Songs of the Sea; From Rudyard Kipling's Verse

London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1927. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine/very good +. Maxwell, Donald. One of 500 copies of the "Large Paper Edition", large quarto size, 114 pp., signed by Kipling. Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) is perhaps best known today for "The Jungle Book", however, he was prolific with a list almost too long to count of novels, short stories, poems, and travel literature. In 1907, at the age of 41, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the first English language writer to receive the award, and the youngest recipient to date (n.b., above information from Wiki).

This volume with lovely illustrations by Donald (truncated) Maxwell (1877-1936) who, after receiving his eduction became Naval Artist to "The Graphic", and thereafter was "appointed official artist by the Admiralty during the First World War, 1914-18" (n.b., from Houfe). This training is evident in the illustrations for this work, with each poem having at least two illustrations (most have three, see details below), with most of the illustrations being of various types of ships.

The poems contained herein from various books by Kipling, with the exception of one poem, "The Scholars" which had previously been published only in "The Daily Telegraph" and "Collier's Weekly".

___DESCRIPTION: Bound in quarter vellum with gilt lettering over light blue paper-covered boards, top edge gilt, fore- and bottom edges uncut, the limitation page tipped onto the verso of the front free endpaper with Kipling's signature in black ink, the work contains twelve poems, each accompanied by a mounted full-colour illustration with the corresponding lines from the poem printed below, both surrounded by a narrow black border, the verso blank, all poems also have chapter head-pieces in various shades of yellow, green, blue, and brown and many have monochrome chapter tail-pieces; printed on Milburn handmade pure rag paper, large quarto size (11 5/8" by 9 1/2"), pagination: [2, limitation page recto blank, verso with limitation statement and Kipling's signature] [i-iii] iv-xi [1, blank] 1-99 [1, printer's statement], this one of 500 copies of the Large Paper Edition, signed by Kipling (there was also a regular edition issued, unsigned). With the publisher's dust jacket of plain paper with blue lettering and publisher's device on the front panel and spine, the rest of the jacket blank. Housed in the publisher's slipcase of sturdy cardboard covered witih light blue cloth, paper label mounted onto the front with black lettering.

___CONDITION: Volume fine overall, the vellum spine smooth and supple, the gilt lettering bright and unrubbed, the boards clean, the gilt top-edge bright, straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; some offsetting to the endpapers and one very small, light spot of soil on page 86, else fine. The dust jacket better than very good, mostly clean with some light soil along the joints, the panels toned, some edgewear (likely from being taken in and out of the slipcase improperly) the spine sunned, and the spine with a very small hole (a few millimeters on each side). The slipcase very good, strong and sturdy, overall light soil and sunning, the bottom edge at the opening just beginning to tear, the label with light wear and a vintage pencil marking, the spine with "Kipling" written in pencil and evidence of an old damp-stain (which fortunately did not penetrate to the book). Overall a fine book in a very good + jacket in a very good slipcase.

___CITATIONS: Livingston, no. 518; Houfe, p. 225.

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

___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help. (Inventory #: 210503023)