Once Upon A Time - Illustrations From Fairytales, Fables, Primers, Pop-Ups, and Other Children's Books (Gnv64)
Once Upon A Time - Illustrations From Fairytales, Fables, Primers, Pop-Ups, and Other Children's Books (Gnv64)
Once Upon A Time - Illustrations From Fairytales, Fables, Primers, Pop-Ups, and Other Children's Books (Gnv64)
Illustrations from
Fa i ry ta l e s , Fa b l e s , Pr i m e r s , P o p - u p s
and other C h i l d r e n s B o o k s
PR I N C E T O N A R C H I T E C T U R A L P R E S S
NEW YORK
published by
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East Seventh Street
New York, New York 10003
For a free catalog of books, call 1.800.722.6657.
Visit our web site at www.papress.com.
2005 Princeton Architectural Press
All rights reserved
Printed and bound in China
08 07 06 05
5 4 3 2 1 first edition
All of the books illustrated in this volume are held in the collection and reproduced
through the generosity of Ellen Liman.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without
written permission from the publisher, except in the context of reviews.
Every reasonable attempt has been made to identify owners of copyright.
Errors or omissions will be corrected in subsequent editions.
editing: Nancy Eklund Later
editorial assistance: Dorothy Ball
design: Sara E. Stemen
photography: Nicola Bednarek
special thanks to: Nettie Aljian, Janet Behning, Megan Carey,
Penny (Yuen Pik) Chu, Russell Fernandez, Jan Haux, Clare Jacobson,
John King, Mark Lamster, Linda Lee, Katharine Myers, Lauren Nelson,
Jane Sheinman, Scott Tennent, Jennifer Thompson, Joseph Weston, and
Deb Wood of Princeton Architectural Press
CONTENTS
Preface
Ellen Liman
vii
Acknowledgments
xi
Suggested Readings
179
// v
PREFACE
were all those mail order catalogs, letters of offerings, and bills of sale for
For twenty years, Arthur was this crazy closet collector. His
big-deal clients could never have imagined where or how he spent his
weekends. A tough lawyer with a soft center, he was enjoying a second
childhood. But demanding and focused, he always wanted to win in the
collecting arena, as much, if not more, than in the court room.
books and games became an all-consuming challenge for Arthur and me.
degree, other American publishers of its era? There was a lot of pleasure
McLoughlin Brothers books were scarce, making the hunt intense and
discovery all the more exciting. Made from paper during the late
// vii
viii // preface
preface // ix
dazzling color, which was made possible by the perfection of the chro-
pl ays a n d g a m e s
s p o rt s o f a l l s o rt s ,
Like many collectors, we did not collect with any grand plan. The
collection just grew and grew and grew. We tried to make it comprehen-
Josephine Pollard
New York
Copyright 1889
as many collectors do, that there is real satisfaction in creating and caring
for a collectionin carefully conserving and meticulously cataloging each
itemand in knowing that you have preserved the past for the future.
I hope that while reading this book the message comes through to
readers young and old, especially our grandchildren, that books are beauti-
ful, that learning is exciting, and that collecting for us was a wonderful col-
ellen liman
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
// xi
tion, and intensity of delight with which the first story-book of childhood
is read? This rhetorical question was posed by a writer for The New York
Daily Times charged with reviewing the array of books published for
juveniles in time for Christmas giving in 1852. He went on to describe a
bounty of books, ornamented so profusely, and gilded and silvered so
prettilyto say nothing of the variegated contents, stories, facts, and
fables. Such a wealth of childrens books was a new cultural phenomenon, and from mid-century on,American children were the beneficiaries
of a blossoming trade in illustrated books created expressly for their
enjoyment. Prior to this time, childrens reading had generally been limited to the Bible, schoolbooks, and, for those from wealthier families,
books written for adults.
Illustrated childrens books flourished at a time when educational
theories inspired by the eighteenth-century Enlightenment and evolving
concepts of childhood innocence took firm root in the growing American
middle class. In the introduction to their 1855 Painted Picture Play Book,
London-based publisher Dean and Sons advised parents that leisuretime reading was a valuable pastime for children, suggesting that,
Like a tender plant, the Infant Mind requires the aid of watchful care;
Direct its early thoughts aright, the good effects will soon appear.
