The Land of Enchantment Showcases Peak Rackham Fantasy

With his atmospheric style renowned through recent triumphs like 1906’s Peter Pan In Kensington Gardens, Arthur Rackham selected some of his best early works for this 1907 children’s anthology entitled The Land of Enchantment. Originally appearing in Cassell’s Little Folks Magazine between 1896-1902, the compiled fairy stories and fantasies contain over 35 skillful Rackham visions spotlighting his gift for embedding psychological depth into magical landscapes.

For collectors, two color-coded cloth versions exist: olive green boards with gold stamping, and cocoa brown bindings with brown designs. Both editions feature Rackham’s illustrations dramatically presented on vibrant yellow-hued backgrounds transporting readers into discovery and wonder. As these visions demonstrate foundational Rackham talent predating peak fame, this collected volume provides intriguing capsule into capabilities honed amidst unseen Victorian magazine pages before unveiling career-defining masterpieces.

Formats:

• Olive green cloth binding with gold decorative stamping, yellow illustrated backgrounds (114 pages)
• Cocoa brown cloth binding with brown decorative stamping, brown lettering (114 pages) Size: 8 1⁄2 x 10 3⁄4 inches

Both editions are dated 1907, but the green cloth is the better binding. 

Text: The Land of Enchantment Illustrated by Arthur Rackham, A.R.W.S.
Cassell and Company, Limited
London, Paris, New York, Toronto, and Melbourne
1907
All Rights Reserved

Illustrations: 13 half-tone plates with yellow backgrounds, 24 yellow-backed line drawings by Arthur Rackham

Notes: Stories and images originally appeared in Little Folks magazine between 1896-1902

Publisher: Cassell & Co. (London et al.)

Publication Date: 1907

PREFATORY NOTE.

The stories and illustrations in this book originally appeared in “Little Folks” between 1896 and 1902, during which period most of the numbers of the magazine contained some of my drawings.

Many of the drawings so appearing have already been republished in book form included, often, in volumes containing illustrations by other hands.

The publishers have felt that some of those drawings that have not hitherto been republished are worthy of a longer life and a better presentation than was possible in the magazine, and they have collected these in the present book with the stories they were designed to illustrate.

I have been glad to assist in the selection of the drawings included in this volume.

ARTHUR RACKHAM. Hampstead, May, 1907.

While Arthur Rackham provided the fantasy imagery, the fairy stories themselves across The Land of Enchantment came from a variety of notable children’s authors publishing in the late Victorian era. The five tales include:

“The Maker of Ghosts and the Maker of Shadows” – A.E. Bonser “The Mines of Experience” – A.E. Bonser
“The Stories of Ben the Sailorman” – A.E. Bonser “Harry and Herodotus” – B. Sidney Woolf “Stories from the Edda” – G.S. Buchheim

The third story proved the most beloved at the time thanks to Rackham’s visuals synergizing with humorist Bonser’s tall tale pastiches recalling the Arabian Nights. Critics applauded Rackham’s skill adapting his signature atmospheric style across adventurous genres beyond typical wistful fairies. They note his comic panache revealing nuanced range through farcical elements.

While Bonser and Buchheim faded into obscurity, Woolf represents an early writing credit for novelist Basil Sidney Woolf, who found later acclaim co-founding the Hogarth Press with Leonard Woolf and Virginia Woolf. By repackaging these forgotten figures, Rackham’s enduring fame helps preserve snapshots of a fervent children’s writing scene otherwise erased by time.