"A book should serve as the axe for the frozen sea within us."
— Franz Kafka
J. M. Barrie (James Matthew Barrie) | First Editions
1860 - 1937
Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM (9 May 1860 – 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, who gave life to the adored children's character, Peter Pan.
Barrie was born and educated in Scotland, but found literary inspiration in London, where he wrote several successful novels and plays. Upon meeting the Llewelyn Davies boys, Barrie began writing a tale about a boy's adventures in Kensington Gardens. This boy re-appeared in Barrie's fully developed novel, Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, also known as Peter and Wendy. As lovers of children's literature will know, this was the story of an ageless boy and the daughter of a London clerk. Peter and Wendy have exciting (and treacherous) adventures in the fantasy setting of Neverland. Peter and Wendy is credited with popularising the then-uncommon name Wendy.
J.M. Barrie's commitment to charity and the protection of children is shown both through his unofficial adoption of the Davies boys, following the deaths of their parents, and in giving the rights of the Peter Pan franchise to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London.
See below our stock of J. M. Barrie First Editions, and fine bindings.
Results 1 - 7 (of 7)
The Queen's Gift Book In Aid of Queen Mary's Convalescent Auxiliary Hospitals for Soldiers and Sailors Who Have Lost Their Limbs in the War
London: Hodder and Stoughton, no date [1915]. [Literary Anthology] FIRST EDITION. Quarto (25 x 19cm), pp.160. With twelve mounted and captioned colour plates plus many other illustrations within the text. Artists include Arthur Rackham, W. Heath Robinson and William Russell Flint. Publisher's mid-blue cloth blocked in black, scarce original dust-jacket... More about The Queen's Gift Book In Aid of Queen Mary's Convalescent Auxiliary Hospitals for Soldiers and...
Peter Pan and Wendy.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, n.d., [c.1930]. ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Published for Boots Pure Drug Co. Quarto (25 x 20cm), pp. 272. With twenty-one full-page colour illustrations and many more in-text or to margins. Blue cloth pictorially blocked in black and gilt, illustrated dust-wrapper. Book is near fine, with a little sunning... More about Peter Pan and Wendy
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
The Admirable Crichton. Illustrated by Hugh Thomson.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, n.d. [c.1914]. FIRST HUGH THOMSON EDITION. Quarto (27 x 21cm), with twenty mounted colour plates and captioned tissues. Publisher's pale green cloth blocked in dark green and red to upper, gilt to spine. Contents are a little foxed, binding lightly handled, one neat/accidental pull to crown..... More about The Admirable Crichton. Illustrated by Hugh Thomson
![The Little White Bird [Peter Pan]. J. M. BARRIE, OM, Sir, James Matthew](/pictures/thumb/50046.jpg?v=1517565722)
The Little White Bird [Peter Pan].
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1902. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.[viii]; 312; [2], blank. Frontispiece of The Child's Map of Kensington Gardens, with tissue guard. Half dark blue calf, raised bands, gilt titles to spine, cloth sides, top edge gilt. Hints of foxing. A handsome copy in an attractive... More about The Little White Bird [Peter Pan
Results 1 - 7 (of 7)