With pleasing pastimes now and then the leisure moments pass away,
The more important tasks may well engage the mind of riper day.
1
eral intertwined sources. With his first printing in 1744 of A Little Pretty
copyright 1884
Tommy and Pretty Miss Polly, Britains John Newbery (17131767) is gener-
alphabet, a picture, and two verses, one describing the picture and the
dread of punishment.
Newbery was also a brilliant marketer, whose innovative techniques influenced American printers of childrens books more than a
century later. A letter from the fairytale hero Jack, the Giant Killer, and
pages.
revolutionary pairing of picture and text would become the norm two
dlers in Britain and America in the eighteenth and early nineteenth cen-
If the concept of uniting words and pictures in books created especially for children was revolutionary, then John McLoughlin, Jr. (1827
1905) may be considered the movements great American general. At the
creative and commercial helm of McLoughlin Brothers from the 1850s
until the early years of the twentieth century, a period often described as
the golden age of childrens literature, McLoughlin employed innovative
production and marketing techniques to bring a bestsellers list of titles
to the juvenile market. Like other successful entrepreneurs and industrialists of the era, McLoughlin was ahead of the curve in adopting new
technology. Among the first American publishers to issue books with colored, rather than black and white, illustrations, the firm also embraced
chromolithography early on to enliven the pages of its inexpensive books
with a vibrant color palette.
Early childrens books tended to be small, often measuring no more
than a few inches along each side. Illustrations were few and were created
through the traditional printmaking techniques of woodcutting and wood
engraving. In each process, a design is cut into a block of wood, ink is
applied, and the design transferred from wood to paper. The earliest and
least expensive of such illustrations were printed in a single color, usually
black. A book issued in honor of John McLoughlin, Sr.s entry into the
new field of childrens publishing in 1828 (with a second-hand press on
Tryon Row, the heart of New York Citys newspaper and printing industries) described the process of hand-coloring the black and white wood
engravings adopted by McLoughlin Brothers in the 1850s and early 1860s.
Using a stencil printed and cut from the same engraving, colored ink was
applied with a paintbrush. Each color required its own stencil.The individual character of each hand-tinted picture, generally executed by girls and
young women, lends an air of charm and nave beauty to the illustrations.
Brighter areas of solid color replaced the unique and idiosyncratic
effects of hand-coloring when two-color wood block illustration was
adopted later in the 1860s.That innovation, also taken up by McLoughlin
Brothers, brought a new boldness to the design of the firms books. It led
the way for continuing experimentation with color printing and for the
expansion of the firms business, including, in 1871, construction of its
own color printing factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
B o n n y b e l l , B r av e L i t t l e
Ta i lo r , S n ow W h i t e :
S e l e c t i o n s f ro m G r i m m
The vivid reds and yellows of this illustration, created through the process of
Snow White.
S t e p s t o A rt,
A f t e r K at e G r e e naway
Circling Surprises:
A N ov e l P i c t u r e B o o k f o r C h i l d r e n
Verses by H. M. Burnside
Illustrated by H. K. Robinson
Published by E. P. Dutton & Co., New York, and Ernest Nister, London
ca. 1890s
One picture appears to dissolve into another when a child
pulls the magic tab and reconfigures the illustration.
18 Division Street
3 Tryon Row
24 Beekman Street
30 Beekman Street
80 Beekman Street
52 Greene Street
73 Duane Street
above
Mot her Goose Melodies
71 Duane Street
623 Broadway
874 Broadway
890 Broadway
F R O M A P P L E T O Z O UA V E
learning the abcs
: In Adams fall we sinned all was the opening line of many edi-
tions of The New England Primer, the book used by young children in the
English colonies of North America to learn their letters. Having its origins in medieval devotional books, the primer also contained prayers.
Next to the Bible, it was the book most frequently read by American children well into the nineteenth century.
