Maud Humphrey's Mother Goose

New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1891. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good +. Humphrey, Maud. First printing, quarto size, [46] pp. A collection of the nursery rhymes of Mother Goose, including classic children's verses such as "Jack and Jill", "Little Miss Muffett", and "Little Bo Peep", this volume is lusciously illustrated by American watercolourist Maud Humphrey (1868-1940); a very successful commercial illustrator, Humphrey was the mother of famed actor Humphrey Bogart, whom she would use as a model when he was a child. Throughout her career, Humphrey illustrated numerous books, calendars, and greeting cards, earning over $50,000 a year, a considerable sum at the time.

Her sweet depictions of children perfectly capture the playfulness and charm of Mother Goose; each verse has its own colour illustration, with the text printed in calligraphic lettering. The beautiful, soft colours and contours of the illustrations create a unique reading of these beloved nursery rhymes.

___DESCRIPTION: Quarter green cloth with light green paper boards, gilt lettering and colour illustrations by Maud Humphrey on the front and rear boards, frontispiece a colour illustration by Humphrey, featuring Little Bo Peep, title page with lettering in brown, blue, and pink with colour illustration, pink and blue decorative initial capitals throughout, text printed in brown calligraphic script, full-colour illustrations by Maud Humphrey throughout, printed on the rectos only except for the frontispiece; quarto size (11" by 9.25"), 46 unnumbered pages.

___CONDITION: Volume is better than very good, with clean boards, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, and the interior is clean with bright illustrations; some rubbing to the edges of the boards and the corners, head and tail of the spine bumped, light off-setting from the illustrations throughout, and a prior owner inscription on the front free endpaper.

___CITATION: Baumgarten p. 106.

___POSTAGE:  International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

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