Editions of other works by, or about, Randolph Caldecott
"Randolph Caldecott: his Early Art Career" by Henry Blackburn
This "affectionate remembrance" was published within 12
months of Randolph's death: the Preface is dated September 1886. The first edition,
published by Sampson, Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, of Crown Buildings,
188 Fleet Street, London, had green hardback cloth covers and was h. 8¾ in x w.
6½ in. (222 x 165 mm.) On the front cover was Randolph's picture of a
shepherd playing a clarinet-like instrument to his sheep: the shepherd looks
remarkably like Randolph himself. The pages were edged with gold leaf.
By 1892, the publishers (now simplified to "Sampson, Low Marston &
Company") had produced a "New and Cheaper Edition", simply by
reducing the page margins. The hardback cloth covers this time were red,
and the size was reduced to h. 8 in x w. 5¾ in (205 x 147 mm), with the same
front cover illustration.
We have been told about another copy "bound in black leather, with ridges on the spine, gold lettering on the spine, and
ornate decoration in gold. The pages are gilded only at the top and appear
rather uneven at the bottom. Opposite (facing ) the
dedication page at the
bottom is printed 'Richard Clay and Sons, London and Bungay'. The end papers are beautiful marbled papers and a great
many of the illustrations are not printed within the book, but ... glued onto the pages. On the spine is printed in
gold, along with the words Randolph Caldecott and Blackburn, the words
EXTRA ILLUSTRATED." We are aware that publishers in
late-Victorian days did sometimes produce a variety of editions to attract
different "classes" of buyer, and this sounds like a classic example
of an "up-market special".
In 1986, the Centenary of Randolph's death, this book was re-issued in a
paperback edition.
There are usually copies of this book available for sale on www.abebooks.co.uk or www.abebooks.com. In Jan 2005, for
example, there were 8 copies of various editions (and in various conditions) on
sale at asking prices between GB£16 (US$ 30) and GB£ 80 (US$ 150).
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