One of the first editions of The New England Primer was printed in
about 1690 by Boston publisher Benjamin Harris. Based upon English
antecedents, its tone was harsh and puritanical. A less-severe approach to
teaching children the basics began to evolve around the middle of the
eighteenth century, and by the end of the nineteenth century, prayers
were no longer part of the primers content. The book still adhered to the
same general format, however, with the alphabet appearing first, in
upper- and lower-case letters, followed by an illustrated alphabet accompanied by verse. Often Arabic numerals from zero to nine appeared on
the primers final page.
Colonial-era American children also learned their letters from hornbooks, which were not actually books at all but rather wooden paddles.
At a time when paper was expensive and scarce, the alphabet was written
on a single sheet, which was then pasted to a wooden board and covered
with a translucent layer of horn. Not surprisingly, children devised other
functions for the paddles in the schoolyard.
Illustrated alphabet books transformed the straightforward teaching of the primer. Stern verses like F the Idle Fool is Whipt at School (a
15
page 14
The Doings of
t he Alphabet
animals domestic and exotic, and of places distant and close to home
provided subject matter for childrens alphabet books. Bird and animal
New York
ca. 1880s
above
words with complex social meanings such as urchin and miser also
New York
ca. 1880s
Though it includes no prayers, this
book relates to the New England Primer
in both its title and content. As the title
suggests, it is printed on coated linen
teaching through play, these toys, in turn, appear on the covers and pages
opposite
G i r l s a n d B oys Na m e A B C
G r e at B i g A B C
Illustrated by J. H. Howard
Published by McLoughlin Brothers, 71 & 73 Duane St., New York
ca. 187080s
O b j e c t T e ac h e r
Illustrated by C. J. Howard
Copyright 1883
M e r ry A l p h a b e t
Alphabet Series
Published by McLoughlin Brothers, New York
Copyright 1890
S ta r ry F l ag A B C B o o k
Apple-Pie ABC
T om T humb Alphabet
opposite
T om T humb Alphabet
right
O n e , T wo, B u c k l e M y S h o e
Illustrated by Bruton
Published by McLoughlin Brothers, New York
ca. 1880s
As the nation grew less agrarian and increasingly industrialized,
many American families moved to cities in pursuit of work.
Urbanization fostered a nostalgia for country life, which some
children experienced only through romanticized depictions in
books such as this.
below
Ou r P e t s A B C B o o k
C o m i ca l P e t s A B C B o o k
C i r c u s a n d M e nag e r i e A B C
Copyright 1897
their ABCs.
Mother Goose have been amusing children of all ages for countless generations. Heard first in infancy, they remain forever in memory. The origins of some lie in antiquity; the origins of others, in the first stanzas of
folk ballads. Lighthearted and silly on the surface, the rhymes nonetheless have been the subject of much study, from scholars who delve into
their roots in global storytelling and lullaby traditions to those who seek
the identity of the real Mother Goose, convinced that she can be located
in history. In jest and with all due seriousness of purpose, many have
sought to find a female figure with a name approximating goose, pointing to such historically disparate figures as the medieval Bertrada, Queen
Goosefoot, the mother of Charlemagne, and Elisabeth Vergoose, whose
son-in-law Thomas Fleet, a colonial-era Boston printer, was long erroneously credited as the first to publish Mother Goose. Finding proof of
such speculations about the authorship of these delightful rhymes had
the same probability of success as all the kings horses and all the kings
men putting Humpty Dumpty together again, and so the author of
most of these traditional verses will likely remain anonymous.
Historians have, however, traced Mother Gooses earliest appearances on the printed page; two individuals who figure broadly in the history of childrens literature are credited with giving life to Mother Goose
there. Charles Perrault, the seventeenth-century French writer who first
put fairytales into print, included a frontispiece in his first edition that
depicted three people gathered in front of an elderly woman seated
39
left
Mother Gooses Chimes
was inscribed La mre oye, which, when translated for a 1729 English
edition became Mother Gooses Tales. Early books with nursery rhymes
by John Newbery also carried the name of Mother Goose. In 1780, the
son-in-law and successor of this pioneering childrens literature publisher sought copyright protection for Mother Gooses Melody; or Sonnets for
the Cradle, based on a 1760s Newbery book.
But it was in the United States during the nineteenth century that
the name and likeness of Mother Goose became synonymous with early
childhood. Her nursery rhymes have remained steadily in print and a
New York
dimension.
