HOWARD PYLE'S BOOK OF PIRATES, WITH 36 FOLIO PLATES, ONE OF ONLY 50 COPIES ON VELLUM

PYLE, Howard. Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates. New York and London: Harper, 1921. Folio, original half white cloth, mounted color illustration, uncut; custom cloth slipcase. $5500.

Signed limited first edition, number 32 of only 50 copies printed on Japan vellum and signed by compiler Merle Johnson, profusely illustrated with 36 full-page plates (12 in color) and numerous in-text line cuts.

"Pyle was the great innovator who revolutionized American book illustration in the late nineteenth century. Before 1880 there were no American artists comparable to the great British illustrators… In less than thirty years, Howard Pyle not only created the Golden Age of American illustration, but also ensured that a large group of younger artists and disciples would carry on with similar work well into the twentieth century" (Dalby, 35). With two sketches by N.C. Wyeth (mounted on pages 232 and 239) reproduced here for the first time. Without the exceptionally scarce dust jacket. Ownership stamp.

Some light wear and soiling. Faint offsetting. Vertical crease to rear board. A near-fine copy.