Description
Here is a fun cross-collectible book for Twain and Denslow collectors: A Tramp Abroad, an omnibus of Twain adventures in Europe. This is an early UK edition published by Chatto & Windus in Picadilly, London (1881). With six illustrations by Wizard of Oz illustrator W W Denslow in chapter 47. The frontispiece,“TITIAN’S MOSES” is a fun poke at fine art, with baby Moses holding a spoon and plate with a frog and crying. According to TwainQuotes.com, “It is a thing which I manufactured by pasting a popular comic picture into the middle of a celebrated Biblical one.” Interestingly, this comic image pops up again in one of the Roycroft books from the period that Denslow was guiding the illuminators: http://roycroftbooks.org/book_job_modiano.htm. So, he definitely was aware of this image, but his artistic involvement in Titian’s Moses is unclear. (Original engraving itself is by Pannemaker.) Denslow’s illustrations in Chapter 47 are signed with his initials W W D (way before his seahorse monogram.) Also many B&W images by other artists–314 illustrations and 561 pages total, including a Chatto & Windus book catalog bound in the rear. Most of the illustrations were dropped in later editions, circa 1899.
The book is in near very good condition, with light wear to covers, some sun fading to spine, and slight cock to book. Rear hinge slightly cracked, a few spine cracks but binding is still holding well. Former owner’s 1881 pencil name and another owner’s bookplate on endpapers. Pages are generally nice with occasional light spotting. A nice early copy of Twain/Clemens’ work.
