first edition Full Morocco
1841 · Boston, New York and London, resp.
by La Fontaine, [Jean de]. Illustrated by J. J. Grandville. Translated from the French by Elizur Wright, Jr.
Boston, New York and London, resp.: Tappan and Dennet; William A. Coleman; Edward Moxon, 1841. First Edition Thus . Full Morocco. Very Good . First Grandville-illustrated edition in English. Extra-illustrated! 8vo. 240 by 14.5 cm. xlvii, [1], 244, [4], 339 pp. With 60 Grandville plates from the Fournier first edition of 1839, fifteen of which have been hand-colored especially for this copy, and with Grandville's head and tailpieces and numerous text vignettes. With the extra-illustration, there are an additional 36 hand-colored plates plus 17 B/W engravings by Massard, Collyer, Schroeder, etc. See Gordon Ray, Art of the French Illustrated Book, no. 191. Also Grand Carteret II, 357-358. Bound in full red crushed Levant morocco. Double gilt fillets. Five gilt ruled raised bands. Six double gilt bordered compartments. Gilt tooled edge corners. Scattered foxing -- most leaves unaffected, but occasionally somewhat heavy. Light wear to the binding. Still a highly attractive and unique copy.
(Inventory #: 006314)