Grimms Fairy Tale book by John Ruskin, Illustrated Picture book by Charles Folkard--
An Antique Childrens Storybook in a very early edition with color pictures by Charles Folkard and an introduction by John Ruskin. Originally published by Black in London in 1911. This amazingly majestic and famous edition of the Grimms Fairy Tales storybook includes popular and lesser known tales such as The Golden Bird, The Sleeping Beauty, Jorinda and Jorindel, King Grisley Beard, Little Red Riding-Hood, The Golden Goose, Hansel and Gretal, The Frog Prince, The Fox and the Horse and many many more!
Nice thick copy with color illustrations by the infamous Charles Folkard and many of the Brothers Grimm stories. It feels really good in my hands. Not too heavy but substantial with a very light, nostalgically sweet old book smell and an introduction by John Ruskin.
In alright reading condition, priced to reflect its sadly state though it is not falling apart it appears to once have been haphazardly repaired (see pictures please). Cover is taped and worn with scratching to the surface. Corners bent. Leaf tips stained. Foxing to browning leaves. Inscription on front page which appears to have been pasted back in as it is shorter than the other leaves. Five of the original twelve illustrations by Charles Folkard are missing. Binding split and gutter exposed at contents section. An overall well used but still collectible edition of the highly sought after collection of fairy tales illustrated by a brilliant artist.
331 pages plus a few more printed advertisements at the end.
First Edition thus, 1911 Adam Charles Black, London - 1913, 2nd printing
8 1/2" x 6 1/2" x 2"
The rise of romanticism, Romantic nationalism, and trends in valuing popular culture in the early 19th century revived interest populaire in fairy tales, which had declined since their late-17th-century peak. The Grimms brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm, aided this Fairy tale revival with their own research and shared their folklore collection. Building on the conviction that a national identity could be found in popular culture, they collected and published their tales as a reflection of German cultural identity. They began the collection with the purpose of creating a scholarly treatise of traditional stories and of preserving the stories as they had been handed from generation to generation—a practice that was threatened by increased industrialization. Versions of tales differ from region to region, "picking up bits and pieces of local culture and lore, drawing a turn of phrase from a song or another story and fleshing out characters with features taken from the audience witnessing their performance."
The Grimms Brothers appropriated stories as being uniquely German, such as "Little Red Riding Hood", which had existed in many versions and regions throughout Europe, because they believed that such stories were reflections of Germanic culture. Furthermore, the brothers saw fragments of old religions and faiths reflected in the stories, which they thought continued to exist and survive through the telling of stories.
From 1807 onward, the brothers added to the collection. Over the years, Wilhelm worked extensively on the prose and expanded and added detail to the stories, to the point that many grew to twice the length they were in the earliest published editions. In the later editions, Wilhelm polished the language to make it more enticing to a bourgeois audience, eliminated sexual elements, and added Christian elements. After 1819, he began writing for children (children were not initially considered the primary audience), adding entirely new tales or adding new elements to existing tales, elements that were often strongly didactic. Some changes were made in light of unfavorable reviews, particularly from those who objected that not all the tales were suitable for children because of scenes of violence and sexuality. The Brothers Grimm worked to modify plots for many stories over the remainder of their lifetime.
Here are some resulting Grimms stories in this uniquely illustrated antiquated collection of Fairy Tales, after two centuries of blending and refinement.
Ships wrapped in tissue, tied with string and handmade tags then packed securely in repurposed materials
Waste not, want not
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