This beautiful and very rare first edition of Fairyland by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite was published by A & C Black in 1931. The folio is bound in original blue cloth with decoration to the front and spine. Illustrated endpapers and 41 illustrations throughout, including 16 colour plates. Collated and complete.
Rare 1926 First Edition Fairyland – Ida Rentoul Outhwaite | Masterpiece of the Golden Age
Published in 1926, Fairyland is widely considered the absolute pinnacle of Ida Rentoul Outhwaite’s career and a crowning achievement. Following the immense success of her 1916 masterpiece Elves and Fairies, Fairyland represents the artist at the absolute height of her technical and creative powers. Original copies are highly sought after.
Outhwaite revolutionalised the genre by subverting traditional fairy folklore and placing delicate and ethereal fairies directly into the rugged Australian bush where they interact with native Australian animals and plants including koalas, kookaburras and possums. This brilliant cultural blend created a completely new artistic movement, making this book a foundational artifact of Australian literary history.
Outhwaite’s artwork is instantly recognisable for its breathtaking sophistication. Her signature style combines exquisite, razor-sharp pen-and-ink linework, dramatic black-ink silhouettes, and delicate watercolor washes that evoke a dreamlike, timeless atmosphere. Because her career effectively ended after World War II—with the artist poignantly noting that "the fairies fled, appalled at the bomb"—masterpieces like Fairyland capture a lost era of innocence and unmatched printing craftsmanship.
Provenance - the book comes from a Private Collection of children’s illustrated books, formed over the past fifty years.
It's in good condition but there is old water damage to the boards, most prominent to the bottom corners - this has leached the colour from the cloth. There is some other marking to the boards and faint scratches to the cloth. The corners are worn and lightly bumped, whilst the spine shows pronounced fading and discolouration. Crushing to the spine has caused splitting in the cloth.
Inside, the free endpapers are tanned and there are no inscriptions. There is some wear and tear and minor loss to the edge of the FFEP. A small bump to the bottom edge of the title page has caused a small tear. There is scattered foxing throughout with occasional marking ( a small purple ink mark to one colour plate ).
The book features thirteen colour plates and thirty-four black and white illustrations. The book is dedicated to the artist's father who died just before publication.
Dimensions approximately 33cm x 25.7cm x 3.4cm.
The book will arrive hand wrapped in patterned wallpaper and ribbon. Due to the value, the book will be sent via DHL.
I use a range of eco friendly, 100% recyclable jiffy bags and boxes, and whenever possible I use brown paper tape. The green bubble wrap is biodegradable and the clear bubble wrap is 100% recyclable. I also reuse boxes when I feel it's appropriate (if the boxes are sturdy enough).