The Ring of the Niblung — Wagner/Rackham, 2-Vol 1939

The Ring of the Niblung by Richard Wagner (1939, Garden City Publishing Co.) — a two-volume set of the complete Ring cycle in the Margaret Armour translation, illustrated throughout by Arthur Rackham. The Rhinegold & The Valkyrie and Siegfried & The Twilight of the Gods, in the original dust jackets.

QUICK FACTS

• Author: Richard Wagner (1813–1883)
• Translator: Margaret Armour
• Illustrator: Arthur Rackham (1867–1939)
• Publisher: Garden City Publishing Co., Inc., New York
• Year: c. 1939 (reprint edition)
• Format: Two hardcover volumes, gilt cloth, dust jackets
• Artwork: Color illustrations by Arthur Rackham
• Condition: Books VG; jackets VG- (full report below)

THE WORK

Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) is Wagner’s four-part cycle — Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung — composed between 1848 and 1874 and first performed complete at the Bayreuth Festival in 1876. This set pairs them into two volumes: the Prelude and First Day (The Rhinegold & The Valkyrie) and the Second and Third Days (Siegfried & The Twilight of the Gods). Following the cursed gold of the Rhine, the forging of the sword Nothung, the hero Siegfried, the Valkyrie Brünhilde, and the downfall of the gods, it remains the summit of operatic mythology.

THIS EDITION

Garden City Publishing Co. issued this two-volume set as one of its “De Luxe Editions” — a line of full-size, illustrated reprints sold at a fraction of the price of the originals, printed from first-edition plates. The text is Wagner’s cycle in the classic English translation by Margaret Armour, and the illustrations are the celebrated color plates of Arthur Rackham, first published by William Heinemann (London) and Doubleday, Page & Co. (New York) in 1910–1911. The boards carry the “De Luxe Editions” series advertising on the rear covers.

COVER ART & ILLUSTRATIONS

The two volumes are bound in tan cloth with gilt spine lettering and a circular embossed Nibelung emblem on the covers. Volume I presents “The Rhinegold & The Valkyrie,” Volume II “Siegfried & The Twilight of the Gods,” each stamped “With 24 illustrations in color by Arthur Rackham.” Every volume carries a color frontispiece and a full list of illustrations with captions drawn from the text — “The hot blood burns like fire!,” “The dwarfs quarrelling over the body of Fafner,” “Siegfried leaves Brünnhilde in search of adventure.” The Art Nouveau plates capture the dragon Fafner, Mime and the Wanderer, the gods of Valhalla, and the twilight of the gods in Rackham’s signature muted palette.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Arthur Rackham’s Ring illustrations are among the most collectible of his fantasy plates — this set reproduces the full 1910–1911 color plates.
• Complete two-volume Ring cycle in the classic Margaret Armour translation, in matching original dust jackets.
• First-edition plates printed by Garden City’s De Luxe Edition line — the affordable way to own the Rackham Ring.
• An ideal shelf companion to other Rackham classics for collectors of illustrated mythology and opera.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? The 1939 Garden City Publishing Co. “De Luxe Edition” reprint of Wagner’s Ring, translated by Margaret Armour with the Arthur Rackham color plates from the 1910–1911 first edition.

Is this a first edition? No — this is a reprint edition that reproduces the first-edition plates. The Rackham Ring was first published by Heinemann/Doubleday in 1910–1911.

Are the dust jackets included? Yes — both original jackets are present, protected in removable archival mylar.

FOR COLLECTORS

Rackham illustrated his Ring in two companion volumes over 1910–1911, and his dragon-and-gods plates set the visual standard for the cycle. This complete two-volume Garden City set offers the full suite of 48 color illustrations across both books at a collector-friendly price, with both original jackets intact.

Condition Report

Overall Grade: Books: Very Good (VG) / Very Good (VG); Jackets: Very Good- (VG-) / Very Good- (VG-)

Cover & Spine: The cloth-wrapped boards are clean and well-preserved, featuring minimal wear to the corners and spine ends. The gold gilt lettering and decorations remain bright and legible.

Dust Jacket: The dust jackets are present and protected in removable archival mylar. They show expected edge wear and mild age-toning consistent with their vintage, but remain structural and visually complete.

Text Block & Pages: The pages are clean and well-maintained. The edges exhibit light age-toning, appearing as a uniform light wood-color. The hinges are secure. Block upper edges of both books are dusted and have foxing; the outer edges also have foxing, albeit less than tops, and the Siegfried volume more than Rhinegold. All color Rackham plates are present and in excellent condition with no marks, tears, or discoloration.

Binding: The bindings are tight and the books remain square.

See accompanying images for full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

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