Beauty and the Beast. An Old Tale New-Told, with Pictures de E V B

London : Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle A good copy of the 1st edition in the decorative cloth binding with 10 colour plates and numerous line drawings by Eleanor Vere Boyle (1825-1916). Undated but 1875. Beauty and the Beast is said to be one of her best works, with beautiful imagery and colouring. The binding has been rebacked adding a new spine, which is darker than the boards and has become slightly speckled over time. The boards are very bright. The top corner of the front board is bumped. All page edges gilt. There are detailed scholarly pencil notes to the front pastedown endpaper and a pencil inscription to the verso of the fep. Contents with frontispiece, guard, title page and text wth 9 further colour plates with guards and black and white designs. There is a repaired tear to the gutter of the frontispiece guard; and some repaired tearing (with slight loss) to the side margin of the title page. The black border to the title page has some smudging to the top, which has offset to the frontispiece guard. There is spotting to the verso of the fep; frontispiece; and to a number of the plate margins. Occasional light spots elsewhere. Contents otherwise tightly bound and generally clean.