"Outside of a dog, man's best friend is a book. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
— Groucho Marx
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 - 3 (of 3)
Quality Street. A Comedy in four acts. Illustrated by Hugh Thomson.
London: Hodder & Stoughton, no date [circa 1913]. [Illustrated Drama] SIGNED LIMITED EDITION. Quarto (32 x 26cm), pp.[4] viii; 198 [2]. With a loose flier for the original exhibition of Thomson's watercolour illustrations for the book, November and December 1913. Complete with 22 colour plates by Thomson, including a frontispiece..... 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
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London: Hodder & Stoughton, n.d. [1920s]. [Children's] RACKHAM ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Octavo (21 x 17cm), pp.126; [1], advertisement. With sixteen mounted colour plate illustrations, each with captioned tissue guards, illustrated map endpapers. Bound in publisher's gilt decorated green cloth, original pictorial dust-wrapper with colour plate to front, priced 10/6. Undated, with..... More
Results 1 - 3 (of 3)