OnceUponaTime...
ATreasuryofClassicFairyTaleIllustrationsThis enchanting gallery transports viewers to a fairy tale world—an agelessfantasy realm inhabited by characters from favorite folktales and depicted byrenownedartists.Lovingly reproduced fromrareearlyeditions,more than180illustrationsportrayscenesfromstoriesbytheBrothersGrimm,HansChristianAndersen, and other sources, such as ancient Celtic and Norse legends.Breathtaking art, dating from 1867 to 1923, captures the genius of 23 periodillustrators, including Arthur Rackham, Gustave Doré, Edmund Dulac, KayNielsen,WarwickGoble,andWalterCrane.Among the imaginative interpretations are vignettes from “Sleeping Beauty,”“Cinderella,” “Rumpelstiltskin,” “Puss in Boots,” “The Snow Queen,” andscoresofotherfamiliarandlesser-knowntales.Theillustrations,manyofwhicharebrilliantlycolored,full-pageimages,appearwithacaptionthatincludestheartist’s name, the story fromwhich it’s drawn, and adescriptive lineor directquotationfromthetale.Bookloversofallageswillrejoiceinthistreasuryanditshappymarriageoffineartandfairytales.Dover(2008)originalpublication.192pp.8 ×11.Paperbound.
FrontispieceCoverplatefromHansAndersen’sFairyTalesandWonderStories
FRANKSCHOONOVER,1914
TableofContents
OnceUponaTime...-ATreasuryofClassicFairyTaleIllustrationsTitlePageCopyrightPageDedicationIntroductionArtistsandVolumesThePlates
ELENOREABBOTT, 1875-1935 - Grimm’s Fairy Tales, 1920 TheWildSwansandOtherStories,1922MABEL LUCIE ATTWELL, 1873-1964 - Hans Andersen’s FairyTales,1914A. DUNCAN CARSE, 1876–1938 - Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales,1912HARRY CLARKE, 1889–1931 - Fairy Tales from Hans Andersen,1916HERBERTCOLE, 1867-1930 - Fairy-Gold:ABookofOldEnglishFairyTales,1906WALTERCRANE, 1845–1915 -Household Stories by theBrothersGrimm,1882GoodyTwoShoes’PictureBook,1901GUSTAVE DORÉ, 1832-1883 - Les Contes de Perrault [Perrault’sFairyTales],1867EDMUND DULAC, 1882–1953 - The Sleeping Beauty and OtherFairyTales,1910StoriesfromHansAndersen,1911CHARLESFOLKARD,1878-1963-Grimm’sFairyTales,1911
HAROLDJ.FORD,1860—1941-TheGreenFairyBook,1892TheCrimsonFairyBook,1903TheBookofRomance,1903TheBrownFairyBook,1904TheRedRomanceBook,1905WARWICK GOBLE, 1862—1943 - The Fairy Book; The BestPopularStoriesSelectedandRenderedAnew,1913REGINALDKNOWLES,1879—1950-NorseFairyTales,1910KAYNIELSEN,1886—1957-EastoftheSunandWestoftheMoon,1914InPowderandCrinoline,1913NOELPOCOCK,1880—1955-Grimm’sFairyTales,(n.d.)ARTHURRACKHAM,1867—1939 -TheAllies’FairyBook,1916EnglishFairyTales,1918SnowdropandOtherTalesbytheBrothersGrimm, 1920 Hansel and Grethel and Other Tales by the BrothersGrimm,1920LOUIS RHEAD, 1857—1926 - Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales andWonderStories,1914WILLIAM HEATH ROBINSON, 1872—1944 - Hans Andersen’sFairyTales,1913CHARLESROBINSON,1870—1937-TheHappyPrinceandOtherTalesbyOscarWilde,1913HELEN STRATTON, ACTIVE 1891—1925 - The Fairy Tales ofHansChristianAndersen,1899HANS TEGNER, 1853—1932 - Fairy Tales and Stories by HansChristianAndersen,1900GUSTAFTENGGREN,1888—1956-D’Aulnoy’sFairyTales,1923MILOWINTER,1888—1956-HansAndersen’sFairyTales,1916
ToNatalieGrace
BeautyandtheBeast“BeautyandtheBeast,”GoodyTwoShoes’PictureBook
WALTERCRANE,1901
Introduction
Fairytales—populartheworldover—arestoriesofextraordinaryeventswhosepurposeistobothentertain,andeducate,theyoungandyoung-at-heart.Often,ataleconcludeswithamoral,oroffersalife-lesson,givingsomeaddedvaluetoanelderwhotakesthetimetosharethetalewithayoungone.Nothingismorevaluable,however,totheappreciationofafairytalethanillustrations:althoughreadingtoachildaboutacavernfilledwithsparklingrichesoramagician’srobeembroideredwithmagical patterns, or—as seen on these very pages—a beastdressed in princely garments sets the mind to imagining, showing that samereader (or listener)awell-rendered image furtherpushes themind tocreate itsown scenes of the tale. Illustrations also produce the effect of involvement.
Standing outside of a scene, but being able to observe its details, makes thereaderawitnessaswell.Illustrationhasalwaysbeenanimportantcomponentofbooks, beginning with the earliest forms of manuscripts. In the books beingproduced today, there isnoplacewhere illustration is stronger than in talesofthe imagination.Andwithin thisgenre,nostoryholdsabroaderappeal thanafairytale.
