McLoughlin Bros [Brothers], 1893. Hardcover. This is a rare and unusual copy of “Beauty and the Beast” published by McLoughlin Brothers, New York in 1893. McLoughlin Bros., Inc. was a New York publishing firm that pioneered the systematic use of color printing technologies in children's books, particularly between 1858 and 1920. McLoughlin publications are particularly well known for their Their illustrations were hand-stenciled during the firm's early years and printed using chromolithographs and photo engravings later on.

The book is shaped like a theater and the cover looks like a stage. The book opens in the center of the cover and the interior pages shows the audience in black and white in theatre boxes on either side of the stage. The center shows the story in play form in color. There are 7 coloured illustrations incorporating text representing scenes on stage, the first six divided vertically into flaps, or halves. As the flaps are turned over the scene being shown changes until arriving at the final scene of the story. The vividly printed covers are bound in paper with red cloth spines on both sides ad the book opens in the middle. Hinges are worn and there is a crease along the middle of the last page and back cover. Minor chipping along bottom of front cover. Interior pages are quite bright and the book is in very good condition. It doesn't appear that this fragile book had much handling by children. Measures 9.75 x 11.5 inches. Unpaginated. Very Good.

Item #36886

Price: $180.00