Oct 24 at 10:30 AM - Sale 2683 -
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Sale 2683 - Lot 310

Estimate: $ 400 - $ 600
Cruikshank, George (1792-1878)
[Fairy Library No. VI]: Puss in Boots, in a Riviere & Son binding.

London: Routledge, Warne, & Routledge, 1864.

First edition, first issue, small quarto, without the front fly-leaf or plate list, with the white paper cover design at rear and the "Notice to the Public" repeated at rear in a different type; illustrated with 12 plates: 6 in black-and-white & 6 in color; bound in full green morocco by Riviere & Son, spine gilt-lettered and decorated with flower motifs, gilt ruled and decorated turn-ins, delicately marbled endpapers, top edge gilt; original printed wrappers preserved at front and rear (p. 8 and opposite plate foxed; spine sunned, a few tiny knicks at edges); 7 x 5 1/8 in.

When George Cruikshank wrote and published his Fairy Library series beginning in 1853, he was embracing intense sobriety, which opinions colored his interpretations and thus the illustrations he created for these four fairy tales. He imbued the stories with moral outcomes in praise of abstinence, prohibition, and religious education. These extremes garnered public criticism from several fronts, including his rather moderate friend Charles Dickens, for whom Cruikshank had illustrated four works. Dickens published a pointed review titled "Frauds on Fairies" in the October 1853 issue of Household Words, accusing Cruikshank of destroying the valuable simplicity of the children's tales. In Dickens's opinion, Cruikshank sacrificed the admirable qualities of "gentleness and mercy" in the stories, changing their focus to, "propagating the doctrines of Total Abstinence, Prohibition [...] Free Trade, and Popular Education." Criticism from this sector temporarily paused production of the series, which halted after the release of Cinderella in 1854.

When the series was taken up again by Rutledge in 1864 with the present Puss in Boots, all teetotaling ideals had been staunchly removed. However, after the text, Rutledge published Cruikshank's impassioned response to Dickens's feedback. "What have I done? Where is the offence? Why, I have endeavored to inculcate, at the earliest age, A HORROR OF DRUNKENESS, and a recommendation of TOTAL ABSTINENCE from ALL INTOXICATING LIQUORS, which, if carried out universally, would not only do away with DRUNKENESS ENTIRELY, but also with a large amount of POVERTY, MISERY, DISEASE, and DREADFUL CRIMES. Also a DETESTATION OF GAMBLING, and A LOVE OF ALL THAT IS VIRTUOUS AND GOOD and an endeavor to impress on everyone the necessity, importance, and justice of every child in the land receiving a useful and religious education." So much for light-hearted family fun.

For more see Robert Patten's George Cruikshank's Life, Times, and Art, Vol. II.

Cohn 199.
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