THE BRITISH BARBARIANS [with THE BARBAROUS BRITISHERS] by Allen, Grant - 1895

1895. A Hill-Top Novel. London: John Lane / New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1895. 14 pp undated ads plus 16 pp ads dated 1895. Original olive green cloth decorated in beige. First Edition of "this fantasy about British society and morality, seen through the eyes of a man who has travelled in time from the future, an era when social equality in general and women's rights in particular have become the norm" [S&SL]. This was the 21st volume (of 33) in John Lane's provocative "Keynotes Series"; the binding design and key motif are by Aubrey Beardsley, who did them for the first 21 plus the 23rd volumes of the series; the eleven others had designs by Patten Wilson. This is a near-fine copy (minor rubbing, light cracking of the endpapers). Stetz & Samuels Lasner 68; Samuels Lasner (Beardsley) 45. Included with this copy is Henry Duff Traill's parody of the above: THE BARBAROUS BRITISHERS. A Tip-Top Novel. London: John Lane, n.d.[1896]. Original medium-brown wrappers stamped in dark brown. (Traill was a critic and parodist, immortalized in the line of a Kipling poem, "And a minor poet certified by Traill!") As with Grant Allen's book, the binding / title page design is by Aubrey Beardsley; in fact, Beardsley is here parodying himself, doctoring his own original illustration of the maid into a woman who is rather grotesque -- said to have been a caricature of the actress Ada Lundberg. As with the Keynotes volumes, Beardsley also created a "key" design for this book, which incorporates the author's initials. This copy is stamped in dark brown; others are stamped in green (no priority). It is in near-fine condition (one light droplet-mark, but scarcely any wear). Much scarcer than the book it parodies. Stetz & Samuels Lasner 69.