W.S. Gilbert / H.R. Brock (ill) - Old British Ballads: The Bab Ballads & A Book of Old Ballads - 1870-1934

Old British Ballads:

1) "The Bab Ballads, much sound and little sense" by W.S. Gilbert - George Routledge, London - ca 1875 edition - 15cmx13cm - condition: good, original publisher's binding, some wear and rubbing to edges, all illustrations present

Gilbert wrote these comedic ballads for Fun Magazine in the 1860s. They would soon become jumping-off point for the many librettos that were set to music by his partner and composer of twenty years, Arthur Sullivan. Together they had a virtual lock on comic opera for the last quarter of the nineteenth century and their plays i

2 "A Book of Old Ballads" selected by Beverley Nichols and ill. by H.R. Brock - 1934 first UK edition - 25cmx18cm - condition: good, rubbing and wear to boards, bookplate to ffep, all Brock plates present

The first edition of this delightful work, compiled by Beverley Nichols, who created this volume to celebrate the true essence of the British spirit, collecting various old and popular ballads in a celebration of British folklore.Some of the ballads included are 'The Knight and the Shepherd's Daughter,' 'Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne,' 'Sir Lancelot du Lake,' 'Thomas the Rhymer,' alongside numerous othersRichly illustrated with sixteen colour plates and further vignette illustrations by H. M. Brock, noted artist for illustrating works by Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as contributing to the Punch magazine.