The Hunting of the Snark – Lewis Carroll (Macmillan and Co., 1903)

This Macmillan and Co. edition (1903) of Lewis Carroll's The Hunting of the Snark: An Agony in Eight Fits is of interest to collectors of Lewis Carroll, Victorian nonsense literature, and Henry Holiday illustrated books.

About: A very good copy in the original red and gilt pictorial cloth binding, designed by Henry Holiday. The boards are remarkably bright and vivid for a book of this age — the scarlet cloth retains its depth of colour and the gilt decoration is bold and largely unfaded on both front and rear boards. Spine lettering clear. Corners lightly bumped. The interior shows age-toning to the pages consistent with a 120-year-old book, but the text block is clean and the nine Holiday illustrations are crisp and well-printed throughout.

Details:

• Title: The Hunting of the Snark: An Agony in Eight Fits
• Author: Lewis Carroll
• Illustrator: Henry Holiday (nine illustrations)
• Publisher: Macmillan and Co. Limited, London; The Macmillan Company, New York
• Publication Date: 1903
• Binding: Hardcover, original red and gilt pictorial cloth
• Condition: Very Good (exceptional for age)

Synopsis: Macmillan edition of Carroll's celebrated nonsense poem, illustrated throughout with nine engravings by Henry Holiday. A handsome antiquarian copy in the original decorative cloth, with both front and rear boards bearing Holiday's distinctive pictorial designs.

Review: Lewis Carroll's The Hunting of the Snark (first published 1876) is one of the great works of Victorian nonsense literature - a mock-heroic poem in eight ‘fits’ recounting the improbable quest of a motley crew to hunt the mysterious Snark. Henry Holiday's illustrations, among the most inventive in Victorian book art, are integral to the work's enduring appeal. This Macmillan edition, in its original decorative cloth with Holiday's designs stamped in gilt on both boards, makes a striking and collectible addition to any Carroll or Victorian literature collection.