Christmas Shadows: A Tale of The Poor Needle Women
New York: Stringer & Townsend, 1851. First edition. Hardcover. First edition.. Very scarce. Octavo hardcover in blue cloth with design in blindstamp and in gilt, spine decorated and lettered in gilt. Title page printed in red. "Designed by Ashley" imprinted on title page. Engraved first title page with design that depicts the Needle Women around a table, asome angels as well as a very Ebenezer Scrooge- like man surrounded by little goblins and a ghostly figure pointing downward. Additional frontispiece engraving, again quite Scrooge-like, depicting a man seated by the fire with the little goblins all around the room and a ghostly figure of a young girl. Three additional full page steel engravings, again featuring the man, the goblins and, at last, the man delivering "An unexpected entertainment" to the Needle Women. An early, though somewhat different and macabre Christmas tale, much like Dickens' "Christmas Carol", in which a London outfitter, Mr. Cranch (a much more benevolent character than old Ebenezer), whose parsimoniousness nontheless causes him to be assailed by the afrementioned ghosts and goblins at Chrsitmas-time. Very good, rubbed about the tips, small light stain bottom edge of the ront cloth. Foxing to the first title and plates, title page somewhat embrowned. OCLC located only 15 copies of this 1851 priting. Very Good. Item #E13297
Price: $275.00