Rab and His Friends
Detroit: Thorndike, Nourse, 1884/1862, 1st American, originally published in Edinburgh; dark green silk boards with gilt and black titles, ruling, and border designs, dark brown endpapers, gilt all around, frontis plus six etched plates, as issued; 8,25x10.75; 34 pp. Picture book hardback.
A story of an independent and faithful dog, that revolves around Ailie, a woman of about 60 who had a breast removed without anesthetic and got up, dressed herself and curtsied to the doctor. Her eventual death caused the dogs to lose hope. The dog pictured is not Rab, but a "yellow Newfoundland" bloodhound cross of 19 who looks kind of like a mastiff. Sketches for the plates were made by four of the author's friends. This was published much later in the US.
CONDITION: Fair, Christmas 1884 gift inscription, the book looks quite nice and is straight, clean, and tight, but a 3" flap of the spine cloth was lifted (glued back for protection on the edge only), corners are quite bumped and rubbed through and silk frayed, and endpaper has two margin tears, closed with archival tape. Item #21422
Price: $24.00