THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE by Lewis, C.S - 1950

London: Geoffrey Bles, 1950. First edition. Very good in like jacket. First printing of the first published book in the Chronicles of Narnia, an allegorical journey through a fantasy world in the midst of World War II. Four children are evacuated to the English countryside during the Blitz and discover Narnia through an old wardrobe. Not completed until 1949, Lewis had been working on a draft at least since 1939, but some aspects have deeper roots. The story grew in part from a picture that came into his head in his teen years: a faun, carrying an umbrella and some parcels through a snowy wood. That very image is printed on the dust jacket of this first edition. A nice copy, especially desirable in the original dust jacket. 7.75'' x 5.25''. Original full green cloth, silver-lettered spine. Original unclipped (8s. 6d. NET) grey pictorial dust jacket. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes with color frontispiece and black-and-white vignettes throughout. 173, [1] pages. Jacket professionally restored at joints, spine and extremities. Patches of fading to book spine, as common with this title. Overall a bright copy that shows beautifully.