"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."
— P.J. O'Rourke
Arthur Rackham | First Editions
1867 - 1939
London-born artist Arthur Rackham studied drawing at evening classes at Lambeth School of Art (1884) for 7 years whilst working full-time in insurance. He began to illustrate books, using the then new half-tone process his fame spreading upon publication of his illustrated Grimm's Fairy Tales. In 1905 his illustrated Rip van Winkle introduced him to the US public; one year later Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens was published. Rackham was made a full member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour in 1908, and was honoured abroad with gold medals from Milan (1906) and Barcelona (1911).His illustrations for many classics followed including Alice In Wonderland (1907), Gulliver's Travels (1909), Aesop's Fables (1912), A Christmas Carol (1915), King Arthur (1917) Cinderella (1919), Sleepy Hollow (1928), The Night Before Christmas (1931), Hans Andersen (1932), The Pied Pier of Hamelin (1934) and Poe's Tales (1935). His final book was The Wind In the Willows (1940).
See below our stock of Arthur Rackham First Editions, fine bindings, sets and other collectible material.
Andersen's Fairy Tales. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London, George G. Harrap and Co. Ltd., 1932. [Fairy tales] FIRST RACKHAM EDITION. Large octavo (25 x 19cm), pp.288. With twelve full-page coloured plates with tissue guards and many full page and in-text black and white illustrations. Publisher's russet cloth blocked in gilt, illustrated dust-wrapper in original card gift box... More about Andersen's Fairy Tales. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. From the Little White Bird. A New Edition.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, n.d. [1912]. [Children's Illustrated]. REVISED 'BEST' EDITION, the seventh edition. Quarto (29 x 22cm), pp.[8]; 126 [2]. With 50 chromolithographic plates by Rackham, as well as further occasional wood engravings. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles and decoration to spine and upper board. Bookplate to front... More about Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. From the Little White Bird. A New Edition
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. From The Little White Bird.
London: Hodder and Stoughton Ltd., 1912. 'BEST EDITION' OF PETER PAN. Quarto (28 x 23cm), pp.xii; 124. Fifty mounted colour plates by Arthur Rackham, each with captioned tissue guards. Recent full dark green oasis, gilt, with marbled endpapers and top edge gilt. Some spotting. Very good indeed. An attractive copy... More about Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. From The Little White Bird
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. From The Little White Bird.
London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, 1912. 'BEST EDITION' OF PETER PAN. Quarto, pp.6; 127. Bound in publisher's gilt decorated green cloth featuring four birds at head of board, and children linking arms at lower end of board. Author/illustrator/title blocked in gilt to front board and spine, additional tooling to spine... More about Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. From The Little White Bird
Cinderella. Together with The Sleeping Beauty. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London: William Heinemann, 1919 and 1920. FIRST EDITIONS thus. 2 volumes, large octavos. Publisher's red and yellow pictorial covers, cloth spines, in red and grey illustrated dust-wrappers. Tipped-in colour frontispiece to each volume and numerous black and white silhouettes and three-toned illustrations. Owner name to 'Cinderella', some edge spotting to... More about Cinderella. Together with The Sleeping Beauty. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
Cinderella. Together with The Sleeping Beauty. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London: William Heinemann, 1919 and 1920. [Children's illustrated classic] FIRST RACKHAM ILLUSTRATED EDITIONS. Two volumes, large octavos. Tipped-in colour frontispiece to each volume and numerous black and white silhouettes and three-toned illustrations. Elegantly bound in half green calf over matching cloth sides, gilt decoration to the spine, five raised bands... More about Cinderella. Together with The Sleeping Beauty. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
Undine. Adapted from the German by W. L. Courtney and Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London: William Heinemann, 1909. FIRST RACKHAM EDITION. Large Octavo, pp.136. Illustrated with 15 mounted colour plates, captioned tissues. Publisher's original gilt entitled and decorated blue cloth; pictorial endpapers; top edge tinted. Some occasional light foxing, gift label/prize winner to half-title, some rubbing to binding, joints show some wear, spine tips... More about Undine. Adapted from the German by W. L. Courtney and Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
Undine. Adapted from the German by W. L. Courtney and Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London: William Heinemann, 1909. [Children's illustrated] First Rackham Edition. Quarto (26 x 20cm), pp.136. With 15 mounted colour plates, each with captioned tissue guards. Publisher's mid-blue cloth pictorially stamped in gilt, illustrated endpapers, top edge tinted blue, fore-edge untrimmed. Occasional spotting within, heavier to endpapers and first/final gatherings, binding sound... More about Undine. Adapted from the German by W. L. Courtney and Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
The Vicar of Wakefield.
