- WITH AN EARLY TINTED LITHOGRAPH OF A CHRISTMAS TREE -

Anon. [PARDON (George Frederick, English journalist and writer, 1824-1884)].

The Christmas tree: a book of instruction and amusement for all young people. With numerous illustrations.

(London): James Blackwood, 1856. Edition unstated. Three volumes. 192pp. Illustrated with tinted lithographic frontispiece, 8 further tissue-protected full-page engraved plates hors texte, and numerous woodcuts - full-page or in the text, and as chapter headers or incorporated into large initials. Blue cloth with gilt decoration and lettering to front cover, repeated in blind on the reverse, and further gilt decoration and lettering to spine. Ex-libris 'Edward Boutflower', with contemporary presentation inscription to him on front fly leaf. Size: 12mo (18.5cm x 14.2cm).

Very Good to Good condition. Some light marks and rubbing to binding. Rear board rather scuffed. Corners a trifle rubbed. Hinges and binding solid. Gilt bright. A couple of small marks/stains to foot of pages 12 and 13. Some erased doodling to page 189. Some scattered foxing to pages 145 to 155. Please ask if you require a more detailed condition report, or view gallery images closely.

This is the first year of publication of quirky annual for children that ran from 1856 to 1861. The tinted lithographic frontispiece is presumably one of the earliest illustrations of a Christmas tree. Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' , which had an enduring effect on Christmas traditions, had been published 12 years earlier.

The work is anonymous, although Oxford list the author as George Frederick Pardon (1824-1884). Quite scarce - with only a handful of copies listed on Copac. 

Provenance: presumably Edward Boutflower (born 1848), a solicitor from Cheshire.