Illustration from Rare Illustrated Books

1982. Charming engraving by Pixie O'Harris depicting a young girl engaging with an elf sprite and a koala in a tree. Numbered 71/75. Pixie O'Harris, whose real name was Rhona Olive Pratt, was an Australian artist and children's book illustrator. She was born on July 22, 1903, in Cardiff, Wales, and later immigrated to Australia. O'Harris… Read more about this item

A rare offering of a beautiful watercolour by Pixie O'Harris painted to illustrate the publication "Pearl Pinkie and Sea Greenie" (Angus & Robertson, 1935) Early works such as this one rarely come to market. Pixie O'Harris's second book, "Pearl Pinkie and Sea Greenie: The Story of Two Little Rock-Sprites" is a dainty example of magical storytelling, a vibrant and exciting underwater… Read more about this item

Original aquatint by Pixie O'Harris, signed and dated 1978 and numbered 4/10. Pixie O'Harris MBE (born Rhona Olive Harris; 15 October 1903 - 17 November 1991) was a Welsh-born Australian artist, newspaper, magazine and book illustrator, author, broadcaster, caricaturist and cartoonist, designer of book plates, sheet music covers and stationery, and children's hospital ward fairy-style mural painter. She… Read more about this item

Paris: Noel aîné, 1827. A splendid collection of expressive coloured lithographs depicting the animals of the world. This attractive album includes the entire run of 41 consecutive separately-issued plates; at which point, despite the charm and quality of the scenes, the publisher seems to have closed the series, making this a rare collection, and all the more impressive given… Read more about this item

USA, 1967. First Edition. Classic 1960s encyclopedia of American architectural designs for modern homes. Folio, 300 mm x 430 mm, spiral bound boards, 228 pages, 1700 black & white architectural illustrations including blueprints, slight marking to covers, minor annotation to interior, a very good copy.

Berlin: Carl Friedrich Amelang, 1821. A beautiful work for the education of the young. The fine large coloured plates in the atlas depict mammals (including the kangaroo), birds, amphibians, fish, and insects, as well as botany and minerals. The images were drawn from nature by Georg Bretzing, Ludwig Meyer, Muller and Weber, and engraved by Bretzing, Guimpel, Meno Haas,… Read more about this item

London: W.J.P. Monckton, 1901. First Edition. Delightful journal for children with short stories, comic strips and illustrations. Titled 'Father Christmas's Book Tea', Arthur Rackham's double-page illustration presents as many characters from children's literature as you can imagine. There is Little Red RIding Hood, the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, Straw Peter, Mother… Read more about this item

Melbourne: John Wyatt, 1909. First Edition. The author's first book, published at age seventeen, contains four stories, one poem and her illustrations in the manner of her contemporary Ida Rentoul Outhwaite. Ethel Jackson Morris contributed to Dame Neilie Melba's Gift Book of Australian Art and Literature in 1915, published one other book in 1921, exhibited her work in Melbourne… Read more about this item

London: Bodley Head, 1971. Limited Edition. Fine. Maurice Sendak. Published in a limited edition of 1,000 copies of which this is no. 559. Nineteen prints personally selected by Maurice Sendak for this collection of his all-time favourite artworks. All prints are housed in a beautiful box. An excellent copy in fine condition.

London: A. & C. Black, 1911. Greenaway, Kate. With an introduction by M. H. Spielmann. "If ever there was a beautiful soul, it was the soul of Kate Greenaway." Large octavo, bound in decorated green boards with colour pictorial onlay, fifteen colour plates tipped-in, a nice copy of a charming little book.

Sydney: Bulletin Newspaper Company, Limited, 1899. First Edition. Offering insight into the publishing scene in Australia at the turn of the nineteenth century, including reviews of new releases and broader thoughts on the ethics of criticism. Includes a five-page illustrated feature on Aubrey Beardsley. Duodecimo, original light blue illustrated wrappers, 48 pages, a very good copy. Rare. … Read more about this item

Chicago: Rand McNally & Co, 1911. First Edition. First edition of this surprisingly scarce Rand McNally publisher's catalogue with a focus on illustrated children's books and classic literature. With colour plates by Lucy Fitch Perkins for 'The Enchanted Peacock' by Julia Brown, Grace Chandler Horn for 'Hiawatha' by Henry W. Longfellow, Hope Dunlap for 'The Rose Fairies'… Read more about this item

London: William Heinemann, 1909. Very good. Rackham, Arthur. One of the less common of Rackham's works and a beautiful example from the Golden Age of Illustration. It tells of a water-sprite, Undine, who can gain an immortal soul only through marriage to a mortal. The tale is ideally suited to Rackham's art nouveau style, capturing, as he… Read more about this item

London: George G Harrop and Co. Ltd, 1933. Signed Limited Edition. Fine. A limited edition of 460 signed by Rackham. An inspired anthology drawn from "old favourites of the nursery...Most of them had a long and eventful life of oral tradition before somebody who could write caught them as they flew and consigned them to cold print"… Read more about this item

Paris: Le Divan, 1922. Signed Limited Edition. Near fine. Marines par Guy Lavaud avec 15 dessins de André Lhote A splendid children's album celebrating the joys of maritime adventure. This is one of only 25 examples with aquarelle handcoluring by the artist; numbered and fully signed by Lavaud and Lhote. Quarto, 12 leaves, hand-coloured illustrations,… Read more about this item

Sydney: Jons Productions, 1945. First Edition. Jacqueline Reading. Scarce and charming Australian children's story about Peter the Penguin who protects the ice-floe. [Muir, 6254]. Oblong octavo, 28pp., 12 full-page colour plates and other black & white drawings; early gift inscription on inside cover, else a very good copy in cloth-backed pictorial boards.

London and Sydney: Griffith Farran Okeden & Welsh, 1890. First Edition. First edition and rare. A most attractively-produced anthology of Australian and New Zealand stories and tales designed primarily for young people, highly evocative of its time. Authors include Rosa Praed, "Tasma", Mrs Patchett Martin, and Hume Nisbet. Illustrations are by H.J. Johnstone, T.J. Hughes, R. Carrick, Emily Harding,… Read more about this item

Sydney: Printed by John Sands, 1925. First Edition. A scarce ephemeral piece, both written and illustrated by Dorothy Wall of 'Blinky Bill' reknown, teaching the value of "Thrift". One of three variant printings of this delightful gift book for children - teaching them to save against a Rainy Day - and the first of two such collaborations between Wall… Read more about this item

New York: McLoughlin Bros, 1885. American imprint of an old favourite. American reissue of the Alphabet of Animals from series titled Aunt Louisa's London Toy Books published by Warne in London. However, the format of this American edition is a little smaller, with different lithographic printing of the original images, and reset letterpress. Large octavo, bound in the… Read more about this item

London: Frederick Warne and Co, 1885. A title from the series "Aunt Louisa's London Toy Books", this alphabet is entirely composed of exotic animals; for example, we read: "K is a kangaroo hopping along; L stands for Lions, loud-roaring and strong. M is for Monkey, most mischievous he, N is a Nylghau from India, you see". "Aunt… Read more about this item