"Treasure Island", by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Louis Rhead, published by Books Inc., New York, undated [1947]; copyright 1915 by Harper; 1943 by Louis Rhead.

Louis John Rhead (1857-1926) was an English-born American artist, illustrator, and author who was born in Etruria, Staffordshire, England. At the age of twenty-four, Louis Rhead was offered a position as Art Director for the U.S. publishing firm of D. Appleton in New York City. He accepted and emigrated to the U.S. in the fall of 1883. In 1884, he married Catherine Bogart Yates, thus becoming an American citizen. In the early 1890s, Rhead became a prominent poster artist and was heavily influenced by the work of Swiss artist Eugene Grasset. During the poster craze of the early 1890s, Rhead's poster art appeared regularly in "Harper's Bazaar", "Harper's Magazine", "St.Nicolas", "Century Magazine", "Ladies Home Journal" and "Scribner's Magazine". In 1895, he won a Gold Medal for Best American Poster Design at the first International Poster Show in Boston.

By the late 1890s, the popularity of poster art declined, and Rhead turned his skills to book illustration. Between 1902 and his death in 1926, Rhead illustrated numerous children's books published by Harpers and others. Most notable among these were editions of: "Robin Hood", "The Swiss Family Robinson", "Robinson Crusoe", "The Deerslayer", "Treasure Island", "Kidnapped" and "Heidi".

Books Inc. was established in 1938 by Lewis Mulford Adams, who was earlier president of the printer J.J. Little & Ives Company (1916-1931), established the Kingsport (Tennessee) Press (1923) and Colonial Press, Inc. (1931).

US: Priority (c.2-4 days) ------------ $8.50
Canada: 1st Class (c.2-6 weeks) ----- $22.50
World: 1st Class (c.2-8 weeks) ------ $27.50

Hard boards, 5.1/2” x 8.1/2”; the front endpaper and frontispiece have an insect edge damage [see photos]; small stain on the title page, 289 pages; c.100 text decorations, illustrations and full-page plates by Louis Rhead, yellowed pages, very good condition.