I have always been an avid reader; I find myself getting lost in stories more often than not. My childhood favorites were works of fantasy and legend, from myths to Arthuriana to Harry Potter. Most of all, I loved fairy tales, which is why I collect them. My collection spans the 18th-21st centuries and includes books, ephemera, art, and merchandise. One focus of the collection is fairy tales as stories by women, for women.
The objects I’ve chosen demonstrate the evolution of women tellers and their tales, beginning with the mother of the modern fairy tale, Madame D’Aulnoy. She and her fellow salonnières used their real life experiences to write stories, cleverly employing fantastical elements to disguise social commentary that could otherwise get them imprisoned, or worse. Also included is an 1825 collection by Elizabeth Frances Dagley that explores women’s work, as well as a 20th-century collection of retellings by Angela Carter now considered a groundbreaking work of feminist literature.
These objects together demonstrate the centuries-long, continuing tradition of women using fairy tales to break down barriers and illuminate their struggles and triumphs. They also show how fairy tales have been uniquely useful as a form of expression for women.
Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, baronne d’Aulnoy. Nouveaux Contes des fées par Madame D**. The Hague: Meindert Uytwerf, 1700.
Two volumes in one. 12mo. Contemporary sprinkled sheep, gilt paneled spine. Engraved frontispieces to each volume by Jan Van Vianen. 10 engraved illustrations at the head of each tale, woodcut devices to titles, woodcut and typographical ornaments. Minor expert repair to first frontispiece, title, and the binding. Ownership inscription to first title: “G. Morgan 1756.” A very good copy.
The scarce second edition of two volumes from Madame D’Aulnoy’s first collection of fairy tales. D’Aulnoy is considered the mother of the modern fairy tale (a term she created), and was a leader of les conteuses who published in Louis XIV’s France. Their stories were subversive; they tackled real issues experienced by women in their circle, such as abusive spouses and death in childbirth. The fantastical nature of the tales protected the authors from recrimination.
Elizabeth Frances Dagley. Fairy Favours, and Other Tales. London: Printed for William Cole, 1825.
First edition. 12mo. Original blue quarter cloth, printed paper label to spine, brown paper boards. Portrait frontispiece and engraved title page. Publisher’s advertisements tipped in. Minor wear to extremities, slight stain at foot of spine, front hinge splitting, some foxing. A very nice copy of a fragile book.
Like the French women writers before her, Elizabeth Dagley uses fairy tales to tackle women’s real-life experiences and struggles. In tales about needles and pins, she explores women’s labor, from household chores like mending socks to the bracing work of dressmaking for the wealthy and the pleasure of creating art. These stories provide a look at social attitudes towards women’s work and agency, and the threat of economic insecurity looms large.
Angela Carter. The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. London: Victor Gollancz, 1979.
First edition. Slim octavo, original black paper boards, fine original dust jacket. A fine copy.
In this groundbreaking, controversial collection, Beauty is turned into a Beast, Little Red’s grandmother is stoned to death, and, in the titular Bluebeard retelling, a young pianist falls for an aristocrat whose previous wives have mysteriously died. The pianist is eventually saved not by her brothers, but by her mother. Carter’s intent was to “extract the latent content from the traditional stories,” with a particular focus on the theme of oppressed women seeking liberation.
