Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Big Golden Book - Unbreakable Binding Edition

The second variant of the Alice in Wonderland Big Golden Book is what as known as the 'Unbreakable Binding' variant, due to the fact that that phrase is printed on the price sticker (on those copies that retain the sticker).

This is a second printing, or "B" printing. Unbreakable binding editions are about the same size as a standard edition, but the construction of the book makes it look like a very large Little Golden Book, with the hard cardboard covers that are trimmed even with the pages, and the gold foil spine, just like their Little cousins.

The end papers of these editions are wild, with lots of red and yellow flower-like things on a white background. The printing information is a little odd too, it is a single letter, just like a Little Golden Book, and it can be located in one of two areas. The first is on the last page near the gutter at bottom right, just like a Little Golden Book.

The second is just like the standard edition, on the third page, which reprints the endpapers of the standard edition, in the same location, to the left of the baby oysters.

I'm not exactly sure of the dates of this edition, but my guess is that it is much later than the standard edition. This "B" copy here has a Golden Press imprint, and I have a "C" copy that has a gift inscription dated 1964.

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