GREENAWAY, Kate

Almanacks for 1883[-1895] [And:] Kate Greenaway’s Almanack & Diary for 1897

London: George Routledge and Sons, 1882. Item #06435

An Excellent Complete Set of Kate Greenaway's Charming Almanacs
Including the Rare 1897 Issue which is inscribed to Eileen Ponsonby

GREENAWAY, Kate. Almanack for 1883-[1895]. London: George Routledge and Sons, [1882-1894]. [Together with:] Kate Greenaway’s Almanack & Diary for 1897. London: J.M Dent & Co., [1896].

A complete set of first edition Kate Greenaway Almanacks, including a presentation copy of Kate Greenaway’s Almanack & Diary for 1897, inscribed by the illustrator on the half-title: “Eileen Ponsonby/From/Kate Greenaway/1896.” Together fifteen volumes, including a duplicate of the Almanack for 1884: thirteen twentyfourmo volumes (the Almanack for 1887 being oblong twentyfourmo), measuring approximately 3 7/8 x 2 13/16 inches; 99 x 71 mm. and two twelvemo volumes (both copies of the Almanack for 1884), measuring approximately 5 3/16 x 3 5/8 inches; 132 x 92 mm. No Almanack for 1896 was published. Numerous wood-engraved text illustrations after Greenaway printed in color by Edmund Evans.

Original bindings of glazed pictorial boards with cloth spines (1883, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, and 1895), glazed pictorial wrappers (1884), imitation morocco boards (1885), cloth (1889), and imitation morocco (1897). The duplicate copy of the Almanack for 1884 is in a slightly worn variant binding of brown glazed pictorial wrappers. The Almanack for 1892 is in the original printed mailing wrapper and the Almanack for 1895 is in the original glassine. The Almanack for 1885 is slightly browned, with some minor offsetting; the Almanack for 1886 has a tiny stain in the upper blank margin of seven leaves; the Almanack for 1888 has a tiny tear (1/4 inch) to the outer margin of the title; the Almanack for 1890 is slightly foxed; the Almanack for 1892 has a small stain on the half-title; and the binding of Kate Greenaway’s Almanack & Diary for 1897 is very slightly dampstained but internally clean.

Overall, an excellent set of these charming little books. Housed together in a full dark green morocco clamshell case elaborately tooled in gilt on spine with red morocco gilt lettering label (incorrectly dated at foot of spine “1883-1927” instead of “1883-1897”).

The relationship between Kate Greenaway and Eileen Ponsonby is one of the most charming - and important - artist - child associations in late Victorian illustration.

Eileen Ponsonby was one of Greenaway’s principal child models and muses, particularly during the later phase of her career in the 1880s-1890s. Greenaway, who rarely worked from formal studio sittings in the academic sense, instead drew inspiration from children in her immediate social circle - often the daughters of friends and acquaintances. Eileen became one of the most recognizable among them.

Eileen was the daughter of Sir Henry Ponsonby, Private Secretary to Queen Victoria - placing her within a cultivated and socially prominent household. This connection gave Greenaway access to a refined domestic milieu very much in keeping with her idealized vision of childhood.

“The beginning of 1883 had seen the publication of Kate Greenaway’s first Almanack. Published at one shilling by George Routledge & Sons, and of course engraved and printed in colours by Mr. Edmund Evans, it achieved an enormous success, some 90,000 copies being sold in England, America, France, and Germany. It was succeeded by an almanack every year (with but one exception, 1896) until 1897, the last being published by Mr. Dent. The illustrations were printed on sheets with blank spaces for the letterpress, in which English, French, or German was inserted as the market demanded. There are various little conceits about these charming productions which are calculated to appeal to the ‘licquorish chapman of such wares’; so that complete sets of them already fetch respectable sums from the collectors of beautiful books, especially when they have not been divested of the paper envelopes or wrappers in which they were originally issued” (Spielmann and Layard (1905), p. 122).

Schuster & Engen 3-16. Thomson 47-61.

Price: $6,500.00