“ah!whatafrightyouhavegivenme!”shemurmured“BeautyandtheBeast,”TheSleepingBeautyandOtherTales
EDMUNDDULAC,1910
At the turn of the last century, when full-color printing was a novelphenomenonand readingwasoneof themost readilyavailableandaffordableformsofentertainment,largepublishinghousescreatedthe“gift-book.”Mostofthe illustrations in this volume come from such books.Gift-bookswere large,
extravagantlyproducedvolumespossessinglargenumbersofcolorillustrations,usuallyprintedonseparateplatesthatwerehand-tippedtothetextstock.Thesevolumesbecamesomethingtolookforwardtoat theholidays,andbythetimethat the first decade of the twentieth century was over, nearly every majorpublisher was producing its prized title in a “gift-book” edition. The bestillustrators were, in fact, commodities prized by each publishing house—publishers became aware that the buying publicwould eagerly await the nextbookfromtheirfavoriteillustrator.
Atlastsherememberedherdream,rushedtothegrass-plot,andsawhimlyingthereapparentlydead
“BeautyandtheBeast,”TheFairyBook;TheBestPopularFairyStoriesSelectedandRenderedAnewWARWICKGOBLE,1913
Morethananyothertype,thebookofchoiceforgift-bookpublishingwasthefairytale.Thepublicwasalreadyfamiliarwithandappreciativeofthesestories,and the books were something that every youngster would welcome into agrowinghomelibrary.Thesize,mass,andqualityoftheseeditionshelpedaddto
their longevity, and they often survived to be handed down to the nextgenerationofyoungreaders in the family—warming theheartsofparentswhohad read the tales and enjoyed their illustrations when they themselves werechildren.There is a common ground shared by fairy tales. They have been told in
scoresof languagesandbythousandsofstorytellers.Fairytaleshaveawayoftranscending boundaries, because they entertain with lessons that apply to allpeople and all cultures.Many of the scenes depicted within the pages of thepresenteditionwillstrikereadersasfamiliar,evenifthespecificillustrationsarenot.While the tales—having been impressed upon us at a young age—travelwithusinourmemories,whatoftenmakesthemostandlastingimpressionarethe images that accompany them. For example, we all carry an idea of “thebeast” inourminds,and theone thatwe imagine isprobably theonewehaveseenthemost.Gathered here in these pages are many of the dreams, and possibly a
nightmareor two, lovinglydepictedbyahandfulof artistswho skillfully, andexquisitely, combined the skills of visual storytelling and design. Someof theartistic styles areunique,whileothers followedpopular trends,but all twenty-three illustrators included inOnceUponaTime brought another dimension tothese beloved stories. Their own creative visions and interpretations have leftvividimpressionsongenerationaftergeneration.JeffA.MengesAugust2008
Everyeveningthebeastpaidheravisit“BeautyandtheBeast,”OldTimeStoriesbyCharlesPerrault
W.HEATHROBINSON,1921
SelectedBibliography
Dalby, Richard. The Golden Age ofChildren’s Book Illustration. MichaelO’MaraBooksLimited,1991.Elzea,Rowland, andHawkes,Elizabeth
H. (eds.) A Small School of Art: theStudents ofHowardPyle.DelawareArtMuseum,1980.Larkin,David(ed.)CharlesandWilliamHeathRobinson.Constable,1976.Meyer, Susan.A Treasury of the GreatChildren’s Book Illustrators. Harry N.Abrams,Inc.,1983.Peppin, Brigid. Fantasy: BookIllustration 1860-1920. Cassell &Collier Macmillan Publishers Limited,1975Vadeboncouer, Jim. “IllustratorBiographies” Bud Plant IllustratedBooks, July 4, 2008.http://www.bpib.com/illustra.htmWorth, Stephen. ASIFA-HollywoodAnimation Archive August 1, 2008.http://www.animationarchive.org/labels/animal.html
ArtistsandVolumes
FRONTISPIECE
FRANK SCHOONOVER, Cover plate forHans Andersen’s Fairy Tales andWonderStories,Harper&Brothers,NewYorkandLondon,1914
INTRODUCTION(BeautyandtheBeastplates)WALTER CRANE,Goody Two Shoes’ Picture Book, George Routledge andSons,LondonandNewYork,1901
EDMUND DULAC, The Sleeping Beauty and Other Tales, Hodder &Stoughton,Ltd.,London,1910
WARWICKGOBLE,TheFairyBook;TheBestPopularFairyStoriesSelectedandRenderedAnew,MacmillanandCo.,Ltd.,London,1913
WILLIAMHEATHROBINSON,OldTimeStoriesbyCharlesPerrault,Dodd,Mead,NewYork,1921
1.ELENOREABBOTT(1875–1935)
Grimm’sFairyTales,CharlesScribner’sSons,NewYork,1920The Wild Swans and Other Stories, George W. Jacobs &Company,Philadelphia,1922
9.MABELLUCIEATTWELL(1879–1964)Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales, Raphael Tuck & Sons, Ltd.,London,Paris,Berlin,NewYork,Montreal,1914
17.A.DUNCANCARSE(1876–1938)HansAndersen’sFairyTales,AdamandCharlesBlack,London,1912
25.HARRYCLARKE(1889–1931)FairyTalesfromHansAndersen,J.Coker,&Co.,Ltd.,London,1916
31.HERBERTCOLE(1867–1930)Fairy-Gold, A Book of Old English Fairy Tales, J.M. Dent &SonsLtd.,London,1906
41.WALTERCRANE(1845–1915)Household Stories by the BrothersGrimm,Macmillan andCo.,NewYork,1882Goody Two Shoes’ Picture Book, George Routledge and Sons,LondonandNewYork,1901
51.GUSTAVEDORÉ(1832–1883)LesContesdePerrault,J.Hetzel,Libraire-Édituer,Paris,1867
57.EDMUNDDULAC(1882–1953)The Sleeping Beauty and Other Fairy Tales, Hodder &Stoughton,Ltd.,London,1910StoriesfromHansAndersen,Hodder&Stoughton,Ltd.,London,1911
67.CHARLESFOLKARD(1878-1963)Grimm’sFairyTales,A.&C.Black,London,1911
75.H.J.FORD(1860–1940)TheGreenFairyBook,Longmans&Company,London,1892TheBookofRomance,Longmans&Company,London,1903TheCrimsonFairyBook,Longmans&Company,London,1903TheBrownFairyBook,Longmans&Company,London,1904TheRedRomanceBook,Longmans&Company,London,1905
83.WARWICKGOBLE(1862–1943)TheFairyBook,TheBestPopularStoriesSelectedandRenderedAnew,MacmillanandCo.,Ltd.,London,1913
93.REGINALDKNOWLES(1879–1950)NorseFairyTales,S.T.Freemantle,London,1910
101.KAYNIELSEN(1886–1957)East of the Sun and West of the Moon, Hodder & Stoughton,
London,1914InPowderandCrinoline,Hodder&Stoughton,London,1913
111.NOELPOCOCK(1880–1955)Grimm’sFairyTales,Hodder&Stoughton,NewYork,(n.d.)
