An Old Sweetheart of Mine – Illus. Howard Chandler Christy 1902 | 1st Edition

$25.00

Author: James Whitcomb Riley, Howard Chandler Christy Illustrator
Publisher: The Bobbs-Merrill Co., Indianapolis 1902
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Good
Size: 8vo
Attributes: First Edition, Illustrated

First edition, first printing thus. Binding tight, spine ends chipped, corners bumped & rubbed, internally clean & bright. With mahy full-page illustrations by Howard Chandler Christy and Art Nouveau decorations by Virginia Keep. Good.

An Old Sweetheart of Mine (1902) is a nostalgic, illustrated collection of sentimental poetry by James Whitcomb Riley, often called the “Hoosier Poet” for his lyrical celebrations of rural Americana. This edition is elevated by the lush, romantic illustrations of Howard Chandler Christy, a famed artist known for his “Christy Girl” depictions and later WWII propaganda posters.

Riley’s verses—written in dialect and brimming with wistful charm—reminisce about youthful love, lost innocence, and the passage of time, with recurring motifs like blooming orchards and fading letters. Christy’s Art Nouveau-influenced illustrations amplify the mood, pairing delicate ink-and-watercolor scenes of courting couples and idyllic landscapes with Riley’s gentle humor and pathos.

A period piece of early 20th-century sentimentalism, this book is a treasure for collectors of illustrated poetry or Christy’s Golden Age art.

For fans of: Eugene Field’s children’s verse, Norman Rockwell’s Americana, or The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám (with Elihu Vedder’s art).