Fi r s t s 2021
Children’s Literature
the classics of children’s literature. Presentation copies of the first edition of Wind in the Willows are of the utmost rarity in commerce. We know of but six copies. £75,000
THE CRADLE OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE, THE FIRST EDITION OF HANS ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 62. ANDERSEN, Hans Christian EVENTYR, FORTALTE FOR BØRN [FAIRY TALES TOLD FOR CHILDREN] C.A.Reitzel, [1835-]1837. The first edition of Andersen’s first collection of fairy tales, which includes the first appearance of some of his most fa - mous stories, namely ‘The Princess and the Pea’, ‘Thumbeli - na’, ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘The Tinder Box’ and ‘The Emper - or’s New Clothes’. In modern commerce copies are almost unknown. A trace of auction records back as far as 1930 reveals only one complete copy (the Manney copy in 1991) at auction. £37,500 GRAHAME ON THE GREAT TRAGEDY OF HIS LIFE 63. GRAHAME, Kenneth TYPED LETTER, SIGNED To Gra- hame’s literary agent, Albert Curtis Brown, concerning the death of his son. 26 May 1920. A single page of letter paper, headed “Boham’s”, dated 26 May 1920, thanking Curtis Brown for his “kind words of sympathy with us in our overwhelming sorrow.” following the death of Grahame’s son, Alastair. An extraordinarily resonant letter, one of very few in which Grahame talks about the great tragedy of his life - the death of his son. Grahame’s letters appear infrequently in commerce and those with content of substance are rare indeed. £3,500 AUTHOR’S PRESENTATION COPY 64. GRAHAME, Kenneth THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS Methuen, 1908. First edition. Author’s presentation copy, inscribed by Gra- hame on the half title, “To Ruth Ward, from her friend Ken - neth Grahame / Oct. 1908”. A rare presentation copy of one of
“I ENCLOSE THE LATEST POOH” - MILNE - SHEPARD 65. MILNE, A.A. AUTOGRAPH LETTER TO E.H. SHEPARD [March or April, 1926]. A single page of headed note paper, written on both side, approx. 200 words, talking about Shepard’s illustrations for Winnie the Pooh, “I enclose the latest Pooh. I saw the draw- ings of the first two at Methuen’s yesterday, and loved them.” Letters between Milne and Shepard are very seldom seen in commerce. Most were retained by Shepard until his death and bequeathed by his widow to the V&A. £7,500 ONE OF 20 INSCRIBED IN VERSE TO MILNE’S PUBLISHER 66. MILNE, A.A. NOWWE ARE SIX With Decorations by Er- nest H. Shepard Methuen & Co., 1927. First edition. Number 14 of 20 copies of a special deluxe, large paper edition, printed on japon and bound in vellum with yapp edges, signed by both Milne and Shepard. Author’s presentation copy, inscribed to his American publisher, John Macrae, signed and dated Jan. 1928.: “A gallant Knight is John Macrae - He takes me on his pillion,
And round and round the U.S.A. He dashes on his headstrong way, Until there dawns the glorious day When he can sheath his sword and say, ‘Well, Now We Are Six Million.’”
The most luxurious and exclusive format in which Milne’s Pooh books were issued. Scarce by dint of its small limitation, it is exceptionally rare as a presentation copy. We know of only one other, (no. 3 inscribed to Vincent Seligman). £35,000
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