1900 Scarce First Edition - Dean’s Fairy Book, Companion to the Doyle Fairy Book

Editor: Edited by F.G. Green.
Title: Dean’s Fairy Book. A Companion to the Doyle Fairy Book.
Publisher: London, Dean and Son, 160a Fleet Street, (circa 1900). First Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7.5 x 5 inches
Pages: 304 pages.
Binding: Attractive and very good, near fine original publisher’s royal blue cloth binding, with decorative gilt title and fairy motif on upper cover and spine (hinges fine, overall slightly scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. All edges gilt.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing and toning - as shown, ownership inscription on half-title page “Lilly from Father & Mother, 1 Jan. 1903.” - as shown.
Illustrations: Profusely illustrated with numerous black-and-white vignettes and full-page illustrations by A. Crowquill, E. Gourlie, Charles Harrison, Louis Marvy, John Proctor, and others. Features a fine engraved portrait of Charles Perrault as frontispiece. Illustrations include richly detailed scenes from Red Riding Hood, Aladdin, Cinderella, Ali Baba, and more.

Estimate: (Scarce with no or few other copies available for sale worldwide).

The book: A delightful Edwardian-era anthology of classic fairy tales, Dean’s Fairy Book gathers seventeen of the most enduring stories from Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, Old English chapbooks, and The Arabian Nights, including Cinderella, Bluebeard, Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and Aladdin. The book’s decorative gilt cover, whimsical typography, and imaginative illustrations make it a prime example of early 20th-century children’s book production. As a “companion” to the Doyle Fairy Book, it maintains Dean & Son’s legacy of quality fairy tale collections accessible to Victorian and Edwardian children. This edition not only entertains but preserves the storytelling traditions of multiple cultures.

The editor: F.G. Green compiled and edited this volume with an eye toward both popular tales and lesser-known chapbook lore. His effort reflects a late 19th-century enthusiasm for preserving oral and early print folklore, presenting them in an educational yet charming format for younger readers.

The illustrators: This edition showcases the collaborative work of several skilled Victorian illustrators. Notably, John Proctor contributes memorable wood-engraved scenes like “Red Riding Hood and the Wolf” and “Aladdin’s Mother and the Sultan.” Louis Marvy lends a Romantic touch with his fairy tale imagery, while Alfred Crowquill and E. Gourlie provide additional whimsical and Gothic flourishes. The collective result is a vibrant gallery of black-and-white imagery that complements each tale’s tone—from playful to haunting.