A BEAUTIFUL NISTER PRODUCTION: LITTLE PEOPLE’S BOOK OF AIRSHIPS, 1906

NISTER, Ernest. Little People's Book of Airships. London: Ernest Nister; New York: E. P. Dutton, (circa 1906). Oblong quarto, original half blue cloth, varnished paper boards. $2500.

First edition of an exceptional Ernest Nister picture book, with 14 wonderful full-page aeronautical color plates and 16 full-page pen-and-ink line cuts in sepia, colorful chromolithographic front board, a splendid copy.

This impressive volume of 30 full-page images of aircraft was issued by famed German paper-engineer Ernest Nister. His legendary firm was centered in Nuremburg, a center for toy making in the late 19th century. Between 1891 and 1900, Nister's company produced countless children's books of superior quality in both illustration and printing. Nister made numerous, vital contributions to the history of children's literature—perhaps most notably in the genre of pop-up books. In keeping with Nister's prized standards of production, this wonderful book of early aircraft, though not a pop-up, reflects his impeccable standards and is in the original chromolithographic front board. Included are splendid color plates of an airship over St. Paul's Cathedral, Glenn Hammond Curtiss in his bi-plane above NY harbor and the Statue of Liberty, Count Zeppelin's airship, Grahame-White in his aeroplane, and much more. Cotsen 6549.

Large splendid illustrations bright and fresh, faintest trace of dampstaining to corners of boards. An excellent about-fine copy.