I have been in the rare and antiquarian book business for over forty years; my family has been in the rare books business since 1876. Rare books are in my blood.
Compleat Angler or The Contemplative Man’s Recreation, The
London: George G. Harrap & Co., 1931. Item #02761
"I Envy No Body But Him, And Him Only, That Catches More Fish Than I Do"
[RACKHAM, Arthur, illustrator]. WALTON, Izaak. The Compleat Angler or The Contemplative Man’s Recreation. Being a Discourse of Rivers, Fishponds, Fish and Fishing not unworthy the Perusal of most Anglers. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. London: George G. Harrap & Co., [1931].
Limited to 775 numbered copies (this copy being No. 265), signed by the artist. Quarto (10 5/16 x 7 13/16 inches; 263 x 198 mm.). 223, [1] pp. Twelve color plates, with descriptive tissue guards, and twenty-five drawings in black and white. Title printed in green and black.
Original full vellum over boards. Front cover lettered in gilt within a gilt triple-rule border, spine pictorially stamped and lettered in gilt with three gilt rules at top and bottom of spine. Top edge gilt, others uncut. Pictorial endpapers in reddish brown and white. In the original publisher’s? white cardboard box. Spine very slightly creased otherwise a fine copy.
"No fewer than six plates have landscape backgrounds, plates which should remind us of Rackham's very serious reputation as a landscape painter, with a fine vision of natural forms" (Gettings, Arthur Rackham, p. 159).
Latimore & Haskell, pp. 66-67. Riall, p. 175.
Price: $1,750.00