DUNSANY, Lord (Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany, 1878-1957). The King of Elfland's Daughter. London and New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1924. 4to. [xiv], 301, [7, blank] pp. Frontispiece in photogravure by S. H. Sime. Publisher's orange cloth with vellum backstrip, brown gilt morocco spine label, marbled endleaves, top edge gilt, and ribbon bookmark; original illustrated dust jacket. FIRST EDITION, #26/250 WITH FRONTISPIECE SIGNED BY SIME, AND PREFACE SIGNED BY DUNSANY. 

Despite obscurity upon its initial release, The King of Elfland's Daughter now stands as Dunsany's certain masterpiece, regarded as one of the most influential and acclaimed works in the genre of high fantasy, and cementing him "as one of the greatest writers of this century," according to Arthur C. Clarke. This limited edition, predating the trade edition by one month, features a signed frontispiece from his regular collaborator, S. H. Sime. Dunsany has signed the Preface. In 1977, two members of the band Steeleye Span adapted the novel into a concept album of the same name, featuring Christopher Lee as the narrator and the King of Elfland. 

Jacket lightly rubbed, soiled, with substantial repairs and upper margin trimmed. Cracks to endpapers at upper margin. Despite the jacket, this is a bright, fine copy, better than usually seen.