Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

London: William Heinemann,, [1907]. A rare signed copy, with an additional small drawing by Rackham Limited edition, number 496 of 1,130 copies, signed by the illustrator together with a miniature drawing of the Mad Hatter. The majority of copies of this issue are unsigned, as Rackham was out of the country while it was in preparation. This was the first Rackham book with the plates distributed at the appropriate places throughout the text, rather than gathered at the end. Many illustrated editions swiftly entered the market after the copyright for Carroll's classic expired in 1907. Although the book was "so completely identified with the drawings by John Tenniel that it seemed to many critics almost blasphemous for anyone to attempt to prepare alternatives" (Hudson, pp. 70-2), Rackham's edition immediately lived up to expectations and is one of the few that has endured. Quarto. Frontispiece and 12 plates, all in colour and tipped to brown art paper, with tissue guards captioned in brown, as issued, uncoloured illustrations in the text all by Arthur Rackham. Original white cloth, spine and front cover lettered and with vignettes in gilt, illustrated endpapers, top edge gilt. Housed in a custom black morocco backed folding green cloth box. Spine a little toned, slight soiling to rear cover, browning to free endpapers (as usual): a near-fine copy. Latimore & Haskell, p. 29; Riall, p. 77. Derek Hudson, Arthur Rackham, His Life and Work, 1975.