Captains Courageous – Rudyard Kipling

Captains Courageous, A Story of the Grand Banks. By Rudyard Kipling. London: Macmillan Company, 1897. First Edition. Original cover, blue boards, gilt edges around, custom clamshell case, from library of Stanley Hill Kelly (ex libris bookplate at front endpaper). Illustrations by I. W. Taber. Duodecimo (12mo), 246 pages, with half-title, frontispiece, title-page, list of illustrations, text through 246 with verso of last blank, followed by 2 pages of publisher’s advertisements. The story first appeared in serialized form in the Pearson’s Magazine from December 1896 to April 1897 and a portion was published in five copies by McClure to secure copyright in 1896. (Martindell 61; Livingston 136.) The royal blue cloth covers are remarkably brilliant and colorful, as is the gilt stamped illustration and lettering. Only a faint touch of discoloration at left center front board, some very gentle rubbing at head, tail, and corners, and two small scuffs at left center rear board. Minimal foxing at preliminaries, mainly around frontispiece. Otherwise, clean internally, and sound hinges. A lovely copy. Near Fine.