119.ARTHURRACKHAM(1867–1939)TheAllies’FairyBook,WilliamHeinemann,London,1916EnglishFairyTales,MacmillanandCo.,Ltd.,London,1918SnowdropandOtherTalesbytheBrothersGrimm,Constable&Co.,London,1918Hansel and Grethel and Other Tales by the Brothers Grimm,Constable&Co.,London,1920
129.LOUISRHEAD(1857–1926)Han’s Andersen’s Fairy Tales and Wonder Stories, Harper &Bros.,NewYorkandLondon,1914
137.WILLIAMHEATHROBINSON(1872–1944)HansAndersen’sFairyTales,Constable&Co.,London,1913
145.CHARLESROBINSON(1870–1937)TheHappyPrinceandOtherTalesbyOscarWilde,Duckworth&Co.,London,1913
149.HELENSTRATTON(active1891-1925)TheFairyTalesofHansChristianAndersen,Truslove,Hanson&Comba,Ltd.,London,1899
157.HANSTEGNER(1853–1932)Fairy Tales and Stories by Hans Christian Andersen, TheCenturyCo.,NewYork,1900
165.GUSTAFTENGGREN(1888–1956)D’Aulnoy’s Fairy Tales, David McKay Company, New York,1923
171.MILOWINTER(1888–1956)Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales, Rand McNally & Company,Chicago,1916
ThePlates
ELENOREABBOTT,1875-1935
Grimm’sFairyTales,1920TheWildSwansandOtherStories,1922
Opposite:Theking’sdaughterhadbeencarriedawaybyadragon“TheFourAccomplishedBrothers,”Grimm’sFairyTales
ELENOREABBOTT,1920
Elenore Plaisted Abbott was born in Maine. She studied in Philadelphia andParis, and was one of a handful of American illustrators who had the goodfortunetostudywithacclaimedcommercialillustratorHowardPyle,whowasaprofessor at Drexel University at the turn of the century. Abbott developed astrongcareerintheillustrationofbooks(suchasGrimm’sFairyTalesandSwissFamilyRobinson)andmagazines(SaturdayEveningPostandScribner’s,amongothers). She painted images for many stories, and fairy tales were a favoritesubject.
“Rustleandshakeyourself,deartree,Andsilverandgoldthrowdowntome”“Cinderella,”Crimm’sFairyTalesELENOREABBOTT,1920
Shelookedaround,andsawsixswanscomeflyingthroughtheair“TheSixSwans,”Grimm’sFairyTalesELENOREABBOTT,1920
ThegriffincarriedthemovertheRedSea“TheSoaringLark,”Grimm’sFairyTalesELENOREABBOTT,1920
“Earthmen,comeup!”“TheTwoKing’sChildren,”Grimm’sFairyTalesELENOREABBOTT,1920
TheWildSwansTheWildSwansandOtherStories
ELENOREABBOTT,1922
TheMarshKing’sDaughterTheWildSwansandOtherStoriesELENOREABBOTT,1922
Opposite:TheRedShoes“TheRedShoes,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
MABELLUCIEATTWELL,1914
MABELLUCIEATTWELL,1873-1964
HansAndersen’sFairyTales,1914A successful artist whose work appeared in magazines, advertisements, andchildren’s books, British illustrator Mabel Attwell developed a visual“trademark” in her depiction of children—the cherub—that made her workinstantly recognizable. This imagery served her well, as her work foundapplications invariedmarketsandproducts, fromcalendars todolls tonurseryitems.Attwell’s illustrationsappeared ina long listofchildren’s literature thatwe regard as classics today, including such tales asCharlesKingsley’sWaterBabiesandLewisCarroll’sAliceinWonderland.J.M.BarriehimselfrequestedthatAttwellillustrateagifteditionofPeterPanandWendyin1921.
TheWildSwans“TheWildSwans,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
MABELLUCIEATTWELL,1914
TheTinder-Box“TheTinder-Box,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
MABELLUCIEATTWELL,1914
Thumbelina“Thumbelina,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
MABELLUCIEATTWELL,1914
LittleTuk“LittleTuk,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
MABELLUCIEATTWELL,1914
LittleIda’sFlowers“LittleIda’sFlowers,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
MABELLUCIEATTWELL,1914
TheLittleMermaid“TheLittleMermaid,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
MABELLUCIEATTWELL,1914
Opposite:ThePrincess...couldnotspeakaword.
Atlength,however,shegotupandgaveJohnherhand“TheTravellingCompanion,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
A.DUNCANCARSE,1912
A.DUNCANCARSE,1876–1938
HansAndersen’sFairyTales,1912LittledocumentationexistsforthisBritishwatercolorist,whooftenpaintedfairytale subjects. This volume of Andersen illustrations is by far Carse’s mostenduringwork,andgenerallyisthemostavailable.
