Cinderella & The Sleeping Beauty LE

I just saw an announcement for a new LE on social media: https://www.foliosociety.com/row/cinderella-the-sleeping-beauty.html

Cinderella and The Sleeping Beauty, a two volume edition as told by C.S. Evans and illustrated by Arthur Rackam. A facsimile of a 1920 edition apparently.

Limited to 750 copies (which seems to be the new standard), and priced as follows:

UK: 225 GBP
US: 345 USD
CA: 445 CAD
AU: 495 AUD
ROW: 245 GBP

>1 Fierylunar: Thanks for the info. This would be normally one of the books I instantly buy, but I will have to think a bit about this as I have my eyes on another book at the moment.

Is the 1920 edition a rare item ? Or noteworthy like The Door ? Not sure the” deluxe edition” mentionned on FS website means something.

I would not expect to be difficult- albeit maybe expensive-to find a first edition, or a rebind of one, due to the high popularity at the time

Edit : Abe has several 1919 Cinderella deluxe first editions listed around $1800-2500 depending of the paper or signed by rackham. Limited to 850 copies. So, hmm, expensive. A FS facsimile is welcome then. But alas not on the top of the buy list 💵 ...

I just saw on the site that it costs 445 CAD for Canada!

?Wow. £225 for TWO Rackham facsimiles? If Folio have lived up to their usual standards that is a very good deal. I'll be buying next time my budget allows.

A must buy for me....am always excited about Fairy Tales/Rackham.

>5 gmacaree:
>6 Neil77:

One caveat: Neither Cinderella nor Sleeping Beauty are amongst Arthur Rackham's finest work in book illustration. FWIW.

>7 dlphcoracl:

True. However, both these works are renowned for Rackham's usage of silhouette cuts in illustration work.

Wikipedia says:

Cinderella by Charles Perrault, ed. Charles S. Evans (1 colour plate, 60 silhouettes, 1919)
The Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, ed. Charles S. Evans (1 colour plate, 65 silhouettes, 1920)

Well. that was a low-key launch. And a ho-hum reception in this quarter. After Owen I think I'm done.

This looks like a decent job by Folio, but the subject matter is of no interest to me so I'll pass.

>4 RRCBS: edited first post accordingly. My finger must've slipped, and I have no clue of exchange rates for CAD.

I'm not too fond of this book either, both in subject matter and stylistically. I can't bring myself to part with 300€ (including shipping) for two volumes containing 120 pages in total. It'll have its target audience though, and Rackham seems to be quite popular. It'll be interesting to see how it fares. Low-ish limitation and low-ish price might surprise us yet.

There are several easily available editions of these books, including those in the Everyman's Library Children's Classics Series and the ones by Calla. They certainly won't be quite as stylish as those by FS, but then they cost less than the shipping fee for these on its own.

A bit of a puzzle, these - I have the Calla edition which is great for reading, and the originals are not particularly rare or expensive, at least here in the UK. Note that what Abebooks has listed are what is available immediately, nevermind past auctions or sellers that never listed. Were Folio to do Siegfried or the Ring, then I would be interested.

I had a strong feeling they might release something ahead of the Owen but, oh dear, what a disappointment.

>15 cwl: "Were Folio to do Siegfried or the Ring, then I would be interested." Yes, likewise.

Cinderella and the Sleeping beauty have been added to the Complete List of FS Books here, and the Illustrated List of FS Limited Editions here.

If they'd been printed by letterpress I might have been interested.

>19 boldface: I agree. The only advantage of buying right now is the 10% discount code from the Folio magazine, as it works for this LE as well.

>20 venkysuniverse:

That's good to know, thanks.

Why is the code not working for me? Do I need to call in or buy a book and it will be activated for next order?

>22 Comatoes: Check out the steps in the "10% discount offer" thread. You need to apply it just prior to the payment and not at the start of the checkout.

>18 wcarter: Cinderella and the Sleeping beauty have been added to the Complete List of FS Books

I received the eight-page brochure this morning. I've scanned it ready for you to upload to the Wiki.

The Cinderella LE brochure has been uploaded to the Limited Editions section of the FSD wiki here.

>25 wcarter:

Thank you!

I just read it and would like to ask if anybody knows what 'art parchment' is supposed to be? Most likely not actual parchment but some kind of paper or plastic product?

I just realised that the Calla edition features the Dulac illustrations. My previous comment still stands.

>26 SF-72:
"Art" in these situations usually means "artificial", as in Art Silk. Artificial parchment is used by Greeting card manufacturers and involves a chemical process. Vegetable parchment is similar, and has been used often by Folio, including IIRC the original 1001 Nights back in the 50s.

>26 SF-72: Art parchment is paper that mimics the look and feel of parchment. It's also about one-hundredth the cost of real parchment.

