Louis Wain’s Baby’s picture book.

London : James Clarke & Co., 1903. First edition. Small quarto (240 x 195 mm), publisher’s pictorial papered boards (lightly rubbed), with advertisements for Cadbury’s Cocoa and Pear’s Soap to lower board; title page with mild off-setting, original owner’s name Bertha Irene Ricardo neatly inscribed in upper margin of first page of text, pp. [60], with b/w illustrations throughout, including numerous full-page plates; last leaf and rear pastedown very lightly foxed, otherwise internally excellent; a near fine copy.

Provenance: Bertha Irene Ricardo (1896-1992), daughter of Bertha Maud Lyall and Ernest Ricardo, and granddaughter of Westernport pioneers William Lyall (1821-1888) and Annabella (Brown) Lyall (1826-1916) of Harewood House, Koo-Wee-Rup, southeast of Melbourne.