WheretheGardenofParadisewastobefound,ofthattherewasnotawordinhisbooks
“TheGardenofParadise,”HansAndersen’sFairyTalesA.DUNCANCARSE,1912
“Buthehasnothingon,”saidatlengthalittlechild“TheEmperor’sNewClothes,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
A.DUNCANCARSE,1912
Shecaredonlyforabeautifullittlestatueofaboy,ofpurewhitemarble“TheLittleMermaid,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
A.DUNCANCARSE,1912
Thefarmeropenedthelidalittleandlookedin“LittleKlausandBigKlaus,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
A.DUNCANCARSE,1912
Anewcoachofpuregolddrewupatthedoor“TheSnowQueen,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
A.DUNCANCARSE,1912
ThewholeCourtwaspresenteventothelittlekitchenwench“TheNightingale,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
A.DUNCANCARSE,1912
Opposite:KayandtheSnowQueen“TheSnowQueen,”FairyTalesfromHansAndersenHARRYCLARKE,1916
HARRYCLARKE,1889–1931
FairyTalesfromHansAndersen,1916The Irish artist Harry Clarke got his start in design through his father, anaccomplished stained-glass craftsman. Though the younger Clarke is morewidely recognized today as an illustrator, it was stained-glass design thatremainedhisforte;hefocusedmostofhisenergiesonitduringhisbriefcareer.The illustrations thatClarkeproducedoften are suggestiveof stainedglass, asthey include large, flat expanses of color. Clarke’s bookwork showcases hisstrongdesignsense,aswellasadrawingstylethatisoftencomparedtothatofAubreyBeardsleyandKayNeilsen.Allthreeartistsweregreatlyinfluencedbythe commercial arts of the period.Between 1913 and 1928,Clarke completedworkonsixmajorbooks,ofwhichAndersen’sTaleswasthefirst.
SheshouldbeQueenofalltheFlowers“Thumbelina,”FairyTalesfromHansAndersen
HARRYCLARKE,1916
TheArtificialBirdhaditsplaceonasilkencushionclosetotheEmperor’sbed
“TheNightingale,”FairyTalesfromHansAndersenHARRYCLARKE,1916
“Haveyoureallythecouragetogointothewideworldwithme?”“TheShepherdessandtheChimney-sweeper,”FairyTalesfromHansAndersen
HARRYCLARKE,1916
Thewholedaytheyflewonwardthroughtheair“TheWildSwans,”FairyTalesfromHansAndersen
HARRYCLARKE,1916
Opposite:Headpiece“TheLambtonWorm,”Fairy-Gold:ABookofOldEnglishFairyTales
HERBERTCOLE,1906
HERBERTCOLE,1867-1930
Fairy-Gold:ABookofOldEnglishFairyTales,1906Aprolificmagazineillustratorwhomadethejumptoillustratedbooksattheendof thenineteenth-century,HerbertColeproducedworkfornumerous titles thathavebecomeclassics,suchastheRubaiyatofOmarKhayyam,TheRimeoftheAncientMariner,andTheMemoirsofSherlockHolmes.MostofCole’ssubjects,however,werenotchildren’sfare;the1906editionofcollectedEnglishtalesisoneofthefewColetitlestobesoldasachildren’sbook,althoughhisworkhasadecidedly sophisticated look, not far from the pre-Raphaelite works of theperiod.Cole’smethodhereisapplywatercoloroverpencil,whilethenumerousink pieces reflected the influence of woodcut illustrations done a generationearlier.Coleproducedillustrationsuntillateinhislife,workingonnewprojectsuntil1926.
Shedreamtthattwofairknightscametoherside“TheImpTree,”Fairy-Gold:ABookofOldEnglishFairyTales
HERBERTCOLE,1906
TheGreenKnight“TheGreenKnight,”Fairy-Gold:ABookofOldEnglishFairyTales
HERBERTCOLE,1906
ThePrincessofColchester“ThePrincessofColchester,”Fairy-Gold:ABookofOldEnglishFairyTales
HERBERTCOLE,1906
Atlasthecameintoachamber/Allgiltwithgold,herehesaw,uponabed,thecurtainsofwhichwereallopen,thefairestsightthateverhebeheld“TheSleepingBeauty,”Fairy-Gold:ABookofOldEnglishFairyTales
HERBERTCOLE,1906
LittleRedRiding-Hood“LittleRedRiding-Hood,”Fairy-Gold:ABookofOldEnglishFairyTales
HERBERTCOLE,1906
FatherTimeandtheFairies“TheDefeatofTime,”Fairy-Gold:ABookofOldEnglishFairyTales
HERBERTCOLE,1906
Orfeowentintothewildernesscarryingonlyaharpforcompanion
“TheImpTree”
Intwomonthsbutaday,theKing
HasbroughthisnewQueenhome“TheLaidleyWormofSpindleston”
TheThreeBears“TheThreeBears,”
Fairy-Gold:ABookofOldEnglishFairyTalesHERBERTCOLE,1906
TheSongofCinderella“Cinderella,orTheLittleGlassSlipper,”Fairy-Gold:ABookofOldEnglish
FairyTalesHERBERTCOLE,1906
Margery’snewPairofShoes“GoodyTwo-Shoes,”GoodyTwoShoes’PictureBookWALTERCRANE,1901
WALTERCRANE,1845–1915
HouseholdStoriesbytheBrothersGrimm,1882GoodyTwoShoes’PictureBook,1901Walter Crane’s career in illustration and book design was at its peak justprevious to the Golden Age of book illustration, but he was one of its mostinfluential practitioners, and his work had a lasting impact for generations tocome.Cranewould return again and again to fairy tales andmyths as subjectmatter,andhisrepeatedsuccessesmadehimoneofbookillustration’sfirstreal“stars”—hisnamebecameasellingpointforthebookshehadworkedon.Craneabsorbed many influences in forming his style, among them Medieval andRenaissanceworksfortheirsymbolism,andJapaneseprintingforitsdistinctiveuseoflineandcolor.
