(Children's Literature, Poetry, Illustrated Books) NESBIT, Wilbur D. THE JOLLY KID BOOK. Illustrations by Marie Honre Meyers.
[Joliet]: [The P. F. Volland Company], circa 1926. Oblong 4to - 7-11/16" x 10-5/8". Original blue cloth-backed color pictorial paper-covered boards housed in the original publisher's color pictorial paper-covered two-part box, with the cover design repeated on the box lid. [12] pp., including front and back paste-down endpapers. Printed on thick green-tinted board stock, each leaf features a large full-color illustration by Marie Honre Meyers framed within a border of white flowers, accompanied by verse by Wilbur D. Nesbit below. Plain box base retains a small original retail price sticker indicating distribution by Joseph Horne Co. for $1.50. Issued as part of the Volland Jolly Kid Book Series.
The physical condition of the item is graded FINE for the book and VERY GOOD + for the original box (utilizing the standard antiquarian book grading scale for works on paper). The book remains remarkably crisp and unworn, virtually as new with flawless internal leaves. The original publisher's box retains both top and bottom components completely intact, showing only mild areas of edge and corner wear to the lid.
P. F. Volland Board Book Production and Artistry
Published circa 1926 during the hallmark era of the P. F. Volland Company's juvenile publishing program, The Jolly Kid Book highlights the firm's dedication to high-quality color printing and durable book structures designed for young children. Printed on thick, heavy green-tinted board stock, the work pairs lighthearted verses by American humorist Wilbur D. Nesbit with vivid, floral-bordered illustrations by Marie Honre Meyers. Volland's presentation of heavy board books packaged within matching two-part publisher boxes offered enhanced physical protection, transforming traditional picture books into deluxe gift items for department store distribution.
Institutional Scarcity and Preservation
Because early twentieth-century children's board books were intended for active handling by young readers, original publisher boxes rarely survived intact, making complete boxed copies exceptionally scarce. A current global sweep of the OCLC/WorldCat database locates only 4 copies preserved in institutional special collections worldwide.
A REMARKABLY PRESERVED AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE BOXED VOLLAND EDITION, REPRESENTING A CRITICAL ACQUISITION FOR INSTITUTIONAL SPECIAL COLLECTIONS OR EXTRAORDINARY PRIVATE COLLECTIONS DEVOTED TO THE HISTORY OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY CHILDREN'S LITERATURE, P. F. VOLLAND COMPANY PUBLICATIONS, OR AMERICAN PICTURE BOOK ILLUSTRATION.
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