London: George G. Harrap and Company, Limited, 1929. First Rackham Edition. 4to. With 12 illustrations in colour. Publisher's original blue cloth with gilt titles and floral decoration to, top edge gilt, illustrated end papers. Some edgespotting, very light wear to covers, few marks to upper, bookplate 'Winifred E. Briggs'. A.... More about The Vicar of Wakefield
The Vicar of Wakefield. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London: George G. Harrap and Company Limited, 1929. FIRST RACKHAM EDITION. Large 8vo., pp. 232. Publisher's dark grey cloth with gilt titles and gilt decoration to spine and upper. Near fine in very good dust-wrapper, dusty and showing small tears. With 12 coloured plates and several other illustrations. Shows extremely... More about The Vicar of Wakefield. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
Little Brother and Little Sister, and Other Tales. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London: Constable and Co., 1917. FIRST RACKHAM EDITION. Quarto (26 x 20cm). Illustrated with twelve plates in colour, on captioned grey card mounts, forty-three illustrations within the text, illustrated endpapers. Publisher's green cloth pictorially stamped and titled in gilt to spine and upper, edges untrimmed. Internally clean, exterior fine. More about Little Brother and Little Sister, and Other Tales. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
A Wonder Book. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London: Hodder and Stoughton Ltd., n.d. FIRST RACKHAM EDITION. Quarto (24 x 19cm). Illustrated with twenty-four mounted colour plates with captioned tissue guards. Half red morocco, gilt, over original gilt-stamped pictorial cloth sides, t.e.g. Internally clean, externally unmarked. A fine copy in an attractive recent leather binding. More about A Wonder Book. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
Peer Gynt, A Dramatic Poem by Henrik Ibsen Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London: George G. Harrap, 1936. FIRST RACKHAM ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Quarto, pp.[2] 256 [2]. With 12 colour illustrations by Rackham, including a frontispiece, and occasional in-text vignettes. In publisher's orange cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper board. Illustrated endpapers. With original black and gold illustrated dust-jacket. Black ink gift... More about Peer Gynt, A Dramatic Poem by Henrik Ibsen Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
London: George G. Harrap, 1928. [Children's illustrated] First Rackham Edition. Quarto (26 x 20cm), pp.103; [1]. With eight colour plates and numerous black and white line drawings in-text. Elegantly bound in dark green half morocco with raised bands, gilt titles and tooling to spine, having retained the publisher's original green... More about The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Rip Van Winkle. With drawings by Arthur Rackham.
London: William Heinemann, 1905. FIRST RACKHAM EDITION. Quarto (25 x 19cm), with 51 mounted colour plates bound together after the text. Bound in dark green morocco over original green cloth boards with gilt design to upper. Very light spotting, plates clean without creases. Near fine. Set in Sleepy Hollow, Irving's... More about Rip Van Winkle. With drawings by Arthur Rackham
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
London: George G. Harrap and Co. Ltd., 1928. First Rackham Edition. Quarto. Bound in publisher's green cloth with gilt titles and decoration to front board, gilt titles to spine; pictorial endpapers, top edge gilt. 8 illustrations in colour and in text line drawing. With bookseller's ticket. Binding shows well, bumped... More about The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Tales From Shakespeare.
