Grimms’ Fairy Tales 1945 Fritz Kredel Illustrated Grosset & Dunlap Edition c 1945

The Book

A 1945 Grosset & Dunlap edition of Grimms' Fairy Tales, illustrated by Fritz Kredel.

It is bound in red cloth boards with a mounted color illustration panel to the front cover and gilt spine titling, carrying the classic proportions and presence of mid twentieth century children's publishing. The cover illustration sets the tone at once, storybook figures rendered with clarity and charm, framed within a simple border that lets the red cloth carry the visual weight.

Inside, Kredel's illustrations move between full color plates and finely executed line drawings. Knights, beasts, forests, royalty and folklore unfold in compositions that are structured yet lively, and the palette and line quality reflect a 1940s illustration sensibility, bold and confident and narrative driven.

This is not a contemporary reprint. It is a period volume from American mid century publishing, printed and bound in the United States.

History & Provenance

The book carries a copyright of 1945 and the Grosset & Dunlap imprint, with the text credited to the Brothers Grimm and the illustrations to Fritz Kredel.

Grosset & Dunlap editions of the 1940s represent a significant period in American book production. These volumes were made to be durable household books, intended for repeated reading, for gifting and for display.

Fritz Kredel, a German born illustrator, brought a European sensibility into American publishing. His reading of the Grimm tales preserves their medieval character without softening the darker undertones, which is what separates this edition from the sweetened versions of the same stories.

The edition reflects a moment when children's literature was treated seriously, designed with craftsmanship rather than disposability.

Product Details

Why It Belongs in Your Home

The volume carries story, weight and history. It adds color without trendiness and narrative without clutter, and it feels inherited rather than newly bought.

It works as a display piece in a library or study, as a layered element in a child's room, as a decorative accent in a traditional or collected interior, and as a gift for a reader of classic folklore.

Closed, the red cloth anchors a surface with warmth and depth. Open, it becomes narrative and visual art at once. This is the kind of book that stays on a shelf for decades.