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The Most Beautiful Alice in Wonderlands

Alice is always a favourite for collectors. Below are some of the editions we’ve had or have. I get some interesting queries about these. Generally they relate to the illustrations. Collectors become quite specific about the artist and the kind of drawings. For instance, they might ask to see a particular edition’s illustration of when Alice’s neck elongates.

Though it’s not necessarily my most beloved book to read, I can’t help but feel drawn towards collecting Alice as well. When one of our edition’s sell, I always have mixed feelings, happy for someone to buy it, but sad to see it go. The edition immediately below is one of my most favourites. The illustrations are particularly magnificent. My other favourite was the edition with Charles Blackman’s illustrations. We had a copy of that in the store last year, but it sold fairly quickly. I collected my first Alice at the age of about ten years old and I still have it.

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The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis

Occasionally in the the vintage book hunting business you come across an absolute gem. This week it was a first edition of The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis. Few people have not had their lives enriched by The Chronicles of Narnia, whether by book or film. The series has been described as:

Fantastic creatures, heroic deeds, epic battles in the war between good and evil, and unforgettable adventures come together in this world where magic meets reality, which has been enchanting readers of all ages for over sixty years. The Chronicles of Narnia has transcended the fantasy genre to become a part of the canon of classic literature.

The Horse and his Boy is book 5 of the series and was published in 1954 by Geoffrey Bles. When read in chronological order, however, it comes third, after The Magician’s Nephew and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. This first edition is illustrated by Pauline Baynes, who also drew for some of Tolkein’s “minor” works.

This is the story of an adventure that happened in Narnia and Calormen and the lands between, in the Golden Age when Peter was High King and his brother and his two sisters were King and Queens under him.҉ۥC. S. Lewis

For more photos of this copy go to the product page on this website or to our Etsy store.