Little Women and Good Wives

ALCOTT, Louisa May. Little Women and Good Wives. London: Blackie and Sons (ca. 1915). 2 volumes both 12mo, 288pp + [2] advts; 224pp + [ii] 16 advts. Blue cloth pictorially stamped in gilt, white, and orange; red cloth pictorially stamped in gilt, white, and green. 4 color plates in each volume. Spine ends and corners of both volumes lightly rubbed; top, bottom, and fore-edges of sheets foxed with some internal foxing – though mostly in margins; endpapers aged; school presentation label dated 1915 affixed to front fixed endpaper of each volume; else tight, bright copies with the beautiful stamped bindings particularly so.

Ca. 1915 editions with bindings designed by Ethel Larcombe. Alcott’s Little Women was originally published in two volumes, when first issued and many publishers chose to continue to do that, titling the first volume Little Women and the second volume Good Wives. The beloved story of Joe, Beth, Meg, and Amy March are captured in this wonderfully designed two volume set. Ethel Larcombe was known for her floral book designs and worked with Talwin Morris, the Art Director of Blackie and Sons crafting beautiful editions for nearly a decade.