SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER, or The Mistakes of a Night
London, New York, Toronto: Hodder & Stoughton, 1912. Hardcover. First edition thus. The classic 18th century comedy of manners brilliantly illustrated by Hugh Thomson. The first of the Cranfield School of British artists who abandoned the 1890s style of Aubrey Beardsley for the delicacy of an 18th century mode, Thomson (1860-1920) is best known for illustrating the iconic peacock edition of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Quarto: [ii], 197, [2], [1, blank] pp. with a frontispiece and 24 full-page plates, all tipped-in color halftones after illustrations by Hugh Thomson, as well as 15 textual illustrations and decorated chapter pages, and decorative borders and endpapers. In the publisher's grayish aqua green flat-weave cloth binding, with gilt-stamped ornamental borders, stylized floral wreath device, angel's head device, moon, bat, and star devices, and script titling. Light toning to the endpapers; else fine. Accompanied by the original glassine wrapper and housed in the publisher's two-part box featuring a color halftone vignette by Hugh Thomson on the front panel, with some loss to the side panels of the lid. Provenance: from the Publishers' Bookbindings collection of Ellen K. Morris and Edward S. Levin. Fine. Item #78869
Price: $400.00