Autograph letter, signed to Mr. Thompson, August 15, 1899.
Windsor, VT: 1899. (2)ff., on rectos only. In this revealing two-page letter, Maxfield Parrish bemoans last-minute controversies and deadlines related to The Bodley Head's 1899 publication of Kenneth Grahame's The Golden Age. Primarily his complaints stem from the poor quality of the reproductions of his illustrations—Parrish provided nineteen full-page images and twelve tailpieces for the edition—as well as the apparent apathy of John Lane, the head of The Bodley Head, toward their improvement. Parrish includes two proposed versions of the book's cover, one with wide margins and one with narrow. He states a desire to come up with a new idea, but it seems the latter design won out, appearing in blue with a gilt die. He closes the letter with a postscript questioning the categorization of The Golden Age as a children's book at all.
A fine letter, with unique insight into Parrish's early years as an artist and illustrator. Folded in fourths. Item #29802
Price: $3,500.00