Favorite Books - The Phantom Rickshaw

Another of my favorite books is a slim little volume of Rudyard Kipling's The Phantom Rickshaw published by Henry Altemus in 1897 or 1898. This came from the library of George Barr McCutcheon who wrote dozens of novels at the start of the 20th century. Most notable of those was Brewster's Millions, of which several plays and movies have been adapted over the years.

The book itself is from Henry Altemus' Petit Trianon series and each cover has a white floral pattern on the right and then stylized floral patterns in gold relief on the left. McCutcheon apparently paid for a special folio made of red cloth covered boards and a Moroccan leather spine with the name and author in gold leaf. The book is held very tightly in a similar matching clam shell wrap. The books is in excellent condition aside from the first page of the first signature has begun to separate from the joint.

Overall, this book is stunning and the beauty, and uniqueness, of the folio makes it stand well apart from the typical folios you typically come across. Also, having a book so well loved and cared for from a prominent author of the early 1900s add to the allure. The fact that it is a classic Victorian ghost story makes it even more special.