FAIRY GARLAND

London: Cassell, 1928. Near fine.. Signed limited large paper edition, one of 1000 numbered copies signed by Dulac, along with a letter by Dulac expressing strong opinions about critics, opera, and the English composer Isidore de Lara. Old French fairy tales by Perrault, D'Aulnoy and Count Hamilton, lushly illustrated by Dulac. Laid in is an interesting one-page letter entirely in Dulac's hand, offering a window into his personality. It reads, in part: "I wonder sometimes what the World [word crossed out] would do without the help of the men 'who know what the public wants.'! Their acuteness is proof against failure of any sort, their concern for the intellectual & esthetic welfare of others is paramount, their hardiness can only be compared to that of the methusalesque tortoise, their only weakness is that they do not always know what the public does not want [...] What the public wants is the opportunity for the largest possible number to hear the largest possible number of operas." An enjoyable and unusual Dulac letter, signed by him in full. 11'' x 8.75''. Original quarter vellum, blue cloth boards. Illustrated by Dulac with 12 full-page color plates. [2], 251, [1] pages. Signed by Dulac on limitation page. 7.75'' x 6.25'' autograph letter signed by Dulack laid in. Small snag at base of spine, lightest toning to vellum, and slight bit of foxing to text. Plates vivid.