12 - GERMANY, Henry René d'. History of Toys.

GERMANY, Henry René d'. History of Toys. First edition of this impressive history of toys, illustrated with 250 black-and-white vignettes in the text and 100 separate engravings, including 50 superb watercolor plates, presented here in its attractive polychrome publisher’s cardboard binding. Paris, published by the author, 1902. Folio (260 x 330 mm), publisher’s binding in gray percaline, plain spine adorned with a floral design featuring the title and author’s name in gold lettering and the date at the bottom; large polychrome decoration repeating the title and author’s name on the front cover; black lettering in a medallion on the back cover; gilt headband. 316 pages, 100 illustrations, including 50 watercolor plates and 250 black-and-white vignettes in the text. Binding rubbed and slightly soiled in places, rare marginal foxing, a few creased spine folds. First edition of this classic and monumental work on the history of toys, accompanied by an impressive collection of illustrations comprising 100 engravings, 50 of which are enhanced with watercolor, and 250 black-and-white vignettes within the text. Rattles, noisemakers, windmills, surprise boxes, animals, cars, dolls, tin soldiers, puppets, automata, marionettes, magic lanterns, kinetic, magnetic, or electric toys, etc. The author explores the inexhaustible richness of the world of toys in six chapters: toys for early childhood; horses, cars, and inexpensive toys; dolls, their furniture, and their accessories; military toys; mechanical toys; and toys and instruments for fun with physics. A lovely copy, with a clean and fresh interior, specially printed for General Gallimard (as noted on the back of the half-title page).