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"A Christmas Carol" (1915)

 

Illustrated by Arthur Rackham

 

 

"A Christmas Carol" (1915) is an illustrated version of Dickens' classic Victorian morality tale co-published by J B Lippincott Co (Philadelphia)

and William Heinemann (London) in 1915.

 

The text follows the traditional format - first published in 1843 - wherein the tale is divided into five staves that is the literal styling used by Dickens

to describe the chapters (or verses).

 

The commission extended to Rackham for illustrating this publication was substituted by Heinemann for the intended "Comus".

 

Being the first Dickens tale to be illustrated by Rackham, his treatment of the ghostly and supernatural material seems restrained. Hamilton (1990)

makes the following comment in "Arthur Rackham: A Life with Illustration":

 

It is as if, in his choice of subject, he voluntarily passed by the opportunity to terrify his reader

with too many ghosts and images of retribution, and chose instead to calm them with pictures

of sliding on the ice in smoky London, dancing with Mrs Fezziwig and children bouncing about

on Christmas Eve. Perhaps caught by the mood of national anxiety and tragedy of wartime,

Rackham voluntarily softened his interpretation of Dickens' story in a way he might not have

done eight or ten years earlier - or indeed twenty years later with Poe's "Tales".

 

Regardless of the reasons behind his stylistic approach to Dickens' text, Rackham's suite of 12 colour and more monotone illustrations

accompanying this classic tale of redemption from Dickens capture the period and tone of the text to wonderful effect.

 

 

Cover for ''A Christmas Carol'' (1915), written by Charles Dickens and illustrated by Arthur Rackham

On the left, we show a rare copy of "A Christmas Carol" - illustrated by Rackham and co-published by

William Heinemann (London) and J B Lippincott Co (Philadelphia) in 1915. All copes of this First Edition

were printed in Great Britain.

 

This example retains the original decoratively gilt-stamped lilac cloth cover.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To the right, we show the decorative

Title Page designed by Rackham.

 

 Title Page for ''A Christmas Carol'' (1915), written by Charles Dickens and illustrated by Arthur Rackham

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Our Greeting Cards and Fine Art Posters showing Arthur Rackham's artwork

for the First Edition of "A Christmas Carol" (1915)

 

 

Greeting Card sample showing an Arthur Rackham illustration from ''A Christmas Carol'' (1915), written by Charles Dickens

 

 

For connoisseurs of Rackham's work, we have prepared sets of 12 Greeting Cards (approx. 7x5" on premium acid-free card stock)

displaying each of his colour images for "A Christmas Carol" and on the left, we show an example of how these Greeting Cards

appear.

 

 

 

 

Code: AR CC CS(12)
 Price: US$60.00

 

    

When presented on Greeting Cards, these images are prepared as tipped-on plates - in 'hommage' to the hand-crafted approach

typical of prestige illustrated publications produced in the early decades of the 20th Century. Each card is hand-finished and the

images are presented on Ivory card stock with an accompanying envelope. The rear of each card carries information about

Arthur Rackham, this wonderful suite and the profiled illustration - we have left the interior of the cards blank so that you may write

your own personal message.

 

Should you wish to order a reproduction print of one or more of these images, we have provided some options below. Each of our

Fine Art Posters is prepared with archival quality papers and inks - and also accompanied by information about Arthur Rackham,

this suite and the profiled illustration.

 

To purchase, simply click on the appropriate "Add to Cart" button and you will be taken through to our Shopping Cart secured through

PayPal. Multiple purchases will be consolidated by that feature and shipping and handling costs to any destination in the world are

accommodated by our flat-rate fee of US$20 for every US$200 worth of purchases.

 

Of course, should you wish to discuss some customised options, we welcome your contact on any matter through

ThePeople@SpiritoftheAges.com.

 

In the meantime, enjoy perusing these wonderful images from Arthur Rackham.

