The Happy Prince And Other Tales
London: David Nutt, 1888. Walter Crane. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. First Large Paper Edition and the true first edition. From a limited print run of 75 signed copies, this one being number 39. Signed on the limitation page by Wilde and publisher David Nutt, as called for. Now housed in a lovely custom 1/4 leather clamshell, drop-back box, lined in velvet. Title page in red and black. Frontispiece illustrations for The Happy Prince and two further illustrations for The Selfish Giant and The Remarkable Rocket by Walter Crane, each in two states, as called for by Stuart Mason. Small head and tail-pieces, as well as the cover illustration, by Jacomb Hood. 4to; 28.4 x 19.7 cm. Printed at Ballantyne Press. Contains The Happy Prince;The Nightingale and the Rose; The Selfish Giant; The Devoted Friend; and The Remarkable Rocket. Both interior hinges have been re-inforced. "The covers are of stout bevelled boards covered with Japanese vellum;"(Stuart Mason). There is some minor soiling to the white Japanese vellum covered boards. The final page with the small design and the proceeding blank page remain uncut. The hand-made paper remains very clean and solid. Certainly one of the rarest and most desirable volumes for the Oscar Wilde collector. Data from: Bibliography of Oscar Wilde by Stuart Mason.
Price: $35,000.00