TheSleepingBeauty“TheSleepingBeauty,”HouseholdStoriesbytheBrothersGrimm
WALTERCRANE,1882
TheGooseGirl“TheGooseGirl,”HouseholdStoriesbytheBrothersGrimm
WALTERCRANE,1882
FaithfulJohn“FaithfulJohn,”HouseholdStoriesbytheBrothersGrimm
WALTERCRANE,1882
Rapunzel“Rapunzel,”HouseholdStoriesbytheBrothersGrimm
WALTERCRANE,1882
TheSixSwans“TheSixSwans,”HouseholdStoriesbytheBrothersGrimm
WALTERCRANE,1882
TheWedding“TheFrogPrince,”GoodyTwoShoes’PictureBook
WALTERCRANE,1901
Snow-White“Snow-White,”HouseholdStoriesbytheBrothersGrimm
WALTERCRANE,1882
ThePrincessAttheFountain“TheFrogPrince,”GoodyTwoShoes’PictureBook
WALTERCRANE,1901
Oneafteranotherhedraggedthemfromunderthebed“LittleTomThumb,”LesContesdePerraultGUSTAVEDORÉ,1867
GUSTAVEDORÉ,1832-1883
LesContesdePerrault[Perrault’sFairyTales],1867The French artist Paul Gustave Doré created imagery for all sorts of tales—historical, romantic, satirical, religious, and, on at least one occasion, acollectionoffairy tales. In1867heproducedasetofdrawingsfor the talesofPerrault, exhibiting the elements that he had become known for: expressivefigures,atmosphericspace,andamasterfulunderstandingoflightandshadow.During the mid-nineteenth century, Doré helped determine the direction thatillustrated books would take. His extraordinary imagery helped to create amarketforhigh-qualityillustratedbooks;inthefuture,these“gift-books”wouldcollect the best illustrations and writing to provide entertainment to wideaudiences.
InthewoodLittleRedRidingHoodmetoldFatherWolf“LittleRedRidingHood,”LesContesdePerrault
GUSTAVEDORÉ,1867
Shewasastonishedtoseehowhergrandmotherlooked“LittleRedRidingHood,”LesContesdePerrault
GUSTAVEDORÉ,1867
Reclininguponabedwasaprincessofradiantbeauty“TheSleepingBeautyintheWood,”LesContesdePerrault
GUSTAVEDORÉ,1867
“Help!themarquisofCarabasisdrowning!”“TheMasterCatorPussinBoots,”LesContesdePerrault
GUSTAVEDORÉ,1867
Heperceivedthatherlittlefootslidinwithouttrouble“Cinderella,orTheLittleGlassSlipper,”LesContesdePerrault
GUSTAVEDORÉ,1867
Sheusedtocreepawaytothechimney-cornerandseatherselfamongthecinders
“Cinderella,”TheSleepingBeautyandOtherFairyTalesEDMUNDDULAC,1910
EDMUNDDULAC,1882–1953
TheSleepingBeautyandOtherFairyTales,1910StoriesfromHansAndersen,1911EdmundDulacwasamongtheelitechildren’sbookillustratorsofhisday,whenthe gift-book was at its height of popularity. From 1907 to 1918, the Frenchartistproducedscoresofimagesfortenbooks,whosecontentrangedfromfairytales topoemsbyPoe to tales from theArabianNights.Greatly influencedbytheprintsanddrawingsthathehadenjoyedinhisyouth,Dulachadhighregardfor imagery from Eastern tales and subjects. Later in his career, these storiesbecamea specialtyof the “star illustrator” atLondon’sHodder andStoughtonpublishing house. The work that Edmund Dulac produced for Hans ChristianAndersen’sfairytalesiswidelyconsideredtobehisbest—theseimagesarewelllovednotonly for their artistry,but alsobecause, a century later, the talesarestillmeaningfultotoday’saudiences.
“Iamspinning,prettyone,”answeredtheoldwoman,whodidnotknowwhoshewas
“SleepingBeauty,”TheSleepingBeautyandOtherFairyTalesEDMUNDDULAC,1910
Soontheycaughtsightofthecastleinthedistance“BeautyandtheBeast,”TheSleepingBeautyandOtherFairyTales
EDMUNDDULAC,1910
“Ihavehardlyclosedmyeyesthewholenight!Heavenknowswhatwasinthebed.Iseemedtobelyinguponsomehardthing,andmywholebodyis
blackandbluethismorning.Itisterrible!”“TheRealPrincess,”StoriesfromHansAndersen
EDMUNDDULAC,1911
Thereindeerdidnotdaretostop.Itranontillitcamedowntothebushwiththeredberries.ThereitputGerdadown,andkissedheronthemouth,
whilebigshiningtearstrickleddownitsface“TheSnowQueen,”StoriesfromHansAndersen
EDMUNDDULAC,1911
Thefairydroppedhershimmeringgarment,drewbackthebranches,andamomentafterwashiddenwithintheirdepths
“TheGardenofParadise,”StoriesfromHansAndersenEDMUNDDULAC,1911
Butthelittlemermaidhadnoneedtodothis,foratthemeresightofthebrightliquidwhichsparkledinherhandlikeashiningstar,theydrew
backinterror“TheMermaid,”StoriesfromHansAndersen
EDMUNDDULAC,1911
Theypointedtotheemptyloom,andthepooroldministerstaredashardashecould,buthecouldnotseeanything,forofcoursetherewasnothingto
see“TheEmperor’sNewClothes,”StoriesfromHansAndersen
EDMUNDDULAC,1911
Iusedtomeetherinthegarden,theravine,andinthemanorfields.Shewasalwayspickingflowersandherbs,thosesheknewherfather
coulduseforhealingdrinksandpotions“TheWind’sTale,”StoriesfromHansAndersen
EDMUNDDULAC,1911
Thedwarfscriedoutwithwonderandastonishment,andbroughttheirlampstolookatherandsaid,“Goodheavens!Whatalovelychildsheis”
“Snowdrop,”Grimm’sFairyTalesCHARLESFOLKARD,1911
CHARLESFOLKARD,1878-1963
Grimm’sFairyTales,1911ThelongandprolificcareerofBritishcartoonistandillustratorCharlesFolkardoutlasted that of many of his contemporaries. Folkard focused his work onimagery for a young—or young-at-heart—audience, and his successwas two-fold.WithhiscreationofTeddyTail,hebecamethefirstdaily“cartoonstrip”artistinEngland,andhisillustrationworkforchildren’sbookswasasteadypartofhisoutputthroughouthiscareer.Folkard’sfirstmulti-plategift-bookwasTheSwiss Family Robinson (1910), followed in 1911 by a definitive treatment ofPinocchio.WithhiseditionofGrimm’sFairyTales,Folkardbecamea“houseillustrator”forthepublisherA&CBlack;heproducedgift-booksforBlackforthe next twenty years. Like his work for Pinocchio, this selection of imagesgainedalonglifethroughmanyreprintsandcanstillbefoundinprintnearlyacenturylater.
