L.M. Montgomery
Anne Collector's Edition
Anne Collector's Edition
Title: Anne of Green Gables Collector’s Edition
Author: L.M. Montgomery
Publisher: Easton Press, Norwalk, Connecticut: 2002
Description: Gallery 18 is acting as agent for the sale of a complete set of books in the Anne of Green Gables series by Canadian author Lucy Maud (L.M.) Montgomery (1874-1942). Known as the Collector’s Edition, this set of books chronicling the life of the fictional Anne Shirley was published by The Easton Press in 2002. This particular set was delivered to the illustrator Ben F. Stahl (1932-2024) at the time of publication. The artist provided a color frontispiece for each of the eight volumes in the set. The collection was gifted to the current owner in 2021. At that time, Stahl signed and dated with graphite pencil two of the volumes, including Anne of Green Gables, along with Anne of the Island. The condition of the volumes is like new and unread - indeed, five of the volumes are unopened and retain the protective plastic in which they were originally sealed. The binding is tight and gilt page edges remain brilliant. The endpapers are bright and the satin ribbon book markers are intact and secure. In addition, this set includes the original carton in which it was shipped to the illustrator more than two decades ago. The purchaser will also receive a certificate confirming provenance.
Ben F. Stahl (1932-2024) was born in Chicago, Illinois, and lived for extended periods on both U.S. coasts, in Europe and in Canada. He was the eldest son of American illustrator and artist Ben A. Stahl (1910-1987).
Ben F. Stahl grew up with illustration, but never took formal art training. In 1945, he moved to San Francisco where he finished high school. In 1953, he was drafted into the US Army and assigned to the 21st Topographical Battalion at the Presidio of San Francisco to be trained as a mapmaker. Leaving the Army in 1955, he was hired as an instructor by the Famous Artist School, a correspondence art school located in Westport, Connecticut.
In 1965, he was appointed "Director of Art Education", in Amsterdam, Holland, supervising a staff of 30 artists representing several nationalities. Three years later, he returned to Westport, to act as "Head of Art Instruction.” In 1972, he left the school to develop his career as a freelance illustrator. Stahl became particularly well known for his illustrations of young people.
During his career, Stahl’s art was commissioned by most publishers in North America including Bantam Books, Reader's Digest Condensed Books, The Franklin Library, The Limited Edition Book Club, Putnam Publishing Group, Golden Books, Holt-Rinehart, Winston, Warner Books, Random House, Houghton Mifflin, Troll Publishing Co., Scholastic Publishing Co., Albert Whitman Publishing Co., the Bradford Exchange, NBC and CBS television.
He received several national awards for his work in the publishing field including, the American Institute of Graphic Arts Award for "Illustrated Teaching Materials, 1977" and an award for the "Outstanding Science Books for Children, 1976".
Stahl was a member of the New York Society of Illustrators and included in Who’s Who in American Art. In addition, he was included, along with his father, in the reference book, The Illustrator in America, 1860-2000 by Walt Reed, published by the N.Y. Society of Illustrators.
In 1987, he was commissioned by Bantam-Seal to create more than 36 historical paintings for all the covers of the novels written by Canadian author L.M. Montgomery including the immensely popular Anne of Green Gables. The project led to Stahl’s decision in 1990 to relocate to Prince Edward Island. In 2008, one of his best-known images of Anne Shirley was featured on a Canada Post commemorative postage stamp.
In the early 2000s, faced with a slowdown in commercial illustration work, Stahl decided to devote most of his time to fine art. With the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, he shifted his attention to the creation of abstracts. Stahl remained creative until his final months. He died on June 15, 2024, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.