KIPLING, Rudyard. The Jungle Book; The Second Jungle Book. London: Macmillan and Co., 1894 and 1895.
First editions, first impressions, of both of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Books, forming the complete original pairing in which the Mowgli stories first appeared in book form. The Jungle Book introduced readers to Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera, Shere Khan and Kaa, alongside such enduring tales as “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” and “Toomai of the Elephants”; The Second Jungle Book followed in 1895, extending the Mowgli cycle with five further stories.
The Jungle Book is illustrated by J. Lockwood Kipling, W. H. Drake and Paul Frenzeny, while The Second Jungle Book is illustrated by J. Lockwood Kipling.
Both volumes remain in the publisher’s original deep blue cloth, elaborately blocked and lettered in gilt, with gilt borders to the boards, dark green coated endpapers and all edges gilt. The Jungle Book carries the celebrated elephants and riders design to the upper board, with further animal decoration to the spine; The Second Jungle Book bears the striking coiled cobra design to its upper board and additional gilt decoration to the spine.
The gilt remains notably strong and the bindings retain good depth of colour. The upper board of The Jungle Book shows some light surface marking and signs of handling, commensurate with age; please refer to the photographs for a full visual record.
