Robinson Crusoe; A small archive of original woodcuts and manuscript materials pertaining to Craig's long-term work on an illustrated edition of Defoe's classic novel
(1927-1967). 21 original woodcuts mounted in uniform archival window mattes; 9pp typescript on 5-1/4 x 8-1/4 inch leaves, stapled into hand-decorated wrappers; 21 handwritten title captions loosely inserted into hand-decorated wrappers. Fine. Item #207711
A unique collection that includes Craig's corrected typescript "Robinson Crusoe," inscribed in 1967 and with hand-painted wrappers by his son Edward Craig: "EGC's first typescript describing how he first discovered 'Robinson Crusoe' - the corrections are in his own hand (except for the year 1894) This is unpublished. . ."; the complete sequence of Craig's titles, handwritten by Teddy Craig on India paper and in similarly hand-painted wrappers, inscribed: "Some of these proofs are very rare. The titles are EGC's (written by me) - 19 signed proofs and 2 unsigned proofs of the blocks engraved by E. Gordon Craig to illustrate Robinson Crusoe -- mostly made about 1939 - from the Edward Craig collection."
Edward Gordon Craig's original signed woodcut illustrations executed between 1927 and 1939. Craig worked and reworked this series over many years and the completed edition was not realized until the posthumous edition of 1979. The present series comprises the following:
1. Cave Exterior, 1939 3 x 2-3/16 in. State 3, No. 1 of only 14 proofs
2. Robinson Crusoe in Hammock, 1939 3 x 1-14 in. Final state, No. A
3. Cave and Washing, 1939 3-1/4 x 1-1/4 in. Final state, No. 1
4. Cave R.C. Bible 1938 3 x 1-3/4 in. Final state, No. A
5. The Three Guns, 1938 3-1/8 x 1-3/4 in. Final state, No. 1
6. Footprints in the Sand, 1927 2-5/8 x 2 in. Final state, No. A
7. Boat and Clouds, 1939 3 x 1-1/4 in. Final state, No. A
8. Cave Interior (another view), 1939 3-1/2 x 2-1/2 in. State 1, No. 5
9. Boat Sailing, 1938 3-1/4 x 3 in. State 5, No. 8
10. Cave Interior, 1939 4 x 3-1/4 in. Final state A
11. The Cave, 1938 3-1/8 x 3 in. State 2, No. 2 only 14 proofs
12. Candelabra, 1939 1-1/8 x 1-3/4 in. Final state, No. A
13. Wild Weather, 1939 2-1/4 x 2-1/2 in. Final state. No. A
14. R.C. Head Spaniel Head, no date 1-1/4 x 1-5/8 in. State 2, No. 6 24 proofs
15. Sniffing the Soup, 1939 2-1/2 x 3-1/4 in. Final state 1
16. The Cave Inside, 1938 1-1/4 x 1-5/8 in.numbered 2-12-9
17. Mid Stream, 1937 3 x 1-1/8 in. Final state, No. A
18. Cave Exterior, 1939 2 x 1-1/2 in. State 2, No. 15
19. "To Think That It Was All My Own," 1939 5-1/2 x 1-3/4 in. State 4, No. 5
20. R.C. Mask "One Eye," no date 1-5/8 x 2-1/2 in. State 1, No. 5 14 proofs
21. Stars, Waves, 2 images printed on one sheet, 2-1.4 x 3 in. State 3, No. 2.
Price: $4,500.00