Treasure Island

by Robert Louis Stevenson, with illustrations by Edmund Dulac
London: Ernest Benn Limited, [stated] 1st printed in 1927 [later issue circa 1929]*

The classic adventure story of pirates, the high seas and black spots by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-94) was originally serialised in the magazine ‘Young Folks’ (1881-2), then published in book form by Cassell (1883). This illustrated edition by Edmund Dulac (1882-1953) was originally published in 1927 in limited and trade editions.

Interestingly, although this copy has ‘1st printed in 1927’ to title page verso leading to the assumption this is a first edition, the standard Dulac bibliography by Hughey* states this is a later printing/issue circa 1929. The first trade edition has the date MCMXXVII to foot of title page and bound in tan cloth.

Hardback. Publisher’s red cloth with title in black to spine and border design in black to front board. pp [i]-xii, [13-14], 15-255, [256], including b/w illustrations plus twelve colour plates. Size: 10 x 7.5 inches approx. (253mm x 191mm).

Cloth lightly worn and rubbed to extremities; sunned/faded to spine. A gift inscription (dated 1934) to front free endpaper and RLS copyright stamp to pastedown; foxing/spotting to endpapers and first few/last few pages; an inserted bookmark has led to some foxing/offsetting to a couple of pages otherwise some occasional dustiness and spotting but generally pages clean throughout.

Overall, showing some light wear and lacking the scarce dustwrapper but otherwise a nice, clean copy – lovely.

[SOLD]

*ref. [72c] Ann Conolly Hughey, Edmund Dulac – His Book Illustrations: A Bibliography (Buttonwood Press, 1995)

[Stock Code DBZ1811]