Nutcracker. (Limited Edition Proofs, Uncorrected Proofs, Original Invitations)

New York: Crown Publishers, Inc, 1984. First Edition. Hardcover. The set includes the following items: 1) Limited edition proofs. xiv, 102pp. Dark grey cloth stamped in blind and silver on the front panel and lettered in silver on the spine panel. Pictorial endpapers, full-page and in-text illustrations by Maurice Sendak. Printed on paper created specifically for this book by Nisshinbo Industry. With an original hand-drawn lithograph (marked Show Copy) by Sendak, printed from an aluminum plate on chine appliqué paper. The 13 x 13 cm image is printed on Mulberry paper and adhered to a hand-torn sheet Lana mould-made paper. On the left margin there are annotations in pencil specifying size and type of paper and the date. The limitation statement is laid in and consists of a printed sheet pasted onto a leaf. Some fading to the spine panel and to the edges of the cloth slipcase. A near fine copy. 2) Uncorrected proofs. Stapled wraps, non-consecutive pages. A fine copy in the original Crown Publishers envelope. 3) A letter from Crown in the original envelope with enclosed four invitations to a Nutcracker Christmas with Maurice Sendak, held at The Congressional Club of Washington, D. C., May 26, 1984. In fine condition. From the collection of a noted publishing world executive. ; Square quarto.