>15 cwl: >27 cwl: My Calla Editions have the Rackham illustrations for both of the Evans books and are also facsimiles of the 1920 edition. But there is also a different Calla edition of Sleeping Beauty that has multiple tales by Arthur Quiller-Couch featuring the Dulac illustrations. (So, you were right both times ;)

>28 Jayked:
>29 nonehead:

Thank you both. That's about what I expected. I must say that at this price tag it would be nice to have something more than rough-looking cloth and a parchment lookalike, but then this fits the new direction they've taken. I do have some of their books with real parchment and it's a fascinating material.

>31 SF-72: this fits the new direction they've taken.

I hear what you say but if this really is their new direction they'll be leaving me behind. I expect more from a Folio LE. I don't even like the illustrations, apart from the tipped-in one, which looks like a "proper" Rackham. Everything about this production says "cheap" to me. I wouldn't even consider it as a "fine" edition at a fine edition price.

This is lovely! Pricey, but lovely and I personally do not see anything "cheap" about it. Easton Press has been publishing such facsimiles for years, and they sell well -- there's a demand for them for a reason. Although, I can definitely understand why such editions are not for everyone. Also, EP just released (announced in August) the Arthur Rackham "Mother Goose" with 14 color images (176 pages). To be honest, I think the FS binding is far nicer, although the EP edition is bound in leather and less expensive. Were I wealthy, I would purchase them all, but alas...

https://www.eastonpress.com/prod/264/3405/MOTHER-GOOSE--THE-OLD-NURSERY-RHYMES

>33 astropi:
Interesting. The Mother Goose is significantly cheaper, can be bought on installment (in the USA at least), has more pages, and as you say, is leather bound (although EP leather is not high quality in my experience).
I guess the solander box and two volumes, and the extraordinarily difficult process for non-North Americans to buy from EP, count towards the FS edition.
As an Australian, I have found it easier (and cheaper) to buy most of my EP editions on the secondary market a year or so after their initial release.

EP have very nice editions every now and then, but they really make it hard - and sometimes outright impossible - for anyone outside the US to actually buy one. In the past you could at least still do so by email, but lately it's only by phone or with some books not at all. (I finally got the Beowulf thanks to a friend in the US.) I really don't understand that attitude. Now FS are also moving in a direction where buying from them from outside the UK is becoming increasingly unappealing.

>36 EclecticIndulgence: I don't care for EP books, but I don't find >33 astropi:'s posting out of line. Clearly not everyone is enamored with the FS release (or doesn't find good value in it), and there has been talk of other publishers that showcase these Rackham illustrations, including Calla Editions, which are the versions I've decided to buy.

ETA: There is clearly overlapping interest in FS, EP, fine presses, and other publishers. I don't find this board too busy or cluttered with non-FS topics, and frankly am more likely to give up on a thread because it has devolved into sniping or political disagreements. Just my two cents.

>38 EclecticIndulgence:
The same day that >33 astropi: posted his message here about the EP Mother Goose, he posted a similar (and complimentary) message in the EP forum about the Folio Sleeping Beauty/Cinderella LE. I, for one, appreciate knowing about quality editions whoever publish them. Many of us collect and admire both Folio and EP.

>38 EclecticIndulgence: I understand you feel that way, but that hasn't been my impression.

>41 EclecticIndulgence:
When comparing editions from both FS and EP it is appropriate to post the comparison in the FSD and the EP forum.
If >33 astropi: was only promoting EP books, it would be inappropriate on this forum.
Like >39 jroger1:, I too like to hear about other interesting quality editions. My personal opinion is that FS is far superior to EP, as the latter often slaps a cheap leather cover on an existing book by another publisher. The EP Deluxe limited editions can be quite good though.
Indulge your eclecticism!

>31 SF-72: " I do have some of their books with real parchment and it's a fascinating material." I'd be interested in hearing which Folio books you have which are genuine parchment.

>43 HuxleyTheCat: "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" published in 2000 is bound in "vegetable parchment" which obviously is not actual parchment but probably is similar to the art parchment used in the newly released LEs. IMHO, the feel and looks of this on East is lovely.

>43 HuxleyTheCat:

I hope I've used the right term here since I'm translating into English, which is a foreign language to me. That being said: To my knowledge the limited editions of Alice in Wonderland or The Wind in the Willows, as well as several others, are quarter-bound with actual parchment / vellum, not the 'art' variety. From what I've found in dictionaries or wikipedia, vellum is a kind of parchment and both were translated the same in the dictionary I used, so I thought I was using the right term with 'parchment'. I don't remember them mentioning art parchment or anything of the sort, but just the term vellum in that context. Suffice it to say, at the price they asked I hope that's correct. If so: I have those books and find the material interesting since it has a very warm colour and what I would call a kind of translucency, if that's the right term. I like that colour in paper, too, and as F.Trier says, East of the Sun looks very pretty with vegetable parchment. My point with regard to this latest Rackham limited edition is that I find the price a bit steep for what they offer: Books that are easily available in good quality from far cheaper publishers, and then the binding is made with pretty common materials. What does look very nice is the solander box, though.