Onasuddenthedooropened,andadroll-lookinglittlemanhobbledin“Rumpelstiltskin,”Grimm’sFairyTales
CHARLESFOLKARD,1911
TheGianttookthetrunkonhisshoulder,butthetailorseatedhimselfonabranch
“TheBraveLittleTailor,”Grimm’sFairyTalesCHARLESFOLKARD,1911
Whentheprinceapproachedthethornhedge,tohimitwasnothingbutbeautifulflowerswhichofferednoresistancetohisprogress
“TheSleepingBeauty,”Grimm’sFairyTalesCHARLESFOLKARD,1911
TheFrogcalledafterher,“Stay,Princess,andtakemewithyou,asyoupromised,”butshedidnotstoptohearaword
“TheFrogPrince,”Grimm’sFairyTalesCHARLESFOLKARD,1911
Butthefiddlerbeginningtoplay,shewascompelledtodancewhethershewouldornot
“RolandandhisBride,”Crimm’sFairyTalesCHARLESFOLKARD,1911
Aboutmidnighttheycamein,andweregoingtositdowntotheirworkasusual;butwhentheysawtheclotheslyingforthem
theylaughedandweregreatlydelighted“TheElvesandtheShoemaker,”Grimm’sFairyTales
CHARLESFOLKARD,1911
TheSuddendepartureofUna’sParents“UnaandtheLion,”TheRedRomanceBook
H.J.FORD,1905
HAROLDJ.FORD,1860—1941
TheGreenFairyBook,1892TheCrimsonFairyBook,1903TheBookofRomance,1903TheBrownFairyBook,1904TheRedRomanceBook,1905BytheendoftheVictorianera,beforetheideaofacolor-platebookbecameapracticalreality,H.J.Fordwasturningoutscoresofbeautifulline-artpiecesforchildren’s books. He later produced color work as well, but he is largelyremembered today for his skilful use of pen and ink. If there is any commonground among Pre-Raphaelite and Victorian painters in England and bookillustrators, H. J. Ford provides that bridge. The painter Edward Burne-Joneswas among Ford’s closest friends, and Fordwas known to sharemany of thePre-Raphaelite methods (the use of intense, jewel-like colors and abundantdetail).Aboveallelse,Fordwassensationallyprolificduringtheprimeperiodofhiscareer—thelate1880suntilWorldWarI.Alongpartnershipwithprominentfolk and fairy tale historianAndrewLang kept Ford productive for the betterpartoftwodecades,yieldingovereighteencollaborativetitlesbetweenthetwo;lateron,FordworkedoncollectionsarrangedbyLang’swidow.
SigurdmeetsHelgabytheLakeandgivesheraRing“TheHorseGullfaxiandtheSwordGunnföder,”TheCrimsonFairyBook
H.J.FORD,1903
ShepherdPaulconquersthesix-headeddragon“ShepherdPaul,”TheCrimsonFairyBook
H.J.FORD,1903
TheMermaidasksfortheKing’sChild“TheMermaidandtheBoy,”TheBrownFairyBook
H.J.FORD,1904
IlonkaleftwiththeSwineherd“LovelyIlonka,”TheCrimsonFairyBook
H.J.FORD,1903
“Listen,Listen!”saidtheMermaidtothePrince“TheMermaidandtheBoy,”TheBrownFairyBook
H.J.FORD,1904
TheKissthatgavetheVictory“ThePrinceandtheDragon,”TheCrimsonFairyBook
H.J.FORD,1903
UnasavedbytheWood-folk“UnaandtheLion,”TheRedRomanceBook
H.J.FORD,1905
GorgonzolafliesoffonherDragon“HeartofIce,”TheGreenFairyBook
H.J.FORD,1892
TheGnomefallsinlovewiththePrincess“Rübezahl,”TheBrownFairyBook
H.J.FORD,1904
LancelotbearsoffGuenevere“LancelotandGuenevere,”TheBookofRomance
H.J.FORD,1903
“AreyounotsometimescalledRumpelstilzchen?”“Rumpelstilzchen,”TheFairyBook,TheBestPopularStoriesSelectedand
RenderedAnewWARWICKGOBLE,1913
WARWICKGOBLE,1862—1943
TheFairyBook;TheBestPopularStoriesSelectedandRenderedAnew,1913TheBritishartistWarwickGoblearrivedatbookillustrationafterastrongstartasamagazineillustratorinthe1890s.Hisimportantearlyworkincludesthefirstillustrations to accompany H. G. Wells’s War of the Worlds (1897). LikeEdmundDulac,Goble had a strong interest in imagery of theFarEast, and itbecamesomethingofaspecialtyforhimlateinhiscareer.Onthestrengthofhisworkonchildren’sbooks,GoblewashiredbythepublishinghouseMacmillanas a resident illustrator in 1909; the artist thereby had an annual gift-bookassignment that allowed him to create some of his best works for titles thatsuited both his interests and his strengths. His first book assignment forMacmillanwas illustrationsforCharlesKingsley’sTheWaterBabies. Inyearstofollow,Gobleproducedimagesforavarietyoffairyandfolk-taletitles.TheFairy Book, The Best Popular Stories Selected and Rendered Anew (1913)provided the opportunity for Goble to depict some of the best classic storiesfromGrimm,Andersen,andothers.
