Collections of an Only Child: Seventy Years a Bibliophile, the Library of Justin G. Schiller

(London: William Heinemann, 1897). Limited deluxe edition (one of only 50 copies or less). Comprising 26 woodcuts, each hand-colored and signed by William Nicholson; mounted to card as issued. Plates loose as issued and housed in publisher's rare vellum-covered board pictorial portfolio, stamped in black, yellow, red, and green, ties perished, soiling and wear to boards and flaps; near-contemporary ownership inscription on interior front panel ("bought at Durell's 13.iii.22"), initialed "E.S.L." at top of same; scattered soiling to card mounts; scattered light wear along card edges and corners; small bump at center right edge of first two plates, some top corners with small wear and rubbing. Woodcuts measuring 9 3/4 x 7 3/4 in. (248 x 197 mm) on 17 x 14 in. (432 x 356 mm) cards. Campbell 25A

A handsome and rare deluxe edition, in the uncommon vellum portfolio, of William Nicholson's alphabet, featuring 26 woodcuts, each hand-colored and signed by him.

Nicholson's bibliographer Colin Campbell notes that the size of this edition was not initially announced by the publisher, William Heinemann, with their advertisements stating that a only few copies were available. In a letter to English art critic Haldane Macfall, dated December 20, 1897, Heinemann indicated that they guaranteed that only fifty of these hand-colored sets would be printed. In a later 1956 letter, the Chairman of Heinemann, A.S. Frere, stated that according to their own records only 30 were completed, with 10 for Heinemann, 18 for New York publisher Russell, and two for the book trade.

Notably, the "Executioner" and "Topers" designs used to illustrate the letters "E" and "T" in this deluxe edition were suppressed in the Popular and Library editions, as they were deemed inappropriate for children. They were replaced by "Earl" and "Trumpeter".