Fine Art Poster sample showing an Arthur Rackham illustration from ''A Christmas Carol'' (1915), written by Charles Dickens

 

An example of one of our Fine Art Posters

in a superb 11x18" format

      

 

The colour illustrations by Arthur Rackham for

the First Edition of "A Christmas Carol" (1915)

 

 
Arthur Rackham - 'Bob Cratchit went down a slide on Cornihill, at the end of a lane of boys, twenty times, in honour of its being Christmas Eve' from ''A Christmas Carol'' (1915), written by Charles Dickens Arthur Rackham - 'Nobody under the bed; nobody in the closet; nobody in his dressing-gown, which was hanging up in a suspicious attitude against the wall' from ''A Christmas Carol'' (1915), written by Charles Dickens Arthur Rackham - '''How now?'' said Scrooge, caustic and cold as ever. ''What do you want with me?''' from ''A Christmas Carol'' (1915), written by Charles Dickens Arthur Rackham - 'The air was filled with phantoms, wandering hither and thither in restless haste and moaning as they went' from ''A Christmas Carol'' (1915), written by Charles Dickens  

Stave One

Marley's Ghost

Bob Cratchit went down a slide

on Cornhill, at the end of a lane

of boys, twenty times, in honour

of its being Christmas Eve.

 

 

Stave One

Marley's Ghost

Nobody under the bed; nobody in the

the closet; nobody in his dressing-gown,

which was hanging up in a suspicious

attitude against the wall.

 

Stave One

Marley's Ghost

"How now?" said Scrooge, caustic

and cold as ever. "What do you

want with me?"

(Frontispiece)

 

 

Stave One

Marley's Ghost

The air was filled with phantoms,

wandering hither and thither in

restless haste and moaning as

they went.

 

 

  

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR CC 1 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

 

Fine Art Poster (11x18'')

Code: AR CC 2 (11x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

 

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR CC 3 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

 

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR CC 4 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

 

  
Arthur Rackham - 'Then Old Fezziwig stood out to dance with Mrs Fezziwig' from ''A Christmas Carol'' (1915), written by Charles Dickens Arthur Rackham - 'A flushed and boisterous group' from ''A Christmas Carol'' (1915), written by Charles Dickens Arthur Rackham - 'Laden with Christmas toys and presents' from ''A Christmas Carol'' (1915), written by Charles Dickens

Arthur Rackham - 'The way he went after that plump sister in the lace tucker!' from ''A Christmas Carol'' (1915), written by Charles Dickens

  

Stave Two

The First of the Three Spirits

Then Old Fezziwig stood out to

dance with Mrs Fezziwig.

 

 

Stave Two

The First of the Three Spirits

A flushed and boisterous group.

Stave Two

The First of the Three Spirits

Laden with Christmas toys and

presents.

Stave Three

The Second of the Three Spirits

The way he went after that plump

sister in the lace tucker!

  

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR CC 5 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

 

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR CC 6 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

 

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR CC 7 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

 

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR CC 8 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

 

  
Arthur Rackham - '''Who are you?'' said one. ''Who are you?'' returned the other. ''Well!'' said the first. ''Old Scratch had got his own at last, hey?''' from ''A Christmas Carol'' (1915), written by Charles Dickens Arthur Rackham - '''What do you call this?'' said Joe. ''Bed-curtains!'' ''Ah!'' returned the woman, laughing ... ''Bed-curtains!'' ''You don't meant to say you took 'em down, rings and all, with him lying there?'' said Joe. ''Yes, I do,'' replied the wooman. ''Why not?''' from ''A Christmas Carol'' (1915), written by Charles Dickens Arthur Rackham - 'It's I, your uncle Scrooge. I have come to dinner. Will you let me in, Fred?' from ''A Christmas Carol'' (1915), written by Charles Dickens Arthur Rackham - '''Now, I'll tell you what, my friend,'' said Scrooge. ''I am not going to stand this sort of thing any longer.''' from ''A Christmas Carol'' (1915), written by Charles Dickens  

Stave Four

The Last of the Spirits

"Who are you?" said one.

"Who are you?" returned the other.

"Well!" said the first. "Old Scratch

has got his own at last, hey?"

 

 

Stave Four

The Last of the Spirits

"What do you call this?" said Joe.

"Bed-curtains!"

"Ah!" returned the woman,

laughing ... "Bed-curtains!"

"You don't mean to say you took 'em

down, rings and all, with him lying

there?" said Joe.

"Yes, I do," replied the woman.

"Why not?"

 

 

Stave Five

The End of It

"It's I, your uncle Scrooge. I have come

to dinner. Will you let me in, Fred?"

Stave Five

The End of It

"Now, I'll tell you what, my friend,"

said Scrooge. "I am not going to

stand this sort of thing any longer."

  

Fine Art Poster (11x18'')

Code: AR CC 9 (11x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

 

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR CC 10 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

 

Fine Art Poster (11x18'')

Code: AR CC 11 (11x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

 

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR CC 12 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

 

  
                       

 

 

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