Collection Of Original Manuscript Fairy Tales Including Original Illustrations
by Robinson, Susan; [W.T. Stead]; [Rosa C. Petherick]
- Used
- Signed
- first
- Condition
- Very good overall.
- Seller
-
Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Robinson's tales adapt traditional motifs of transformation and kindness rewarded, but they also offer frequent intrusions of semi-realistic contemporary detail (a destitute father who seeks work in the mines, a blameless girl abducted for showing kindness to the wrong stranger) and dashes of wit and originality (a city of singing pigs, roofs thatched with black puddings, and a malevolent witch who changes a girl to a cat and her lover to a rabbit). These last details all hail from "The Witch of Itty Ditty," one of Robinson's most engaging and original works, which is represented here in three distinct draft stages. Drawing from a wide array of mythologies, the author ably pivots from town to deep forest, water-sprites to frost-fairies, classical allusions and talking Beasts to captive Princes and sister-rescuing sisters. With her fine disregard for consistency of source material, Robinson's methods call to mind those of C.S. Lewis, who in later years would infuriate Tolkien and delight children with fewer philological hang-ups and more tolerance for syncretism.
Several of Robinson's stories are dedicated to "the little cousins"; the notebooks - many of which are decorated with "found" illustrations from postcard and magazine - suggest a real relationship and not just a literary device. Much of the notebooks' charm thus derives from intimate, colloquial narration and the finely tuned specificity of the audience. Though composed in the long Victorian twilight and participating in that era's robust fairy tale tradition, Robinson's work is simpler for the most part than the subversive Victoriana collected by Nina Auerbach and Jack Zipes - that is to say, with less sense of a shadow adult audience always hovering near. At her best, Robinson approaches the deep strangeness, if not the professional polish, of her great contemporary Lucy Lane Clifford.
This collection includes several typescripts and fair copies with word count, title page, and address attached, corrected from the notebook versions and seemingly prepared for submission to an editor or publisher, as well as original illustrations by Petherick to accompany them. Wood's checklist for Stead's First Series (1896-1920) of Books for the Bairns makes no mention of further output by either Robinson or Petherick; however, the series titles number in the hundreds and include many anonymous retellings - some of which bear noteworthy resemblance to tales in this collection. Certainly, too, it was not unheard of for publishers to farm out popular retellings to a pool of anonymous female freelancers. These manuscripts offer multiple opportunities for textual comparisons, with a potential for authorial identification not previously possible for many ephemeral works of children's literature. 32 items in total, including: 4 original black and white illustrations on heavy cardstock (12.75'' x 9.75'), with marginal story title and page number notations in pencil, each signed S.G. Petherick. Handwritten paper labels mounted to versos, addressed in pen to Robinson. Condition ranges from near fine to very good, with some dampstaining and foxing to two pieces. THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF BARNEY BOO-ROO AND JOHNNY JOLLY-BOY, published by Stead's Publishing House. Author's copy. Side-stapled binding, lacking original wrappers. Initial advertisement page detached and heavily chipped, with Robinson's name and partial address in ink. Illustrated throughout by Petherick in black and white with some color plates. Pages toned and somewhat brittle, with considerable marginal chipping. 27 original manuscripts, of which 9 are written in small (7'' x 4.5'' approx.) commercial bound notebooks and include mounted illustrations, both original (some by Petherick) and repurposed postcard and magazine imagery. The remaining 18 manuscripts are revisions and fair copies on brad-bound loose sheets; most include Robinson's name, address, and word count on an initial title page. Minor to moderate edgewear, toning, and occasional foxing to all. A full list of titles is available on request.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Type Punch Matrix (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 44541
- Title
- Collection Of Original Manuscript Fairy Tales Including Original Illustrations
- Author
- Robinson, Susan; [W.T. Stead]; [Rosa C. Petherick]
- Book Condition
- Used - Very good overall.
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- n.p.; [Stead's Publishing Company]
- Place of Publication
- [London]
- Date Published
- 1911
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
- Keywords
- 19th century,20th century,English & British,Fairy Tales,Literary ms.,Victorian,Original Artwork
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Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- Chipping
- A defect in which small pieces are missing from the edges; fraying or small pieces of paper missing the edge of a paperback, or...
- G
- Good describes the average used and worn book that has all pages or leaves present. Any defects must be noted. (as defined by AB...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Device
- Especially for older books, a printer's device refers to an identifying mark, also sometimes called a printer's mark, on the...
- Wrappers
- The paper covering on the outside of a paperback. Also see the entry for pictorial wraps, color illustrated coverings for...
- Fair
- is a worn book that has complete text pages (including those with maps or plates) but may lack endpapers, half-title, etc....
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