The Wind in the Willows
Kenneth Grahame
London: The Reprint Society, 1954
This classic children’s book was originally published in 1908 by Methuen, an illustrated edition with b/w line drawings by Ernest H. Shepard (1879-1976) being published in 1931. This attractive edition from The Reprint Society was published 1954 for members of its book club “World Books”.
Included here is an issue of the club’s bulletin “Broadsheet” for October 1954 (2pp) with a review of The Wind in the Willows on its first page; plus a prospectus (4pp) for the book as a “Special Christmas Extra” with a lovely colour illustration to the front.
Hardback. Publisher’s buff cloth with green and brown decoration, gilt title to spine; map illustrated endpapers. In a dustwrapper with illustrations to spine and front panel. pp [8], 320, including b/w illustrations. Size: 8 x 5.5 inches approx. (203mm x 135mm).
Light wear and rubbing to spine ends and corner tips with very small loss; repair with archival tape to verso of lower corner rear panel; a liitle dusty and marked in places. Some discolouration to cloth but otherwise generally clean and bright. Edges of page block a touch spotted and tanned, top edge dusty, but pages generally very clean throughout.
The issue of “Broadsheet” is tanned to folds and edges, with some splitting to folds. A touch of dustiness to prospectus.
Overall, light wear but otherwise a nicely preserved example – quite lovely – and uncommon to find with the extras.
– – – – –
References
Alan Horne, The Dictionary of 20th Century British Book Illustrators (Antique Collectors’ Club, 1994)
