Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a 1939 Montgomery Ward storybook written by Robert L. May and illustrated by Denver Gillen, offered here as a three piece lot with two Christmas cards.
The storybook has staining and tears to the cover and back area, while the illustrated pages remain readable and the story pages show no scribbles or writing.
The bright red Rudolph cover, color illustrations, foldout Christmas quiz card, and dog and candle greeting card make this a mixed holiday paper lot for a Rudolph collection or Christmas ephemera display.
Details
- Item: Three piece Christmas paper lot
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Item Type: Rudolph storybook and two Christmas greeting cards
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Era: Storybook copyright 1939. Christmas card dates Not confirmed from photos
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Materials: Printed paper and cardstock
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Color: Red, cream, green, yellow, black, and multicolor illustrations
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Maker and Mark: Storybook copyright 1939 by Montgomery Ward & Co., Inc. Written by Robert L. May and illustrated by Denver Gillen. Christmas cards marked Made in U.S.A.
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Pattern or Model: Not confirmed from photos
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Style: Illustrated Christmas paper ephemera
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Dimensions: Storybook 10 x 8 inches. Christmas quiz card 5.75 x 4 inches. Dog and candle Christmas card 5 x 4 inches.
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Special Features: Includes the 1939 Rudolph storybook, a foldout Christmas quiz card, and a dog and candle Christmas greeting card. The quiz card has Grandma Krieg handwritten inside, and the dog card is signed Sally.
Condition Grade: Fair
Positives
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Graded Fair: The lot remains usable and displayable, but the storybook has clear paper wear and damage that is named below.
- The story pages remain readable, and no scribbles or writing were seen while paging through the book.
- The color illustrations throughout the Rudolph story remain clearly visible.
- Both Christmas cards are present with their illustrated fronts and interior designs.
Issues / Wear
- The red storybook cover has minor staining and visible edge wear.
- There is a noticeable tear in the cover area and another tear near the last page and back cover.
- A slight stain is present on the inside front cover and near the top corner of the title page.
- The storybook pages show overall age toning.
- The Christmas cards have handwritten names or signatures inside.
Condition Grade Key
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Near Fine: Close to new. Any flaw is small and named above.
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Very Good: Light use. Every flaw is named above, and none of them get in the way of reading or display.
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Good: Complete and usable, with clear signs of use. Every flaw is named above.
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Fair: Heavy wear or damage, named above. A reading or working copy, not a display piece.
Collector's Notes
The storybook carries a 1939 Montgomery Ward copyright and names Robert L. May and illustrator Denver Gillen. That early date is the detail a Rudolph collector will notice first.
Shipping + Trust (Reading Vintage standards)
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Disclaimer
All items are vintage and may show signs of age, wear, or use consistent with their history. Photos show the exact condition of each piece, please review them carefully, as they are part of the description.
I do my best to capture colors accurately, but your monitor or device screen may display colors slightly differently from the actual item.
Please Note
These pieces come from estate collections and have been surface cleaned. You may wish to perform additional cleaning depending on your preference.
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