The Phantom of the Opera – Gaston Leroux – 1920s | Andre Castaigne Illustrations

This early edition of The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux tells the story of a horrifically disfigured man who lives beneath the Paris Opera House falling obsessively in love with Christine, a young opera singer. This novel is styled as a Gothic horror, with the Phantom descending into increasingly mad and violent tactics to gain Christine’s love, combined with elements of the mystery and romance genres. The text is accompanied by 4 double page color plates and a color frontispiece by famous illustrator Andre Castaigne and was issued by Grosset & Dunlap with a unique binding of the publisher’s original red cloth with the Phantom on the cover.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Phantom of the Opera
• Author: Gaston Leroux
• Illustrator: Andre Castaigne
• Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap, New York
• Edition: ca. 1920s edition, ©1911
  • Uses sheets from 1911 Bobbs-Merrill printing
• Binding: Original red cloth, with facsimile dust jacket of Dunlap’s photoplay edition
• Format: Octavo (8vo), single volume
• Size: ~ 7.75 in × 5.5 in (19.5 cm × 13.5 cm)
• Collation: [8], 357, [3] pp.
• Illustrations: 5 plates; 4 double-page color illustrations + Frontis
• Contents Include:
  • Complete English translation of Leroux’s novel
  • 5 Castaigne Illustrations

Condition:

Good condition. The original red cloth is somewhat faded, with moderate rubbing on the edges, and mild staining on the front board. Hinges are secure, and the text block is intact. The pages are clean, if lightly age-toned, with occasional browning along the edges and corners.

Why Collect This?

• Early edition incorporating Castaigne illustrations

Item Number: #31225