Kay Thompson’s Eloise at Christmastime — First UK Edition, 1959

THOMPSON, Kay; KNIGHT, Hilary (illustrator).
Eloise at Christmastime.
London: Max Reinhardt, 1959. First UK edition. Quarto. Illustrated throughout by Hilary Knight. Original publisher’s boards in the original illustrated dustwrapper.

Description

A very attractive first UK edition of Eloise at Christmastime, one of the best-loved seasonal titles in Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight’s celebrated Eloise series.

Published in London by Max Reinhardt in 1959, the book returns Eloise to the familiar world of the Plaza Hotel at Christmas, where Thompson’s exuberant prose and Hilary Knight’s instantly recognisable illustrations capture the excitement, disorder and theatricality of the festive season through Eloise’s characteristically irrepressible point of view.

The title-page identifies Kay Thompson’s Eloise at Christmastime with “Drawings by Hilary Knight”, while the copyright page confirms the British edition with “First published in Great Britain 1959.” Knight’s illustrations appear throughout, combining his fluid black line with restrained red and pink colour accents to particularly effective seasonal effect.

The original dustwrapper is one of the most immediately recognisable designs in the series, with a rich red ground, candy-cane lettering and a central oval portrait of Eloise holding her dog Weenie. The rear panel repeats the portrait within a decorative gilt frame and retains the publisher’s original printed price label.

Eloise at Christmastime is notable within the series for combining the established Plaza Hotel setting with a specifically seasonal narrative, and has remained one of the most enduringly popular Eloise books. Early British editions retaining their original dustwrappers are particularly desirable to collectors of mid-century illustrated children’s books.

A pleasing example of the first British edition, retaining its original illustrated dustwrapper and presenting extremely well.

Condition

Very good in a very good dustwrapper. The boards are bright and clean. Internally very well preserved, with occasional slight foxing to the pages. The original dustwrapper is slightly rubbed, with light wear to the extremities and upper edge, but remains bright, complete and very presentable.

Bibliographical Details

Author: Kay Thompson
Illustrator: Hilary Knight
Title: Eloise at Christmastime
Publisher: Max Reinhardt
Place of Publication: London
Date: 1959
Edition: First UK edition
Format: Quarto
Illustration: Illustrated throughout by Hilary Knight
Binding: Original publisher’s boards
Dustwrapper: Original illustrated dustwrapper
Condition: Very good in very good dustwrapper

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