To put in my 5 cents, I don't have a problem with a quick mention that there's also a new Rackham facsimile by another publisher, and I myself mentioned two other publishers for this set although not Easton Press, which seem to be a sore spot for some. Comparisons especially can only be made if you're allowed to mention more than one publisher in one thread.

>45 SF-72:
Strictly speaking vellum refers to stretched calfskin, while parchment is more general -- sheep, goat, calf …. However, vellum is often loosely applied to be synonymous with parchment.
IIRC Folio's justification for going vegetable in the early days was to spare the little lambs, an odd argument given that they had already made their way through the food chain decorated with mint sauce.

Thanks for the tip about the Calla editions. I love those stories but there's no way I can pay FS LE prices for them!

>47 Jayked: Thank you for the call out on the definitions of vellum and parchment. I'm always getting them confused.

>47 Jayked:

Thank you for that explanation.

Does anybody know if the limited editions like Alice in Wonderland or Wind in the Willows were 'genuine' vellum then, or if FS used vegetable / art vellum there, too?

>50 SF-72: The books just say vellum. My FS books made with artificial parchment all use some sort of modifier such as "vegetable".

>51 kdweber:

Thank you. That should mean real vellum then. Everything else would have been something of a shock considering the quality and price of these editions.

As far as I am aware, the vellum spines for the WITW series and the parchment Magna Carta are the only items which are 'genuine'. Everything else, from King Henry's Map, to the Getty Apocalypse have used substitute materials, so I am quite surprised at the view that the Cinderella/Sleeping Beauty vols are symptomatic of some cheapening trend. Look at the price of the items which use calf, sheep or goat derived 'paper' and compare with the usual LEs for the last several years, and it should be no surprise at all that in order to produce a reasonable price for this slim set, that the usual materials have been used, rather than doubling the price by using the premium product.

53: I'm also not entirely certain why people feel that dead animal skin is necessarily better/more attractive than other material? Easton Press uses full leather for almost all of their books, and to be honest, I feel it does get a bit old. If you are going to use leather, then half-leather with beautiful paper/marbling/etc in my mind is more beautiful than full leather.

>55 MobyRichard:

I find leather more water resistant, with buckram a close second. Leather also ages better than cloth or paper. Marbled paper can be quite nice but it's easier to bump, crush, tear, stain, etc.

>53 HuxleyTheCat: The 2012 Leaves from a Psalter LE also uses genuine vellum.

>56 kronnevik: Ah yes, that one passed me by, a mere snip at £1250 for seven 21.5 × 14.3 cm sheets.

55: I have seen leather that is literally falling apart, but of course it depends on many factors. That said, I'm genuinely curious why you would say leather ages "better" than cloth or paper?

Received the set yesterday.

Its a beautiful production. The solander, paper quality, end papers look marvelous. Usually, we get to see colored illustrations by Rackham. The set has one coloured illustration in each book, a few duotone silhouettes and the rest monochrome silhouettes. Dollar worth spent. Got #76.

>59 Neil77:

I agree. I’m pleased to have them. I got my copy last week – No 75. As for money well spent, I also ordered six titles from Folio’s back-catalogue using the KMAG8 voucher which discounted the entire order value by 10%, reducing the Rackham to just over £200.

>61 EclecticIndulgence: I tried it last week, where it also was working for ROW, but I didn't order the book in the end. Perhaps they noticed their mistake as the voucher says only for books released before the recent release.

What is the UK shipping rate for this LE to a UK address?

>63 UK_History_Fan: What is the UK shipping rate for this LE to a UK address?

£13.50

>15 cwl:, > 17

'Were Folio to do Siegfried or the Ring, then I would be interested.'

There was a Folio volume of Legends of the Ring, if I remember correctly, but I can't find a Calla edition, at least as far as my googling takes me.

What are you two talking about? :-)

>65 Cat_of_Ulthar:

Rackham illustrated Wagner's Ring Cycle, too, and Easton Press have published this, but it's very expensive (845$). FS haven't so far.

>28 Jayked:
>29 nonehead:
Artificial parchment is certainly not 'real' parchment, that much is true.

'Real' parchment, however, is not chemical-free. And it's naturalness is questionable.

It has to be stripped off the animal and soaked in water (a chemical - H2O) for a start.