Copyright 1907
cance. The nonsense verses of Ring around the Rosie, for example, have
right
identified as the fine lady who rode a white horse to Banbury cross. More
I l lu s t r at e d
New York
seem content to accept the rhymes at face-value, reveling in the pure joy
Copyright 1901
this page
G e m s f ro m M o t h e r G o o s e
Li t tle Bo-Peep
N u r s e ry S o n g s
conflation of all six stanzas of the rhyme. The only tune that
of this book depicts Tom, Dolly, and Old Dame Trotall charac-
Tom could play was Over the hills and far away; he played so
above
opposite
Copyright 1889
ca. 1860s
rhymes have linked the dogs antics in this verse to King Henry
pleasure of the rhyme and the visual delight of the old womans
A n c i e n t I l lu m i nat e d
Rhymes: Old Mother
Hubbard and Her Dog
L i t t l e Da m e C ru m p
and t he Whi t e Pig
( T h e H i s t o ry o f L i t t l e
Da m e C ru m p a n d h e r
Li t tle Whi t e Pig)
Da m e C ru m p
Illustrated by J. H. Howard
Published by McLoughlin Brothers, New York
ca. 1880s90s
left
Jac k S p r at t a n d O t h e r R h y m e s
M o t h e r G o o s e s M ag i c
T r a n s f o r m at i o n s
Cinderella Series
Published by McLoughlin Brothers, New York
Copyright 1890
An anonymous writer exploring the origins of The House that
Jack Built on the pages of The New York Times on February 9,
1901 observed, As the occupations and pleasures of childhood
produce a powerful impression on the memory, it is probable
that almost every reader who has passed his infantile days in an
English nursery recollects the delight with which he repeated
that puerile jingling legend, The House that Jack Built.
Pleasewell Series
Published by McLoughlin Brothers, New York
Copyright 1890
In this narrative version of the traditional tickle game played
on the fingers and toes of toddlers, the richly colored illustrations provide visual clues to the action. The well-dressed and
well-mannered pigs belie the disdain in which the animals were
held in the early part of the century, when pigs were a common
sight on city streets, creating a public nuisance while they
rooted for food.
T h e O l d Wo m a n a n d H e r P i g
Pleasewell Series
Published by McLoughlin Brothers, New York
Copyright 1890
An accumulative poem, like The House that Jack Built, each verse
in this tale is built upon the one that precedes it and all are
repeated.The story begins when the pig refuses to jump over the
fence and the old woman is forced to call upon an array of creatures and objects (all illustrated here) to encourage him home.
T h e S t o ry o f t h e
Three Little Kittens
S a d Fat e o f P o o r Ro b i n
T h e D e at h a n d B u r i a l o f C o c k Ro b i n
ca. 1900s
T h e D e at h a n d B u r i a l o f P o o r C o c k Ro b i n
Burial of Poor Cock Robin features birds playing all the parts.
the conclusion of the tale, all sob when they hear the bell toll
above
opposite
F u n n y R h y m e s f o r L i t t l e P e o pl e
C o c k Ro b i n
ca. 1890s
uttered the words once upon a time, transporting listeners of all ages to
magical lands, home to giants, witches, talking animals, and enchanted
objects. The fairytales read by nineteenth-century American children are
those we know today and are indebted to efforts to amuse the French
aristocracy. In 1697, Charles Perrault (16281703) published Histoires ou
Contes du temps pass. Avec des Moralits, a collection of eight captivating
tales: Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Blue Beard, Puss in Boots,
Diamonds and Toads, Cinderella, and Hop o My Thumb, along with one other
that has not survived the test of time. Gaining immediate popularity
among children and adults, the stories were translated into English in
1729 and soon were known in America.
The popularity of fairytales, as well as a battle over their fitness for
juvenile consumption, waxed and waned throughout the eighteenth
century. Interest was rekindled in the nineteenth century, through the
efforts of Jacob Grimm (17851863) and Wilhelm Grimm (17861859).
The brothers recorded folk tales told by ordinary people in their native
Germany and published their work in 1812 as Kinder-und Hausmrchen.
