Pages and Pictures from Forgotten Children's Books

The Leadenhall Press, Ltd, London, first edition, 1898-9. Decorated cloth, gilt, top edge gilt, small 8vo, 20 cm,. 510, 1 blank leaf, [2], 19 pp, [3] pp publisher's cataogue, ills. From the introduction: "The love of things rendered quaint and interesting by lapse of time and change of surroundings seems to grow on one imperceptibly. We have all wondered whether the elders who presented, and the children who read these forgotten little books, recognised the unconscious humour of the writers of the text and the drawers of the pictures. The illustrations, which were both plain and coloured, were usually printed from engraved wooden blocks, or copper-plates, and occasionally they were lithographed from stone, or etched. The colouring was done by teenage children, who worked with astonishing celerity and more precision than could be expected. The material is so great that in this book - which has no object but to amuse - the fringe only can be touched. In these examples the reader will miss the names of famous authors and artists, and it will be observed that others of no repute whatever are conspicuous by their presence. In this collection of children's-stories the author collates early works, with illustrations, woodcut or copperplate engravings that captured the elusive pleasure these books brought to children of past centuries. Slightly cocked, very slightly rubbed at corners and extremities, otherwise Very Good.