Irish Fairy Tales – James Stephens – 1920 | Rackham Art, First Edition

Irish Fairy Tales by James Stephens was published by Macmillan & Co. in London in 1920. This first edition features 16 color plates by Arthur Rackham, as well as numerous other black and white illustrations. Stephens draws on heroic cycles to tell the stories of Irish mythology. It is, however, the artwork of Rackham that sets this book apart.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Irish Fairy Tales
• Author(s): James Stephens
• Illustrator(s): Arthur Rackham
• Publisher: London, Macmillan & Co.
• Edition: First edition, 1920
• Format: (8vo), single volume
• Binding: Green cloth
• Size:  8in x 7in (20cm x 17.5cm)
• Collation: x, 318, [2]
• Illustrations: 16 color plates including frontispiece + numerous b/w engravings
• Contents Include:
  • The Story of Tuan mac Cairill
  • Oisin’s Mother
  • The Wooing of Becfola
  • Becuma of the White Skin
  • Mongan’s Frenzy
• Provenance: Bookplate of [R. Powers], Ephemera to front and rear pastedowns, an article of Arthur Rackham; laid in typed article, “The Grief of a Girl’s Heart”.

Condition:

Very Good. Binding is secure and square. Moderate rubbing along the spine and light wear to corners. Cloth shows mild fading. Pages are clean throughout. Plates are complete and without damage.

Why Collect This?

• First edition with Rackham’s full suite of color plates
• Stephens’ retellings from Irish myth cycles
• Relevant to collectors of Arthur Rackham and Irish folklore

Item Number: #28913