Translated into English in 1823, the Grimmss fairytales eventually
numbered approximately two hundred, including many of those
recorded earlier by Perrault, along with Snow White, Hansel and Gretel,
and other now-classics. Culling from these sources, and from Danish
storyteller Hans Christian Anderson (18051875), American publishers
printed copious fairytales in the nineteenth century, occasionally taking
69
liberties with their plots and adding new twists that reflected the
American social landscape.
Sir Walter Scott (17711832) was a strong advocate of fairytales and
their ability to stir childhood imagination, boldly stating his preference
for the genre over the moralizing good-boy stories that dominated the
American juvenile fiction of his time. In 1898, The New York Times reprinted his impassioned championing of fairytales: Truth is I would not
give one tear shed over Little Red Riding Hood for all the benefit to be
derived from a hundred histories of Tommy Goodchild.
Not everyone embraced the genre, however. Some American authorities objected to their purely imaginary content as foolish and immoral.
In the September 1850 issue of Woodworths Youth Cabinet, publisher
Francis C. Woodworth railed against the tales told in The Arabian Nights
as being too strange and marvelous and lacking in good moral influence although he admitted reading them with pleasure in his younger
days. A more pragmatic view was recommended by Lydia Maria Child, in
her widely read book of childrearing advice The Mothers Book: A strong
reason why we should indulge children in reading some of the best fairystories and fables . . . is, that we cannot possibly help their getting hold of
some books of this description; and it is never wise to forbid what we
cannot prevent.
Fables, like fairytales, are ancient stories. Narrated by talking animals, they emphasize common sense, rather than magic. Most are attributed to Aesop, who is thought by some to have been a seventh-century
storyteller. Aesops Fables were among the first books printed following
the invention of the printing press, an English-language edition illustrated with woodcuts appearing in 1484. Like fairytales, fables made their
way to America with the countrys first settlers, and have been educating
and entertaining children ever since.
page 68
Little Red Riding Hood
Jac k a n d t h e B e a n - S ta l k
above left
above right
Ro t t k p p c h e n . L i t t l e R e d R i d i n g H o o d
ca. 1880s
and hungry wolf who tries to pass himself off as granny. The
endings vary, however. In Charles Perraults late-seventeenthcentury telling, the wolf is the victor, consuming Little Red
Riding Hood and her grandmother, dramatically underscoring
the storys moral that young ladies should not talk to strangers.
This version of the fairytale adopts an ending like that recorded
by the Grimm brothers. At first, the wolf appears to triumph,
eating grandmother and Little Red Riding Hood, and taking a
nap after his big meal. A passing hunter hears his loud snores
and surmises what has taken place. He cuts open the wolf s
belly and frees the old woman and child. In their place, he substitutes heavy stones. Waking up thirsty, the wolf goes to the
well, where he promptly falls in and drowns.
Illustrated by R.Andr
Little Folks Series
Published by McLoughlin Brothers, New York
Copyright 1888
above left
above right
A l a d d i n , o r t h e Wo n d e r f u l L a m p
Wonder-Story Series
Copyright 1889
ca. 1860s
A l a d d i n Pa n t o m i m e T oy B o o k
have been known in Asia and the Middle East at least since
a.d. 850. The cover image of this edition conflates the origins
umph over wicked magicians who seek to steal his magic lamp
known of the tales in the western world after all were translated
opposite
above
S l e e p i n g B e au t y Pa n t o m i m e T oy B o o k
B lu e B e a r d Pa n t o m i m e T oy B o o k
ca. 1890s
ca. 1890s
In this tale of trust and temptation, Blue Beard hands his new
how the curse that causes the princess to sleep for one hundred
young wife the keys to his castle, enabling her to unlock treas-
will one day prick her finger and die. As always, a good witch
awakens the sleeping beauty, and they live happily ever after.
D i a m o n d s a n d T oa d s
opposite
Cinderella
Cinderella Series
Published by McLoughlin Brothers,
30 Beekman Street, New York
ca. 1860s
The story of a sweet young girl rescued
from a life of servitude and drudgery
by a handsome prince has become so
entrenched in American popular culture that the phrase Cinderella story
is now a part of everyday speech. In
this retelling, tenets of nineteenthcentury American morality find their
way into the text of this classic fairytale. Cinderellas godmother maintains,
fine clothes are of little worth in
themselves, nay, they often do more
harm than good to those who wear
them, but you must have a fit dress for
the ball.
