Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Readers Library, [1924])

Alice in Wonderland

by Lewis Carroll, illustrated by Dudley Jarrett
London: The Readers Library Publishing Company Ltd, [1924]

The Readers Library published affordable editions of popular fiction in the period 1924-35, cheaply produced but very attractive with their wrap-round dustwrapper artwork.

The children’s classic written by Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) was first published in 1866 [1865] by Macmillan, this copy published by The Readers Library with illustrations by Dudley Jarrett.

The Readers Library also published this title as the ‘Centenary Edition’ in 1932 with illustrations by Hume Henderson.

Hardback – red cloth with title and decoration in gilt to spine and front board, in a dustwrapper. 253pp including b/w illustrations, plus illustrated endpapers. Size: 6.5 x 4.25 inches approx. (169mm x 106mm).

Dustwrapper rubbed and worn, especially to corner tips and spine ends with some loss; a short tear/split to spine (above ‘CE IN W’ in the title); sunned and darkened to spine; foxed/dusty to upper/lower edges of flaps; spotted and darkened to verso. Cloth clean with minor fading/wear to spine ends; gilt dulled to spine. Pages very age tanned but generally clean throughout; tightly bound but as is usual with these cheaply produced books has the occasional break in the page-block exposing spine backstrip; page corner dog ear from being poorly cut; an unusual printing mishap to page 124 (see image below) where an attached folded over flap of paper has been printed concurrently with rest of page.

Nonetheless, a reasonably nice, clean copy in collectable condition – uncommon to find with dustwrapper.

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References

British Library

[325*] The Lewis Carroll Handbook (Dawson, revised edition 1979)

An interesting look at The Readers Library can be found at A Series of Series