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The Water-Babies

The Water-Babies

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The Water-Babies

by Kingsley, Charles

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
See description
Seller
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Chelmsford, Essex, United Kingdom
Item Price
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About This Item

First edition, first issue (Macmillan & Co, 1863) with l'envoi leaf present, of which there were only believed to be around 200 copies. Housed in an attractive morocco drop-back box with raised bands, blue compartments, gilt lettering and marbled boards.

Original green cloth. Spine re-backed using most of the original, only lacking the tips and a small square hole just below the centre. Occasional light foxing and a little rubbing to covers. Hinges neatly reinforced. Free from names and inscriptions. A very good example of a very rare book.

Synopsis

The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby is a children's novel by the Reverend Charles Kingsley. Written in 1862-1863 as a serial for Macmillan's Magazine, it was first published in its entirety in 1863. The book was extremely popular during its day, and was a mainstay of children's literature through the 1920s,  but eventually fell out of favor in part due to its prejudices against Irish, Jews, Catholics, blacks, Americans, and the poor. In the style of Victorian-era novels, The Water-Babies is a didactic moral fable about a young chimney sweep, Tom, who falls into a river and becomes a 'water-baby,' guided by moral teachers through lessons and adventures, eventually earning the right to become human again and being united with an upper-class girl Ellie who had also become a 'water-baby.'

Read More: Identifying first editions of The Water-Babies

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Details

Bookseller
Fine Book Cellar Ltd. GB (GB)
Bookseller's Inventory #
1476183139375
Title
The Water-Babies
Author
Kingsley, Charles
Book Condition
Used
Quantity Available
1
Edition
First
Binding
Hardcover
Publisher
London & Cambridge: Macmillan and Co
Date Published
1863
Weight
0.00 lbs
Keywords
Kingles, Water-Babies, First
Bookseller catalogs
Children's Literature; Antiquarian;

Terms of Sale

Fine Book Cellar Ltd.

30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.

About the Seller

Fine Book Cellar Ltd.

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2015
Chelmsford, Essex

About Fine Book Cellar Ltd.

We are an online book store specialising in modern first editions and are a full member of the ABA, ILAB and PBFA. Visit our website at www.finebookcellar.com.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Rubbing
Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
Spine
The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
Raised Band(s)
Raised bands refer to the ridges that protrude slightly from the spine on leather bound books. The bands are created in the...
Re-backed
Describes a book that has had the material covering the spine replaced or joints mended.
Morocco
Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
Marbled boards
...
Gilt
The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
Cloth
"Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...

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