C.S. Lewis – The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe – First Edition 1950
£12,500.00
A first edition, first printing of ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe’ published by Bles in 1950. The first published volume in The Chronicles of Narnia. Octavo. Original pale green cloth, spine lettered in silver. A particularly well-preserved example, the book in very good plus condition, exceptionally clean internally with a firm, square binding. The cloth remains fresh, showing only a few very minor marks to the boards. Housed in the original first issue dust wrapper, entirely unrestored, with only discreet professional reinforcement to the verso of the spine to preserve its integrity. The jacket exhibits the expected light chipping and minor loss at the extremities, remaining remarkably honest and attractive for this notoriously fragile survival.
Published in 1950, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe introduced readers to the magical land of Narnia and marked the beginning of one of the most celebrated fantasy series of the twentieth century. Although later reordered to reflect the internal chronology of the stories, this was the first Narnia book to be written and published. Beautifully illustrated by Pauline Baynes, whose iconic artwork has accompanied the series ever since, the novel has captivated generations of readers and remains the best-known and most collected of Lewis’s works.
Original first edition copies in their unrestored dust wrappers have become increasingly scarce, particularly examples retaining such an attractive appearance. The survival of the original jacket, free from restoration and supported only by sympathetic archival strengthening, considerably enhances the desirability of this copy, making it an increasingly difficult example to acquire in today’s market.
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- Description
Description
A first edition, first printing of ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe’ published by Bles in 1950. The first published volume in The Chronicles of Narnia. Octavo. Original pale green cloth, spine lettered in silver. A particularly well-preserved example, the book in very good plus condition, exceptionally clean internally with a firm, square binding. The cloth remains fresh, showing only a few very minor marks to the boards. Housed in the original first issue dust wrapper, entirely unrestored, with only discreet professional reinforcement to the verso of the spine to preserve its integrity. The jacket exhibits the expected light chipping and minor loss at the extremities, remaining remarkably honest and attractive for this notoriously fragile survival.
Published in 1950, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe introduced readers to the magical land of Narnia and marked the beginning of one of the most celebrated fantasy series of the twentieth century. Although later reordered to reflect the internal chronology of the stories, this was the first Narnia book to be written and published. Beautifully illustrated by Pauline Baynes, whose iconic artwork has accompanied the series ever since, the novel has captivated generations of readers and remains the best-known and most collected of Lewis’s works.
Original first edition copies in their unrestored dust wrappers have become increasingly scarce, particularly examples retaining such an attractive appearance. The survival of the original jacket, free from restoration and supported only by sympathetic archival strengthening, considerably enhances the desirability of this copy, making it an increasingly difficult example to acquire in today’s market.
