Bidspirit auction | Sullivan, Edmund J. The Kaiser's

Sullivan, Edmund J. The Kaiser's Garland. William Heinemann, 1915. First Edition. - A first edition copy of The Kaiser's Garland by Edmund J. Sullivan, published in London by William Heinemann in 1915. This quarto-sized volume is bound in the publisher's tan cloth boards. The front cover features a printed decorative design consisting of the title centered within a circular wreath of thorns and roses, with a ribbon and bow at the base. Below the wreath is a printed monogram consisting of the letters E, J, and S entwined within a circle, followed by the text Cartoons by and the author's name Edmund J. Sullivan in a stylized script. The title page repeats the title and author's name in a serif typeface above the publisher's windmill device, which contains the initials W and H. The verso of the title page bears the single-line publication statement London: William Heinemann, 1915. The work is a collection of 44 black-and-white political cartoons by Sullivan, serving as anti-German propaganda during World War I. The illustrations are printed on the recto of each leaf with typeset captions below, including titles such as The Crucifixion of Belgium, Crocodile Tears, and Imperialismus. An original bookseller's ticket from Hochschild, Kohn and Co. is laid in, featuring the store's refund policy printed in black ink. The book is in poor to fair condition. The spine is heavily damaged with the original cloth covering almost entirely perished, leaving the underlying binding structure and text block exposed (photo 3). The front and back cloth boards show significant staining, surface soiling, and edge wear (photos 1 and 2). Internally, the pages exhibit light to moderate foxing and toning consistent with age, particularly visible at the edges of the plates (photos 4, 7, and 11). There is a visible tear at the inner hinge of the front endpaper (photo 7). The illustrations themselves remain largely clear and well-preserved despite the overall deterioration of the binding.