A timeless nursery classic transformed by Rackham’s imagination, where innocence meets a touch of the uncanny.

Author: Mother Goose. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
Title: Mother Goose. The Old Nursery Rhymes.
Publisher: London, William Heinemann, 1913.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 8 x 6 inches.
Pages: xi, 159 pages.
Binding: Very good later three-quarter leather binding, with green morocco spine and corners over cloth boards; spine with raised band and decorated in an Arts & Crafts–inspired floral gilt design; light rubbing and gentle wear consistent with age; boards lightly sunned; hinges sound; an attractive and well-executed binding; top edge gilt; housed in a removable protective mylar cover.
Content: Very good; bright, tight, and clean overall; some light foxing and toning as shown; original publisher’s cloth binding bound in at the rear; a pleasing and well-preserved copy.
Illustrations: Illustrated by Arthur Rackham with 13 full-page color plates, including frontispiece with captioned tissue guards; numerous black-and-white illustrations throughout; decorative silhouettes on the title page and within the text; all plates present, with colors bright and fresh.

Estimate: (USD 500–600).

The book: First published in 1913, Mother Goose. The Old Nursery Rhymes stands among the most celebrated illustrated nursery books of the Golden Age. In this edition, the familiar verses are reimagined through the singular vision of Arthur Rackham, whose illustrations balance whimsy and shadow, transforming simple rhymes into scenes of poetic imagination. This copy, enhanced by a refined Arts & Crafts–style leather binding and retaining elements of the original publisher’s cloth, offers both aesthetic presence and collector appeal. A classic work that continues to resonate for its artistry as much as for its enduring literary charm.

The illustrator: Arthur Rackham (1867–1939) was one of the foremost illustrators of the Golden Age of British illustration. His distinctive style—marked by expressive line work, atmospheric color, and a subtle interplay between light and darkness—brought a new depth to illustrated books. His interpretation of Mother Goose remains one of his most iconic achievements, capturing both the innocence and the underlying strangeness of traditional nursery rhymes.