Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift (Ward Lock, c1928) | illustrated by Harry G. Theaker

Gulliver’s Travels

by Jonathan Swift, illustrated by Harry G. Theaker
Ward, Lock & Co. Limited, [No Date] circa 1928

A volume in the 48 colour plate (incl. endpapers) ‘Prince Charming’ series from Ward, Lock & Co., published from the late 1910s and through the 1920s/1930s. Titles include ‘Alice in Wonderland’, ‘Hans Andersen’s Fairy Stories’, ‘Robinson Crusoe’, ‘The Water-Babies’, and ‘Tales from Shakespeare’.

Harry George Theaker (1873-1954) illustrated several titles in this series, including ‘Stories of King Arthur’ (1925), ‘Robin Hood and his Merry Men’ (1927), and ‘The Adventures of Don Quixote’ (1929).

No mention of ‘Don Quixote’ in list of titles and the edition not stated, thus likely an early reprint. A gift inscription is dated 1933.

Hardback. Publisher’s beige cloth with onlay plate to front board; titles and decoration in black to front and spine. pp [1]-338, [6] publisher’s list, including colour plates and illustrated endpapers. Size: 8.5 x 6.25 inches approx. (213mm x 157mm).

Light wear to spine ends and corner tips. Inscription in ink to half-title page; scattered foxing throughout, heavier towards first few and last few pages; spotting/foxing to edges of page-block with some encroachment onto margins.

Overall, light wear but otherwise a particularly nice, clean copy – attractive.

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References

British Library

Alan Horne , The Dictionary of 20th Century British Book Illustrators (Antique Collectors’ Club, 1994)