Hans Andersen's Story Book

Scarce first edition copy of "HANS ANDERSEN'S STORY BOOK" with a Memoir of Anderson by Mary Howitt. 1849 1st American edition (following the 1st English translation in the U.K. in 1846); C.S. Francis & Co.; New York. With a frontispiece engraving of Andersen and 2 full-page illustrated plates (all with tissue guards), an engraved title page and other illustrations. There is an 8-page publisher's catalog at the back of the book. There are 27 stories in all, as follows: A Picture-book without Pictures; My Boots; Scenes on the Danube; Pegasus and the Post-Horses; The Emperor's New Clothes; The Swineherd; The Real Princess (better known as "The Princess and the Pea"); The Shoes of Fortune; The Fir Tree; The Snow Queen; The Leap-Frog; The Elder-Bush; The Bell; The Old House; The Drop of Water; The Happy Family; The Story of a Mother; The False Collar; The Shadow; The Old Street Lamp; The Dream of Little Tuk; The Naughty Boy; The Two Neighboring Families; The Darning Needle; The Little Match-Girl; The Red Shoes; To the Young Readers.

Condition:
Some very light soiling to the covers and spine; there are a few tiny cloth days at the top and bottom edges of the spine; small cloth tears at 3 of the corner tips. Tight binding with no cracks and no loose pages. Nice interior - mostly clean with only some sparse foxing and an occasional stain; no writing found. Overall the book is in very good condition.