“THE CAMEL LAUGHED, ‘MY LEGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY USED TO BE”: FIRST EDITION OF RAGGEDY ANN AND ANDY AND THE CAMEL WITH THE WRINKLED KNEES

GRUELLE, Johnny. Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees. Joliet, New York and Boston: P.F. Volland, (1924). Octavo, original pictorial paper boards, pictorial endpapers, original matching box. $850.

First edition of the third Raggedy Ann and Andy adventure, written and richly illustrated—including 17 full-page color illustrations—by Johnny Gruelle.

"Many of [Gruelle's] works of fiction started with actual playthings belonging to his three children. Johnny embellished the appearances of some rather generic toys and endowed them with whimsical names and fetching personality traits… Raggedy Ann's friend, the Camel, was based on a stuffed toy shared by Johnny's sons, Worth and Dick. When he was new, thanks to wooden sticks in his legs, the Camel stood at attention. Only when Johnny removed the hazardously sharp sticks did the Camel gain his full moniker— The Camel with the Wrinkled Knees" (Doll Reader). A first edition of this work has no edition statement (as here), but all subsequent printings between 1924 and 1928 do bear edition statements on the copyright page. After 1928 Volland abandoned edition statements entirely, yet these later printings are differentiated by cloth, rather than paper spines. Hall, 110. Connolly, 138.

Book fine, slight soiling to box and light wear to box extremities. A beautiful copy.