illustrations. Ford's work was very much in the line of Cruikshank, Doyle, and his contemporary, Housman, all of whom paved the way for the great fairy artists of the early twentieth century such as Arthur Rackham.