London: George Routledge, 1883-1895. 23 volumes, including several duplicates, duodecimo. All in original bindings, see note. Housed together in custom clamshell box. Illustrated throughout by Greenaway.
Box lightly rubbed, the front joint a little tender. Generally in very good condition, some lightly soiled, a few jackets with minor chipping and peripheral wear (1890 almanack without front flap); a very desirable set.
A straight run of Greenaway's delightful Almanack series, lacking only the final issue (1897, issued by a different publisher; none was issued in 1896).
Greenaway was one of the great illustrators of the Victorian era, in influence and popularity the most significant female illustrator of that period. Her style is immediately recognizable, and spawned many imitators. “In her idyllic and profoundly nostalgic depictions of vaguely eighteenth-century and slightly stilted children, Greenaway combined strong outlines and a keen ability to arrange and pattern space with the use of a palette of soft, silvery pastel colours” (ODNB).
Her Almanack series was one of her best-known publications, each year producing an almanack - an illustrated calendar - with different binding options. This collection, preserved together in a custom box, illustrates the series as it evolved over the years, and the variant bindings within issues. Some copies preserve the dust jacket, which, it goes without saying, is very unusual for a 19th century volume.
1883: yellow cloth-backed pictorial boards. Two copies of the same variant. Schuster & Engen 3.1a.
1884: glazed limp pictorial wrapper; with another variant with border stained brown; and with two copies of white imitation morocco gilt variant. Schuster & Engen 4.2a; 4.2c; 4.2d.
1885: yellow cloth-backed pictorial boards, light turquoise endpapers, with the dust jacket. Schuster & Engen 5.3a.
1886: orange cloth-backed pictorial boards, bright yellow endpapers, with the dust jacket. With another copy, white imitation morocco gilt. Schuster & Engen 6.4a & 6.4c.
1887: yellow cloth-backed pictorial boards, light turquoise endpapers. Schuster & Engen 7.5a.
1888: pink cloth-backed pictorial boards, with the dust jacket. With another copy, blue cloth-backed pictorial boards. Schuster & Engen 8.6a & 8.6b.
1889: black cloth-backed pictorial boards. Schuster & Engen 9.7a.
1890: black cloth-backed pictorial boards, with the dust jacket. Schuster & Engen 10.8a.
1891: yellow cloth-backed pictorial boards, with the dust jacket. Schuster & Engen 11.9a.
1892: blue cloth-backed pictorial boards, with the dust jacket. With another copy, imitation morocco gilt. Schuster & Engen 12.10e for second copy - the blue cloth-backed variant not noted by Schuster & Engen.
1893: yellow cloth-backed pictorial boards, green edges, with the dust jacket. With another copy, olive green silk gilt. Schuster & Engen 13.11b & 13.11c.
1894: tan cloth-backed pictorial boards, turqoise endpapers, with the dust jacket. With another copy, imitation morocco gilt. Schuster & Engen 14.12d & 14.12b.
1895: orange cloth-backed pictorial boards, with the dust jacket. With another copy, cream imitation morocco gilt. Schuster & Engen 15.13a & 15.13d. (Item #4049)