Fireside Saints - Douglas Jerrold 1904 (Illus. Charles Robinson) | 1st Edition

Fireside Saints – Douglas Jerrold 1904 (Illus. Charles Robinson) | 1st Edition

$40.00

Author: Douglas Jerrold; Charles Robinson illustrator
Publisher: Blackie & Son Ltd, London 1904
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Good
Size: 16mo
Attributes: First Edition, Illustrated

First edition, first printing. Red cloth with gilt decorations. Top edge gilt, board rubbed w/ partial loss of gilt decorations/text on spine. Spine ends rubbed & sunned. Binding tight, previous owner’s name on ffep. Internally clean w/ numerous delightful Art Nouveau illustrations by Charles Robinson. A Good+ or better copy.

Out of stock

Description

Fireside Saints (1904) by Douglas Jerrold, illustrated by Charles Robinson, is a whimsical Edwardian gem that blends satirical wit with cozy charm, offering tongue-in-cheek “hagiographies” of fictional saints who embody domestic virtues. Jerrold’s mock-reverent prose (think Aesop’s Fables meets The Pickwick Papers) celebrates figures like Saint Crumpet (patron of teatime) and Saint Poker (defender of hearthside games), poking fun at Victorian moralizing while reveling in the quirky sanctity of everyday life.

Charles Robinson’s pen-and-ink illustrations—laced with Art Nouveau flourishes and playful grotesquery—elevate the text into a visual delight. His mischievous saints, rendered with spindly limbs and twinkling eyes, amplify the book’s gentle irreverence, making it a darling of bibliophiles and fans of golden-age illustration.

A rare crossover between children’s literature and adult satire, perfect for collectors of Edwardian humor or Robinson’s iconic work (Alice in Wonderland, The Secret Garden).