Little Tom the Sailor. The Century Guild Hobby Horse No. 4.
1886. London: Kegan Paul, Trench and Co., 1886.
4to, pp.121-160, with the facsimile of Little Tom the Sailor bound in as the folding frontispiece, in two pieces as usual. Very Good, with slightly dusty uncut edges to the journal, and minor discoloration and spotting to the wrappers as usual.
§ The very fine William Muir facsimile, often mistaken in the past as the original. The poem was composed by William Hayley. Originally etched in relief and white line by Blake on four plates, printed in black ink, uncolored; copies are also known hand colored or printed in brown ink. This is one of Blake’s rarest works; it is also amongst the rarest of Muir’s facsimiles; some (like this copy) were issued in The Century Guild Hobby Horse and others were issued separately, all on different papers. See also Keynes, Blake Studies, 2nd ed. (who notes the various papers used and reports that the Muir facsimile was exhibited for some years as the original at the Pierpont Morgan Library). Bentley, BB, 470 B and see Bentley, BB, 249 (i). Item #122903
Price: $1,500.00