“Isitveryfarfromhence?”askedthewolf“LittleRed-RidingHood,”TheFairyBook;TheBestPopularStoriesSelected
andRenderedAnewWARWICKCOBLE,1913
Jack...seizedthehen,andranoffwithher,...reachedthetopofthebean-stalk,whichhedescendedinsafety
“JackandtheBean-Stalk,”TheFairyBook,TheBestPopularStoriesSelectedandRenderedAnew
WARWICKGOBLE,1913
“Youhavebuttogivemeasack,andapairofbootssuchasgentlemenwearwhentheygoshooting”
“PussinBoots,”TheFairyBook,TheBestPopularStoriesSelectedandRenderedAnew
WARWICKGOBLE,1913
Theking’sdaughterwasoverjoyedwhenshebeheldherprettyplaythingagain,pickeditup,andranawaywithit
“TheFrog-Prince,”TheFairyBook;TheBestPopularStoriesSelectedandRenderedAnew
WARWICKGOBLE,1913
Theywereveryfriendly,however,andinquiredhername.“Snowdrop,”answeredshe
“LittleSnowdrop,”TheFairyBook;TheBestPopularStoriesSelectedandRenderedAnew
WARWICKGOBLE,1913
Stoppingbesideafountain,sheletherhairfallloose,anddippedherwearyfeetinthecoolwater
“TheBlueBird,”TheFairyBook;TheBestPopularStoriesSelectedandRenderedAnew
WARWICKGOBLE,1913
There,oneday,heheardavoice,andpresentlyafterwassurprisedbytheappearanceofamermaid
“TheYellowDwarf,”TheFairyBook,TheBestPopularStoriesSelectedandRenderedAnew
WARWICKGOBLE,1913
Thequeenthrewoneoftheshirtsovereachofthem,andwhentheshirtstouchedtheirbodies,theywerechangedintoswans,andflewawayover
thewood“TheSixSwans,”TheFairyBook;TheBestPopularStoriesSelectedand
RenderedAnewWARWICKGOBLE,1913
Hehadsilvermailandasilversaddleandbridle“ThePrincessontheGlassHill,”NorseFairyTales
ReginaldKnowles,1910
REGINALDKNOWLES,1879—1950
NorseFairyTales,1910Along with his brother Horace, Reginald Knowles created some memorableimages for this collection of Norse fairy tales. Their work together offeredglimpses of the fairy realm or of heroic topics (if not a hybrid of the two).Decoration was also a constant element in Knowles’s books, and Reginald’sworkasabookdesignerwasoftencharacterizedbyornatescrollworkordelicateleaf forms. When given the opportunity to combine his decorative andillustrative arts, as in the title page of this source volume, Reginald Knowlesproducedtrulyuniquepieces.
BootsandthePrincessoutwittingtheTroll“BootsandtheTroll,”NorseFairyTales
ReginaldKnowles,1910
TheSquirrel,messengeroftheNorseGods,carryingtalesbetweentheDragonwhoguardstheWellofKnowledge,andtheEaglewhodwellsinthe
mystictreeYggdrasil,beneathwhosebranchessittheThreeNornsspinningthefatesof
menTitlepage,NorseFairyTales
ReginaldKnowlesandHoraceKnowles,1910
“FireandFlame!”screamedtheOgre“Shortshanks,”NorseFairyTales
ReginaldKnowles,1910
“Mindandholdtighttomyshaggycoat,andthenthere’snothingtofear,”saidtheBear
“Easto’thesunandWesto’theMoon,”NorseFairyTalesReginaldKnowles,1910
Theweddingprocession“TheBestWish,”NorseFairyTales
ReginaldKnowles,1910
TheyoungKingcameridingacrossthemoorandsawher(LeftandRight)“TheTwelveWildDucks,”NorseFairyTales
ReginaldKnowles,1910
Theweddingprocession“TheBestWish,”NorseFairyTales
ReginaldKnowles,1910
Wheneverythingwasready,downcametheTrolls(LeftandRight)“TheCatontheDovrefell,”NorseFairyTales
ReginaldKnowles,1910
“Tellmetheway,then,”shesaid,“andI’llsearchyouout”“EastoftheSunandWestoftheMoon,”EastoftheSunandWestoftheMoon
KayNielsen,1914
KAYNIELSEN,1886—1957
EastoftheSunandWestoftheMoon,1914InPowderandCrinoline,1913LikeHansChristianAndersen,KayNielsenwasasonofDenmark.Andersen’stales, aswell asNorse sagas,wereapartofNielsen’s childhood, and it isnotsurprising that they were the subjects of some of his large-scale projects.Nielsen’sstylizedillustrationscombineratherflatfiguresinornatesettings,withahintofartdecodesign.Aloveofdecorationalsoplayedamajorroleinhisart,expressedthroughavibrantvarietyofpatterns.AfterWorldWarI,therewasadecrease in quality book production, and Kay Nielsen tried his hand at stagedesignbeforeproducingseveralmorebookprojectsinthelate1920sandearly’30s.
