CHILDREN'S BIRTHDAY-BOOK

London: W. Mack, 1880. Very good.. First edition of this book for noting the birthdates of acquaintances, with verse and illustrations by Kate Greenaway and others. Kate Greenaway achieved great success in 1878 with her first solo publication UNDER THE WINDOW, and quickly became a household name. This achievement came after years of study at the National Art Training School and the Heatherley School of Fine Art, where she rubbed shoulders with the likes of Elizabeth Thompson (later Lady Butler), Edward Burne-Jones, and Walter Crane. Her style, featuring rosy-cheeked children and young adults, captures a romantic and cheerful brand of Victorian childhood nostalgia.
Other artists featured in this book are Kate Coleman, Robert Barnes, Mrs. Staples, and Miss Bennet, all of whom worked in a style similar to that of Greenaway. This copy is particularly charming thanks to the fact it was used; there is delightful variation of handwriting as children noted their birthdays on the appropriate date. 4.5'' x 3.5''. Contemporary full red goatskin binding with gilt titles. All edges gilt. Marbled endpapers. Full-page color frontispiece with tissue guard and numerous black-and-white illustrations throughout. 288 pages. Two owners' names to second blank, dated 1882 and '87, several ink names throughout. Light edgwear to boards; spine stabilized with slight loss to ends. Leaves with occasional soil. An attractive, sound copy.