The Ingoldsby legends or Mirth & Marvels. Illustrations by Arthur Rackham.

4to.

Red morocco by Bayntun (Rivière) [Bath, England], central pictorial inlaid figuring three monks in a library discussing over a book, gilt-ruled covers (one with angular fleurons), gilt orn. spine with raised bands, gilt roll-stamp on edges, gilt fillets and roll-stamp on turn-ins, gilt edges (joints sl. rubbed).

Illustrated with 24 coloured plates tipped-in on dark green paper with captioned tissue-guards (1st pl. detached from its support leaf), 12 tinted plates, and black in-text & full-p. illustrations. The "Ingoldsby legends" by the English cleric Barham (1788-1845), is a collection of poetry, legends, myths and ghost stories, which appeared first in a collected form in 3 series in 1840, 1842 and 1847. With this publication, Rackham developed his best style of fantasy writing. It would influence a generation of children and artists. The first edition illustrated by Rackham was published in 1898 (12mo). Nice binding.