Treasure Island -- Which One?

July 25, 2009 6:41 AM

Which edition of Treasure Island was this?

This was the 70s but I don't know when it was published. It was almost certainly abridged for children, and gorgeously illustrated.

Strangely, some of the illustrations were fairly bloody as I recall. IIRC, all were full color. Maybe the most telling one had an awkward perspective or something so that it accidentally looked like one of those nautical pulleys (or whatever it is?) appeared at the end of a character's arm or leg? I think I remember a character being pinned to a mast with a knife? And having a bloody bandage on his head later on, during a gunfight? There was one of the black spot (in Billy Bones' hand?). I've seen Wyeth illustrations online, and it wasn't that one.

posted by rahnefan to media & arts (5 answers total)

I have vivid memories from my early childhood of what some googling has revealed was an edition illustrated by Ralph Steadman (I was guessing maybe Gerald Scarfe from memory before I found it), just gorgeous and dark and bloody. Here's the cover; the link through there goes to a rare books site that puts the publication date at 1985.

I don't know (a) if it's possible that the 70s date is flexible though, or (b) whether there were earlier editions of the Steadman book, though the sites I've seen this on all say "1st ed", so not much hope on that point I suppose.
posted by cortex at 8:15 AM on July 25, 2009

The one illustrated version of Treasure Island which I would really like to get hold of is the version illustrated by Ralph Steadman - his pictures are quite unlike those on other editions. Could be what you have in mind,
posted by rongorongo at 8:45 AM on July 25, 2009

- On review: what Cortex said. There is a BBC4 program called Picture Book which is all about illustrations for children's books. This episode featured Steadman's pictures for Treasure Island I believe. Torrent.
posted by rongorongo at 8:58 AM on July 25, 2009

It's definitely not the Steadman one. That's not the art and this was way earlier than 1985...well, way earlier in child years, if you dig. By 85 I was a teen. Thanks though.
posted by rahnefan at 11:04 AM on July 25, 2009

Turns out that the original was still in my granparent's house! It's a 1975 book "retold by Jane Carruth" and illustrated by John Worsley. Basically it's a book of illustrations with some extended captions - an extreme shortening of the story, in the Golden Book style, if ya dig. Can't find any scans online but I will make some and link to them later if anyone is interested.
posted by rahnefan at 10:00 AM on July 26, 2009