Father Aldur: A Water Story
New York: Robert Carter and Brothers, circa 1887.
Hardcover. “River, River, I wonder where you come from?” In this scientific fantasy, a curious boy gets his answer when he inadvertently summons a River-spirit and embarks on an adventure through the history of rivers, from their source, in springs, to the oceans they lose themselves in, with whitewater and fog and storm and snow in between. Factually watertight yet filled with whimsy, this “water story” is the work of pioneering science popularizer Agnes Giberne (1845-1939), a founding member of the British Astronomical Association and a prolific writer of historical and Christian fiction for adolescent girls and many very popular introductory books about science, including astronomy, meteorology, geology, botany, physics, and more. This river journey is illustrated in a tissue-guarded frontispiece and 15 duotone plates, printed in brown and tinted in blue, adding wonderful dimension to scenes and a fantastically otherworldly aspect to the fairy tale water figures, in this imaginative circa 1887 hydrology primer for all ages.
7 5/8" X 5 1/4". vi, 376pp. Presents nicely in protective archival jacket. Bound in bright sea green cloth over boards, with title and floral decorations in black to upper board and title and oceanic vignette of fish, coral, shells, and seaweed in gilt to spine. Mild wear to binding, with rubbing and gentle bumping to corners, small tears to head and tail of spine, and very faint stain to bottom edge of rear board. Front hinge tender, with some gatherings uneven and binding strings visible at gutter of many pages throughout. Binding remains sound. With the exception of pencil marks to endpapers and an occasional smudge, pages are clean and unmarked. Illustrated in 16 duotone plates. Very good. Item #16512
Price: $140.00