"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them."
— Mark Twain
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 - 5 (of 5)
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. From the Little White Bird. A New Edition.
London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, no date [1912]. [Children's illustrated] REVISED 'BEST' EDITION. Quarto (29 x 22cm), pp.[8]; 126 [2]. With 50 chromolithographic plates by Rackham, as well as further occasional wood engravings. Exquisitely bound in full native red oasis morocco, gilt, by Sangorski and Sutcliffe, with gilt character tools..... More
Peter Pan and Wendy. Illustrated in colour and black and white by Mabel Lucie Attwell.
London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, no date [1925]. [Children's classic] Lucie Attwell illustrated edition. The Second edition and the first in this format (originally published in 1921 as a taller and thinner volume, 185pp.) Octavo (24 x 17cm), pp.320, twelve tipped-in colour plates, numerous black and white illustrations within the..... More
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
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
The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes.
Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company, 1944. [Holmes Short Stories] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.[2] xxiv; 363 [3]. Publisher's black cloth with titles outlined against red backgrounds to spine and upper. Top edge red. Lightly toned, with fairly light rubbing to cloth. Very good. An anthology of parodies..... More
Results 1 - 5 (of 5)