Cinderella
Cinderella, or the
Li t tle Glass Slipper
Pa n t o m i m e T oy B o o k
Illustrated by R.Andr
Jack and the Bean Stalk Series
Published by McLoughlin Brothers,
New York
ca. 1880s90s
In this folktale, a brother and sister are left in the care of an
uncle after their loving parents die, leaving a fortune that will
be theirs when they are grown.Within a year, thoughts of the
money that could be his cause the uncle to renege on his promise
to raise the children. He leaves them in the woods to die at the
hands of ruffians. Although the children meet a sad fate,Gods
blessed will prevents the villains from profiting from their bad
deeds and brings them only want and misery instead.
left
T h e C h i l d r e n i n t h e Wo o d
left
Tom Thumb
Cinderella Series
Published by McLoughlin Brothers,
New York
ca. 1870s
First published in England early in the
seventeenth century, the tales of a tiny
childs strange and wonderful adventures reached the United States by
1686. They had become so familiar that
in 1842 General Tom Thumb was
adopted as the stage name of P. T.
Barnums famously petite performer.
Toms fantastical escapades, set in the
mythical time of King Arthur, begin
with his tumble into a bowl of pudding
in his mothers kitchen. Subsequently
swallowed by a fish, he narrowly
escapes a gruesome fate when a cook
discovers him while filleting the kings
prospective dinner.
opposite
Tom Thumb
above left
above right
H o p - O - M y- T h u m b
Hop O My Thumb
Hop-O-My-Thumb Series
ca. 1860s70s
ca. 1860s70s
This story of a tiny boy who uses his wits to save himself and
when they can no longer afford to feed and care for them. Tom
It shares plot elements with Tom Thumb and with the Grimm
fills his pockets with small stones, and as they are led into the
use to find their way back home. Left in the forest a second
opposite
with the ogres fortune, enabling his family to live together again.
Pu s s i n B o o t s
Pu s s i n B o o t s
Pa n t o m i m e T oy B o o k
Au n t L ou i s a s C h a r m s f o r C h i l d r e n ,
C o m p r i s i n g P u m p k i n H ou s e , S l e e p i n g B e au t y,
D i a m o n d s & T oa d s , B o b s S c h o o l Days
Wo r l d W i d e Fa b l e s
T h e S t o ry o f t h e T h r e e L i t t l e P i g s
L a dy F ox
T h e Wo n d e r f u l L e a p s o f S a m Pat c h
T h e F ox a n d t h e G e e s e :
A n A n c i e n t N u r s e ry Ta l e
Pleasure Books
Published by McLoughlin Brothers, 30 Beekman Street, New York
ca. 1860s
Stories about foxes preying on geese and geese outsmarting
their wily predators may be found in Aesops Fables, stories
recorded by the Grimm brothers, and other collections of folktales. In this version, reminiscent of The Three Little Pigs,
three young geese are warned about the dangers posed by their
enemy. Their mother teaches them how to build safe houses, but
only one little goose heeds her advice; she lives to kill the fox.
FA C T A N D F I C T I O N
n ov e l s , h i s t o ry b o o k s , a n d a n t h o l o g i e s
page 106
T h e A dv e n t u r e s o f
C o m m o d o r e Pau l ,
T h e Nava l H e ro
daily lifealbeit often idealizedof the children for whom they were
intended. Some were meant to help children read and featured dashes
left
right
S t o ry o f Ro b i n H o o d
R i p Va n W i n k l e
Copyright 1889
Copyright 1889
Rip Van Winkle is one of the most well known and beloved of
follows a genial man who drinks too much and fritters away his
Rips plight when he awakes from his afternoon nap to find that
U n c l e S a m s Pa n o r a m a
o f R i p Va n W i n k l e a n d Ya n k e e D o o d l e
by McLoughlin Brothers.
