The Arabian Nights Entertainments — Burton/Szyk 1955

📖 The Arabian Nights Entertainments by Sir Richard Burton (1955, The Heritage Press) — the definitive unexpurgated English translation of One Thousand and One Nights, illustrated with color miniature paintings by Arthur Szyk. This two-volume set in original slipcase with Heritage Club Sandglass insert.

QUICK FACTS

• Translator: Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821–1890); notes by Henry Torrens, Edward Lane, and John Payne
• Illustrator: Arthur Szyk (1894–1951)
• Publisher: The Heritage Press, New York (George Macy Companies, Inc.)
• Year: 1955 (Copyright 1955 by The George Macy Companies, Inc.)
• Format: Two hardcover volumes in original slipcase
• Pages: ~1,400 total | ISBN: None (pre-ISBN era)
• Condition: Books: Near Fine / Slipcase: Good+ — full report below

THE STORY

The Arabian Nights — also known as One Thousand and One Nights — is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. The frame story follows Shahrazad, who tells tales to Sultan Shahryar to delay her execution night after night. Burton’s translation, first published in ten volumes between 1885 and 1888, remains the most celebrated English rendering: complete, unexpurgated, and enriched with his extensive scholarly notes on Eastern customs, language, and culture.

THIS EDITION

This Heritage Press edition, published in 1955, presents Burton’s complete text in two volumes — the format George Macy designed for the companion Limited Editions Club release. The set includes supplementary notes from three earlier translators: Henry Torrens (whose 1838 translation from Calcutta was the first complete English version), Edward Lane (whose 1839 annotated edition became the standard reference), and John Payne (whose 1882 translation preceded Burton’s by three years). The original Heritage Club Sandglass newsletter (Number X-XI: 20) is included.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ARTHUR SZYK

Arthur Szyk (pronounced “Shick”) was a Polish-Jewish artist celebrated as one of the 20th century’s greatest illuminators. His miniature paintings for this edition — rendered in the style of Persian and Mughal manuscript art — feature intricate geometric borders, rich jewel-toned palettes, and densely composed narrative scenes. The set contains full-page color plates depicting key moments from the tales, from the seafaring adventures of Sinbad to the courtly scenes of Scheherazade. Szyk’s work here represents the culmination of his book illustration career; he died in 1951, and this Heritage Press edition was among his posthumous publications.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Burton’s translation is the definitive unexpurgated English Arabian Nights — the version collectors and scholars seek
• Arthur Szyk’s illustrations rank among the finest 20th-century book art, bridging European illumination and Islamic miniature traditions
• The Heritage Press edition makes this landmark combination accessible at a fraction of the Limited Editions Club price
• Complete with the Sandglass newsletter — a key provenance marker for Heritage Press collectors

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? The Heritage Press (George Macy Companies) edition of Burton’s Arabian Nights, published in 1955. Copyright 1955 by The George Macy Companies, Inc.

What condition is it in? Books are Near Fine; slipcase is Good+. Full condition report below.

Is this the complete Burton translation? Yes — this Heritage Press edition presents Burton’s definitive unexpurgated text in its entirety, with supplementary scholarly notes by Torrens, Lane, and Payne.

FOR COLLECTORS

The combination of Burton’s authoritative translation with Szyk’s miniatures makes this one of the most visually striking Arabian Nights editions of the 20th century. The Heritage Press edition is more available than the Limited Editions Club original, but copies with intact slipcases and the Sandglass insert are becoming harder to find. Szyk’s posthumous Arabian Nights illustrations are considered among his finest book work, alongside his celebrated Haggadah.

Book Details

Author: Sir Richard Burton (Translator); with notes by Henry Torrens, Edward Lane, and John Payne

Illustrator: Arthur Szyk

Publisher: The Heritage Press, New York

Binding: HARDCOVER (Two volumes in original slipcase)

Edition Points: Copyright 1955 by The George Macy Companies, Inc. Includes the original Heritage Club Sandglass newsletter insert (Number X-XI: 20).

Condition Report

Overall Grade: Books: Near Fine (NF)/ Slipcase: Good+ (G+)

Cover & Spine: Black cloth bindings are clean, square, and firm with bright silver-toned spine labels. Both volumes’ board corners are sharp. No sunning or tanning. Matching original slipcase is complete, has chips to outer edges, and one edge of bottom is starting to split at the seam, others seams intact.

Dust Jacket: Not applicable (issued in slipcase).

Text Block & Pages: Pages are clean and crisp, printed on off-white/cream paper with rich color reproductions of Szyk’s miniature paintings.

Binding: Solid, tight, and square for both volumes, cloth head and tail bands glued in.

See accompanying images for full condition details.

Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

HFB-SEO-v1: 2026-08-03

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