Then it has to be soaked in 'dehairing liquor' (another chemical or mixture of chemicals) involving lime or fermented vegetable matter (I think I recall a TV programme about soaking the skins in urine but I could be wrong).

It is no more or less 'natural' than any of the weird things that we humans do to the creatures or the world around us.

We do what it comes 'naturally' to us to do, according to our God-given? natures.

Leather's nice but please acknowledge the fact that it involves killing creatures which, for all we know, have interesting and fulfilling lives, by their own inscrutable standards .

(Put it this way, if they won control of the planet, do you want to explain yourself to them? ('Dream of a Thousand Cats'))

>66 SF-72:

Ooh, now, how about Solti's Decca Ring cycle with Rackham's illustrations produced to Folio standards. Mmmmm.

Any buyers out there?

If not, thanks for the idea :-)

>65 Cat_of_Ulthar:

P. S. to my previous post: Dover have published the colour illustrations of Rackham's ring:

"This edition reproduces, in full color, all 64 watercolor illustrations from Siegfried & The Twilight of the Gods (1911) and The Rhinegold & The Valkyrie (1912). The original English and American editions also contained black-and-white vignettes and tailpieces, a selection of which appear here: the original text, a dated English translation of the libretto, has been replaced by comprehensive descriptive captions and an introduction by James Spero."

>67 Cat_of_Ulthar: Interesting, particularly as I will be spending much of tomorrow on a Traditional Manuscript Book Skills course at the Weald and Downland Living Museum, just across the border in Sussex. There, apparently, I will learn "how ancient manuscript books were created, from the preparation and treatment of vellum skins for the pages, to the curing and cutting of quills, making ink, and laying of gold leaf." I hope I'm not required to do anything vaguely practical, or it could all get very messy.

>69 SF-72:
Apologies for the tardy reply but thank you for the pointer, I will look into that.

>70 HuxleyTheCat:
I hope it went well and wasn't too messy (and didn't involve urine).

:-)

>71 Cat_of_Ulthar: It went very well, and was absolutely fascinating; I even managed to not make a mess. No urine involved, as it is indeed lime (of the mineral rather than fruit variety) which was/is used to treat the skins - now if we'd been waulking Harris Tweed it would have been another matter altogether. The cost of skins is predictably high (e.g. c.£250 for a small skin from a still-born calf), and supply is restricted as there are only a couple of suppliers within the UK and Eire. The UK-based supplier would apparently have disappeared had the intended move to cease producing Acts of Parliament on parchment gone ahead. Writing alphabets with a Goose feather quill is particularly therapeutic and to be recommended for anyone suffering from anxiety who can't bring themselves to join the adult colouring book craze.

I didn't rush into buying this LE and waited a few weeks. Never-the-less I received a relatively low number - 135.
I have just finished reading the two volumes.
The shadow drawings are absolutely delightful, full of detail and interest. The stories have been retold, and lengthened with added interesting detail.
The books themselves are beautifully bound and works of art as facsimiles of century old editions that are now very expensive on the secondary market (US$2500+ each).
Each volume has a coloured portrait of the heroine tipped in.
I am very pleased with my purchase and commend them to others who love beautiful books.

Low stock 64 remaining.

Only 30+ copies remaining now. I'm quite torn about this one. I wasn't originally a fan of it, but now that it's so close to being sold out, I am afraid I miss it and then I'd be at the mercy of predatory resellers if I do decide I'd like to own it. Hopefully I have another few days to decide.

>75 _WishIReadMore:

It's a really beautiful edition, I'm glad I've got it.

I was impressed with the amount of detail in the silhouettes and am pleased to own it.

I totally agree with the above 2 comments, both volumes are beautiful and I’m glad I purchased this, as I know I would regret it if I hadn’t.

I'm another who agrees with everyone above. I adore Arthur Rackham, but like most others, I fell in love with his nuanced watercolors, and this is quite a different style, so initially, I was quite hesitant. However, the silhouettes are striking and brilliantly executed. Both books in the edition are gorgeous. I am very pleased to own this and would definitely have regretted missing it.

A pox on you Enablers!

For anyone like me trying vainly to keep your book spending on a budget, Everyman's Library also has very nice little editions of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty with the same text and illustrations.

>81 distantriver:

I had those before I got the FS editions. They're certainly better than nothing, but really not up to par with the quality of the FS editions.

>82 SF-72: Oh for sure! But helped me make peace with FOMO haha

>83 distantriver:

Whatever helps. ;-)

Low stock 13 left.

7.

tick ... tock ...

Sold out.

I was tempted mainly through FOMO but couldn’t really get up enough enthusiasm to purchase & now that it’s gone I find I have no remorse at all so I know I didn’t truly want them after all.

>88 antinous_in_london:
I feel exactly the same.