Ro b i n s o n C ru s o e ( M a s t e r J. S p r ag g l e s :
H i s V e r s i o n o f Ro b i n s o n C ru s o e A s
Na r r at e d & D e p i c t e d t o h i s S c h o o l
F e l l ow s at D r . T i c k l e t o by s Aca d e m y )
Ro b i n s o n C ru s o e
above
Ro b i n s o n C ru s o e i n W o r d s o f O n e Sy l l a b l e
opposite
G u l l i v e r s T r av e l s
A l i c e s A dv e n t u r e s i n Wo n d e r l a n d
a n d T h rou g h t h e L o o k i n g G l a s s
opposite, top
T h e M o t o g r a ph M ov i n g P i c t u r e B o o k
T h e Ta b l e - B o o k
ca. 1860s
1898
lengths of cloth.
opposite, bottom
B oy s H u n t i n g B o o k
silken folds of a dress ripple; and cogs, wheels, and gears move
ca. 1900s
with industrial precision. Here lava spews from the top of a volcano, off the page and into the readers living room.
This book was likely published around 1900, when the biggame hunting exploits of Teddy Roosevelt and others coincided
with a growing concern with wildlife conservation.
above
Wild Animal Stories
J u m b o a n d t h e C ou n t ry m a n
T h e S na k e C h a r m e r
ca. 1880s
ca. 1880s
rial scene around which children could read the simple accom-
M o d e s o f T r av e l , o r By L a n d a n d Wat e r
above
E . E l e p h a n t, E s q . S h ow m a n
above
Wo n d e r s o f t h e C i r c u s
Circus Series
Published by McLoughlin Brothers, New York
Copyright 1890
Circus Friends
left
right
Ou t d o o r F r i e n d s
Pl ay f u l P e t s
Copyright 1904
Copyright 1904
The practice of bringing animals into the home and caring for
them as pets grew in popularity during the nineteenth century,
as industrialization and urbanization distanced people and
nature.The stories in this collection, which feature not only cats
and dogs, but also monkeys and squirrels, chronicle the lively
antics of mans furry friends, charming children and adults alike.
F r i s ky t h e S q u i r r e l
opposite, clockwise
from top left
Spring; Summer ;
W i n t e r ; Au t u m n
S t o ry o f t h e F i r e m e n
above
opposite, top
W i n t e r S p o rt s
New York
Copyright 1886
winter activities for boys and girls to enjoy, from ice skating to
opposite, bottom
W e e B a by S t o r i e s
above left
above right
G r e at B i g S t o ry B o o k
Ou r Da r l i n g s S t o ry B o o k
Copyright 1897
ca. 1890s1900s
opposite
B row n i e Y e a r B o o k
T WA S T H E N I G H T B E F O R E
christmas books
left
A V i s i t f ro m S t. N i c h o l a s
the Santa we know today. A Visit from St. Nicholas was printed countless
Christmas, or A
V i s i t o f S t. N i c h o l a s
momentum: in December 1872, The New York Times noted, As the holi-
days approach, the presses groan with the work of providing books
magazines offered guidance in selecting just the right book. Highly rec-
cially for Christmas giving. Published for children as well as adults, these
Time indicate that they were Christmas gifts presented to children by lov-
ing relatives.
T h e Ro b i n s C h r i s t m a s E v e
C h r i s t m a s S t o ry B o o k
A rou n d t h e W o r l d w i t h S a n ta C l au s
Illustrated by R.Andr
Published by McLoughlin Brothers, New York
Copyright 1891
Reflecting a pervasive late-nineteenth-century interest in the
exotic, each page of this book illustrates holiday celebrations in
countries around the globe, while retaining key elements associated with American ChristmasSanta Claus, presents, and
childhood delight. Whether in cold or tropical countries, Santa
wears his iconic fur-trimmed suit. He does change his means of
transportation, however, riding atop a camel in the desert of the
Middle East, for example, instead of in a reindeer-drawn sleigh.
S a n ta C l au s a n d H i s Wo r k s
V i s i t o f S t. N i c h o l a s
tempt for the overly pious, but when the term originated in the eighteenth century as the name of a heroine in a John Newbery story it was a
label of praise.The subtitle of Newberys Goody Two Shoes reveals both the
plot and moral of his story:
Otherwise called, Mrs. Margery Two-Shoes. With the Means by which she
acquired her Learning and Wisdom, and in consequence thereof her
Estate; set forth at large for the Benefit of those, Who from a State of Rags
and Care, And having Shoes but half a Pair; Their Fortune and their
Fame would fix,And gallop in a Coach and Six.
