ALMANACK FOR 1883

London: George Routledge and Sons, 1883. Very good plus.. First edition of Greenaway's first foray into almanack illustrating, with lovely seasonal pictures. Kate Greenaway achieved great success in 1878 with her first solo publication UNDER THE WINDOW, and quickly became a household name. This achievement came after years of study at the National Art Training School and the Heatherley School of Fine Art, where she rubbed shoulders with the likes of Elizabeth Thompson (later Lady Butler), Edward Burne-Jones, and Walter Crane. Her style, featuring rosy-cheeked children and young adults, captures a romantic and cheerful brand of Victorian childhood nostalgia; she was one of the most well-known illustrators of the Golden Age, and her art adorns everything from books to greeting cards to home decor.
The 1883 ALMANACK came in nine binding variations. It features a calendar for the year with figures engaging in seasonally-appropriate activities, much like the labors of the month in a Book of Hours. This is followed by four illustrations of spring, summer, fall, and winter, and a short poem about the passage of the year.
An important item in Kate Greenaway's large body of work. 4'' x 3''. Original cloth-backed color pictorial boards. all edges stained green. Blue endpapers. Illustrated in color throughout. [24] pages. Light soiling to edges of boards; some toning and a few mild spots of soil to rear board. Occasional light foxing throughout. Illustrations vibrant.