London: J.M. Dent and Co., 1909. First Rackham Edition, Large 8vo.; pp. 304. Beautifully illustrated throughout with 12 colour plates, one as frontispiece, plus several black and white drawings. Bound in full recent dark blue morocco, titled and decorated in gilt to spine; top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Internally clean... More about Tales From Shakespeare
Tales From Shakespeare. [writings/plays including Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, King Lear, The Merchant of Venice, etc.]
London: J.M. Dent and Co., 1909. First Rackham Illustrated Edition. Quarto, with 12 colour plates and other black and white drawings. Publisher's red cloth with titles and decoration in gilt to spine and upper, top edge gilt, others tinted green, illustrated endpapers, in original dust-wrapper. Book is near fine, jacket... More about Tales From Shakespeare. [writings/plays including Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, The Tempest, A...
Tales of Mystery and Imagination, Edgar Allan Poe. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London: George G. Harrap, 1935. FIRST RACKHAM EDITION. Large octavo (26 x 20cm), pp.318. With 12 fine colour plates and 17 line drawings, captioned tissue guards and pictorial endpapers. In publisher's black cloth with titles and illustrations stamped in gilt to spine and upper board. Top edge black, others untrimmed... More about Tales of Mystery and Imagination, Edgar Allan Poe. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
Arthur Rackham's Book of Pictures. With an Introduction by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch.
London: William Heinemann 1913, LIMITED EDITION of 1000 copies of which this is No 615. SIGNED by Rackham. Large 8vo., 298 x 230mm; 43 numbered pages of text followed by 44 mounted colour plates, illustrated with a further 10 drawings within the text and a colour frontrispiece. Original cream cloth... More about Arthur Rackham's Book of Pictures. With an Introduction by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch
Arthur Rackham's Book of Pictures. With an Introduction by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch.
London: William Heinemann, 1913. [Fantasy] FIRST RACKHAM EDITION. Large octavo. (30 x 23cm). With forty-four full-page mounted colour-plate illustrations, captioned tissues, ten drawings in black and white. Smartly bound in recent half green calf, gilt, with raised bands, original cloth sides titled in gilt. Light foxing to some caption tissues... More about Arthur Rackham's Book of Pictures. With an Introduction by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch
Some British Ballads. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London: Constable and Co., Ltd., 1909. LIMITED EDITION of 575 copies of which this is No 476, SIGNED by Rackham. Large octavo, pp.136. Illustrated with 16 mounted colour plates with captioned tissues plus numerous black and white line-drawings within the text. Bound in original parchment-backed boards decoratively blocked in gilt... More about Some British Ballads. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
Some British Ballads. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London: Constable and Co., Ltd., 1909. LIMITED EDITION of 575 copies of which this is No 133, SIGNED by Rackham. Large octavo (29 x 23cm), pp.136. Illustrated with 16 mounted colour plates with captioned tissues plus numerous black and white line-drawings within the text. Bound in recent dark blue full... More about Some British Ballads. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
Some British Ballads. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London: Constable and Co., Ltd., no date [1919]. [Children's illustrated] First Rackham Edition. Quarto (26 x 20cm), pp.170. With 16 mounted colour plates, each with captioned title and tissue guards. Publisher's light blue cloth pictorially stamped in gilt, illustrated endpapers (offset to first blank), lower and fore-edges untrimmed. One or... More about Some British Ballads. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
Undine. Adapted from the German by W. L. Courtney and Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London: William Heinemann, 1909. LIMITED EDITION of 1000 copies of which this is No 63, SIGNED by Rackham. Large octavo, pp.136. Illustrated with 15 mounted colour plates, captioned tissues. Bound circa 19050s in full burgundy pebble-grained morocco, with gilt titles to spine, raised bands, marbled endpapers, gilt dentelles, t.e.g., others... More about Undine. Adapted from the German by W. L. Courtney and Illustrated by Arthur Rackham