The Water-Babies

New York: Dodd, Mead, and Company, 1916. First edition. Cloth. Near Fine. 10.5" by 8". Jessie Wilcox Smith. The first edition thus of 'The Water-Babies', the first edition to be illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith, replete with beautiful colour plates. In the original very scarce publisher's box. The first thus of Jessie Willcox Smith's illustrations.In the original very scarce publisher's pictorial cloth box. Box is in a good condition.'The Water-Babies' is a children's fairy tale that was extremely popular when it was published. The novel follows Tom, a young chimney sweep, who falls into a river and is transformed into a water-baby.Illustrated with a tipped-in colour frontispiece, eleven tipped-in colour plates, and half-tone vignettes throughout.Collated, complete.Written by Charles Kingsley. Kingsley was a priest for the Church of England, and was a friend and correspondent of Charles Darwin, writing this novel partly in satire of 'In Origin of Species'.Illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith, active during the Golden Age of American illustrations, contributing to many prominent publications. In the original publisher's cloth binding, in the original publisher's box. Externally, smart. Minor bumping to the head and tail of the spine and to the extremities. A few light marks to the boards and spine. Box is a little worn with some bumping and loss of cloth, one of the corners is split. Light marks to the box. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean. Box is in a good condition. Near Fine