Little Margerys good spirits and virtuous conduct in coming to terms
with sudden poverty, learning to read, and teaching other impoverished
children to love learning set the tone for many nineteenth-century
American childrens stories.
The moral tone of childrens books was also influenced by the theories of philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau, who theorized that children
were imbued with an innate love of virtue, which, if fostered as they
grew, would mature into a genuine obedience, love of nature, and love of
reason. Whether through plot or subtext, such stories feature proper girls
and boys who are well-behaved in school and church, share their toys
and sweets, cheerfully do their chores, and always obey their elders.
Although these prim children stretch the bounds of credulity today, they
155
left
M a ry G o o d c h i l d
page 154
ing fates that would befall boys and girls who sucked their thumbs,
G o o dy T wo S h o e s
refused to obey their parents, ate too many cakes, or captured baby
birdsa nadir of wicked behavior. Other stories employed graphic words
and pictures to teach important survival lessons; their depictions of children being consumed by flames after playing with candles portrayed a
very real and horrifying danger in an era of candlelight, oil lamps, and
open hearths.
Peter who refuses to wash his hands and face or comb his unruly hair,
Heinrich Hoffmann as a Christmas present for his young son, the stories
about Cruel Frederick, Fidgety Philip, Little Suck-a-Thumb (who loses the
offending digit to great big scissors), and others like them were published
right
K i n g G o b b l e s F e a s t, o r
T h e Fata l E f f e c t s o f P r i d e
above left
above right
T h e L i t t l e D ru m m e r
Da m e Wo n d e r s H i s t o ry o f t h e S a i l o r B oy
ca. 1850s
ca. 1860s
Published around the end of the Civil War, The Little Drummer
opposite
O l d Da m e T ro t a n d H e r C o m i ca l Cat
with the dead and wounded. Undaunted, the hero of this story
Copyright 1905
Old Dame Trot probably predates Old Mother Hubbard, but she
never gained that characters widespread following. Here, the
storytellers cat assumes the role of the child reader and learns
that pride and vanity are conditions to be shunned: Dear Puss,
said Dame Trot, tis the love of fine clothes,/ That brings on good
people one half of their woes,/And sooner or later youre certain to
find / That pride has a fall of the very worst kind.
top
E m m a , M a ry,
a n d O t h e r Ta l e s
Familiar Series
Published by McLoughlin Brothers, New York
ca. 1870s
above
opposite
A dv e n t u r e s o f T h r e e L i t t l e C row s
L i t t l e S u c k-a- T h u m b
Cinderella Series
ca. 1870s
New York
ca. 1860s70s
child,while Bill is the wicked one. Caught taking food that was
not his, Bill is shot and killed. Charley, the third brother, likes fun
this book.
steal while searching for food. The picture of Bill on his deathbed in the familys nest serves as a reminder not only of the consequences of criminal behavior but also of the reality of death.
F r e a k s a n d F ro l i c s
o f L i t t l e B oys
L i t t l e Jac o b a n d
H ow H e B e ca m e Fat
above left
Jemmy String
Fathers Series
Published by McLoughlin Brothers, New York
ca. 1860s70s
Jemmy String neglects to tie his shoelaces,with predictable results.
above right
S u l ky M a ry a n d O t h e r Ta l e s
T h e S t o ry o f t h e S p o i l e d F ro c k
Nau g h t y P u p p i e s
Wat t s S o n g s Ag a i n s t E v i l :
Wat t s D i v i n e a n d M o r a l S o n g s
opposite
above
T h e S t o ry o f
Nau g h t y G i r l s a n d B oy s M ag i c
T r a n s f o r m at i o n s
New York
New York
Copyright 1899
ca. 1870s
Gluttony kills the wealthy and finely attired Mrs. Duck, despite
Dr. Drakes efforts to treat her aches and pains. Her tombstone
Boy, and Cat Girl are transformed as punishment for their bad
SUGGESTED READINGS
// 179