Jette-Bruxelles, L. Vandamme, 1906.
Large 4to with 237 pp., including 32 full-page illustrations, (10) pp., numerous illustrations in the text, a few leaves spotted. Preserved in publisher’s illustrated wrappers.
330 x 260 mm.
A precious edition of only 500 copies, illustrated with 32 full-page plates and 101 engravings in the text.
This is the first illustrated edition, as the first English edition published in 1898 did not include illustrations.
The first publication of La Guerre des Mondes in Pearson’s Magazine, in 1897, was illustrated by Warwick Goble. Wells was unhappy with the illustration, very disappointed with the artist’s depiction of the Martians. The first English edition to appear in book form in 1898 was not illustrated.
Alvim Corrêa (Rio de Janeiro 1876 – Brussels 1910), a Brazilian artist living in Europe, studied art with Edouard Detaille in Paris and then moved to Brussels. In 1903, he read Wells’ novel and was so overwhelmed by it that he immediately began illustrating the text.
He travelled to London in 1905 to submit his vision of La Guerre des Mondes’ to Wells. Wells was very enthusiastic, and gave him the go-ahead. It took Corrâ two years to complete the illustrations for the book. He died of tuberculosis a few years later. Of this exceptional work, Wells would say: “Alvim-Corrêa did more for my work with his brush than I with my pen “.
The present edition features the translation by Wells’s long-time friend Henry-Durand Davray. This is the first French translation of La Guerre des Mondes.
A masterpiece of illustration and a masterpiece of science fiction.
A precious copy preserved in the rare illustrated publisher’s wrappers of this highly sought-after work for the beauty of its illustrations.
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