Treasure Island – Stevenson, Heritage Press 1941

📖 Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (1941, The Heritage Press) — the definitive pirate adventure novel, brought to life with bold illustrations by Edward A. Wilson. This Heritage Press edition is quarter-bound in dark brown faux leather with a red spine panel and gilt lettering, with pictorial paper boards bearing an illustrated map of the island.

QUICK FACTS

• Author: Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894)
• Illustrator: Edward A. Wilson (1886–1970)
• Publisher: The Heritage Press, Avon, Connecticut
• Year: 1941 (special contents copyright Limited Editions Club)
• Format: Hardcover, quarter-bound faux leather, pictorial boards
• Pages: [not listed] | ISBN: None (pre-ISBN era)
• Condition: Very Good+ / Near Fine — full report below

THE STORY

Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island (1883) is the archetypal treasure-hunt narrative — young Jim Hawkins, the one-legged Long John Silver, and a buried fortune on a remote island. Its vivid characters and moral complexity have made it one of the most enduring works of adventure fiction. Stevenson conceived the story from a map he drew for his stepson, Lloyd Osbourne.

THIS EDITION

Heritage Press, the retail arm of the Limited Editions Club, produced quality illustrated editions for the general reader. This copy includes the original Sandglass newsletter insert (Number V1-R #38), with background on Stevenson and Wilson. The map endpapers show “The Island from the West” with locations including Spyglass, Mizzentop, and Haulbowline Head.

COVER ART AND ILLUSTRATIONS

The boards feature an illustrated map of Treasure Island: warm tan background, the island in teal green showing Spyglass Hill, Skeleton Island, and a red “X” marking the treasure, with a rainbow and compass rose. The spine is quarter-bound in dark brown faux leather with a red title panel and gilt lettering. Inside, Wilson’s black-and-white illustrations — dramatic maritime scenes and character studies — capture the novel’s atmosphere. Wilson, a Scottish-born illustrator who studied under Howard Pyle, was renowned for adventure illustration; Heritage Press later published The Book of Edward A. Wilson (1948) as a career retrospective.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Heritage Press editions represent quality bookmaking at accessible prices — fine materials and professional illustration
• Wilson’s illustrations for this title were among his most celebrated; he called Treasure Island the book he most wanted to illustrate
• Original Sandglass insert provides provenance and production history
• Both Scotsmen — a fitting author-illustrator pairing of two talents who loved ships and the sea

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? The 1941 Heritage Press edition, illustrated by Edward A. Wilson.

What condition is it in? Very Good+ to Near Fine — clean pages, bright illustrations, tight binding. Slipcase not present (book was issued with one). Full condition report below.

Is the Sandglass insert included? Yes — original Heritage Club Sandglass newsletter (Number V1-R #38).

FOR COLLECTORS

Heritage Press editions from the 1940s, particularly Wilson-illustrated titles, are increasingly collected. This copy’s intact Sandglass insert adds completeness. Wilson’s maritime work — informed by his Scottish heritage — gives this edition visual authenticity later reprints lack.

Condition Report

• Overall Grade: Very Good+ (VG+)/Near Fine (NF)
• Cover & Spine: Quarter-bound in textured dark brown faux leather with red title panel and gilt lettering. Pictorial paper boards with map illustration.
• Dust Jacket: N/A (Issued in slipcase; slipcase not present).
• Text Block & Pages: Clean, crisp, off-white/cream. Illustrations bright and well-preserved. Map endpapers intact.
• Binding: Straight, tight, structurally sound.

See accompanying images for full condition details.

Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

HFB-SEO-v1: 2026-07-16

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