Mrs. Gaskell [Elizabeth Gaskell]; Anne Thackeray Ritchie — Cranford

London, Macmillan and Co. Limited, 1898. Cloth. A charming edition of this popular collection of village sketches with illustrations by Hugh Thomson. With forty beautiful in-text illustrations in colour and sixty pen-and-ink sketches. First published in book form in 1853, this episodic work became extremely popular towards the end of the nineteenth century, and follows village life as inspired by the author's time growing up in Knutsford. Written by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, often referred to as Mrs Gaskell, was an English novelist, biographer, and short story writer. With a preface by Anne Isabella, Lady Ritchie, an English writer and the eldest daughter of William Makepeace Thackeray. Illustrated by Hugh Thomson, an Irish Illustrator best known for his illustrations of works by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. In the original green cloth binding. Externally, sound with light rubbing and minor bumping to the extremities. Fading to the spine and board edges with the odd small mark to the cloth. Small splits in the cloth to the head and tail of the spine. Front hinge tender. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are very bright with the odd small spot or handling mark. Contemporary ink inscription to the front endpaper. Good . Ill.: Hugh Thomson. Good .