The Evergreen Tales (3 Vols in Slipcase): Ali Baba / The Ugly Duckling / Sleeping Beauty - Limited Editions Club 1949, Illustrated by Edward Ardizzone, Everett Gee Jackson & Sylvain Sauvage, Signed & Inscribed (Copy 508 of 2500)
by Traditional; Hans Christian Andersen; Charles Perrault; Jean Hersholt
1949 Limited Editions Club (New York), three 8 x 12 1/8 inches tall cloth hardcover volumes in the publisher's original red paper-covered slipcase with a printed paper title label to the spine, decorations to front covers, lettering to spines, all beautifully illustrated in color, featuring colophon signatures from acclaimed mid-century illustrators and a personalized presentation inscription by series editor Jean Hersholt. This matched set is copy number 508 of a limited edition of 2,500 copies.
The individual volumes included in this lot are: The Tale of Ali Baba & the Forty Thieves (51 pp., featuring color illustrated endpapers, hand-signed on the limitations page by illustrator Edward Ardizzone); The Ugly Duckling (45 pp., hand-signed on the limitations page by illustrator Everett Gee Jackson, and further featuring a unique presentation inscription to Zelda Gazal Wortman hand-signed by translator and series editor Jean Hersholt, near fine); and The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood (43 pp., numbered but unsigned on the limitations page as issued, with one internal page exhibiting a couple of tiny marginal stains, otherwise a near fine copy).
An overall very good + to near fine set of books housed in a structurally sound, very good original red slipcase showing less surface soiling than typical but exhibiting noticeable wear concentrated around the opening where the volumes slide in, including moderate edgewear, very slight half-inch spots at both the top and bottom edge where the red paper covering is worn away, and a minor structural split at the bottom opening edge.
Conceived and executed under the visionary direction of George Macy, The Evergreen Tales (or, Tales for the Ageless) stands as a benchmark mid-century effort to marry classic folklore and mythology with the apex of twentieth-century book arts and graphic illustration. This specific three-volume grouping from the early 1949 series release features an elite lineup of legendary international illustrators. The volume of Ali Baba is elevated by the whimsical, distinctly British ink-and-watercolor styling of the incomparable Edward Ardizzone. Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling features the bold, expressive lines and rich color palettes of the renowned American modernist Everett Gee Jackson. Completing the trio is Charles Perrault's timeless Sleeping Beauty, spectacularly decorated by the masterful French artist Sylvain Sauvage; astute collectors will note that this volume was officially issued unsigned by the publisher due to Sauvage's untimely passing in early 1948 before the edition's sheets could be finalized.
This set rounds out a remarkable window into a unified, single-owner mid-century provenance, carrying the consistent "Copy 508" subscriber limitation and an intimate presentation link from Hollywood icon Jean Hersholt to the Wortman family. A scarce, beautifully documented assembly that stands as a premier acquisition for collectors of fine press illustration, classic fairy tales, and the legacy of the Limited Editions Club.