TheNorthWindgoesoverthesea“EastoftheSunandWestoftheMoon,”EastoftheSunandWestoftheMoon
KayNielsen,1914
Thenhecoaxedherdownandtookherhome“TheLassieandHerGodmother,”EastoftheSunandWestoftheMoon
KayNielsen,1914
Sothemangavehimapairofsnowshoes“TheThreePrincessesofWhiteland,”EastoftheSunandWestoftheMoon
KayNielsen,1914
TheKingwentintotheCastle,andatfirsthisQueendidn’tknowhim,hewassowanandthin,throughwanderingsofarandbeingsowoeful
“TheThreePrincessesofWhiteland,”EastoftheSunandWestoftheMoonKayNielsen,1914
TheLadintheBattle“TheWidow’sSon,”EastoftheSunandWestoftheMoon
KayNielsen,1914
AndthereonathroneallcoveredwithblacksattheIronKing“Minon-Minette,”InPowderandCrinoline
KayNielsen,1913
PrincessMinon-MinetteridesoutintheworldtofindPrinceSouci“Minon-Minette,”InPowderandCrinoline
KayNielsen,1913
“Don’tdrink!”criedoutthelittlePrincess,springingtoherfeet;“Iwouldrathermarryagardener!”
“TheTwelveDancingPrincesses,”InPowderandCrinolineKayNielsen,1913
“Ifthatwillsuityou,wewillsitdownandeatittogether.”Sotheysatdown“TheGoldenGoose,”Grimm’sFairyTales
NOELPOCOCK,n.d.
NOELPOCOCK,1880—1955
Grimm’sFairyTales,(n.d.)The work of Noel Pocock (active 1910—1930) displays the influence of theAmericanillustratorMaxfieldParrish.Centeredheavilyonthefigure,Pocock’swork reveals a realistic treatment, despite the exaggerated emotions andexpression;smalltouchesofpatternandcoloralsopullintheviewer’sattention.The simple settings of Pocock’s illustrations are enhanced by a canny use oflightingtoadddimensionindarklywoodedareas.
Ashewastravelingthroughawood,hemetanoldwoman,whoaskedhimwherehewasgoing
“TheTwelveDancingPrincesses,”Grimm’sFairyTalesNOELPOCOCK,n.d.
Theysaidhewasathief,andtookhimtotheJudge“TheGratefulBeasts,”Grimm’sFairyTales
NOELPOCOCK,n.d.
Sohestoodbeforethemusicianwithhisgreataxe“TheWonderfulMusician,”Grimm’sFairyTales
NOELPOCOCK,n.d.
WhenFrederickandCatherinecamedown,theretheyfoundalltheirmoneysafeandsound
“FrederickandCatherine,”Grimm’sFairyTalesNOELPOCOCK,n.d.
Theguardofthegatestopthim,andaskedwhattradehefollowed“TheGiantwiththeThreeGoldenHairs,”Grimm’sFairyTales
NOELPOCOCK,n.d.
Ashelookedaroundtherestoodabovehimononeoftherocksalittledwarf“TheWaterofLife,”Grimm’sFairyTales
NOELPOCOCK,n.d.
“Somebodyhasbeenatmyporridge,andhaseatenitallup!”“TheStoryoftheThreeBears,”EnglishFairyTales
ARTHURRACKHAM,1918
ARTHURRACKHAM,1867—1939
TheAllies’FairyBook,1916EnglishFairyTales,1918SnowdropandOtherTalesbytheBrothersGrimm,1920HanselandGrethelandOtherTalesbytheBrothersGrimm,1920If there were a leading figure among the illustrators of fairy-tale books, itcertainlywouldbetheBritishartistArthurRackham.Startinghiscareerslowlyandwithcaution,Rackhamneverthelessemergedfromnewspaperandmagazinework in1905withan industry-changing treatmentofWashington Irving’s taleRipVanWinkle,whichcontainedanunprecedentedfifty-onecolorplates.Thesuccessofthisbookhelpedcreatethemarketforwhichmanyoftheseillustratedbookswere produced—the gift-book. For the next decade and later,Rackhamcreated lavishly illustrated books for each holiday season; he earned a lastingreputationforhissubtlecolorpaletteandexpressivelinework.
Thedragonflewoutandcaughtthequeenontheroadandcarriedheraway“TheGoldenApple-TreeandtheNinePeahens,”TheAllies’FairyBook
ARTHURRACKHAM,1916
Takingthekeysofthecastle,Jackunlockedallthedoors“JacktheGiant-Killer,”EnglishFairyTales
ARTHURRACKHAM,1918
TheyfoundthePrincessstillontherock,butthedragonwasasleepwithhisheadonherlap
“TheFourCleverBrothers,”SnowdropandOtherTalesbytheBrothersGrimmARTHURRACKHAM,1920
“OGrandmother,whatbigearsyouhavegot,”shesaid“RedRidingHood,”HanselandGrethelandOtherTalesbytheBrothers
GrimmARTHURRACKHAM,1920
Headpiece“TheOldManandhisGrandson”
HanselandGrethelandOtherTalesbytheBrothersGrimmARTHURRACKHAM,1920
TheThirteenthFairy“BriarRose,”SnowdropandOtherTalesbytheBrothersGrimm
ARTHURRACKHAM,1920
Headpiece“WhatCameofPickingFlowers,”TheAllies’FairyBook
ARTHURRACKHAM,1916
TheKingcouldnotcontainhimselfforjoy“BriarRose,”SnowdropandOtherTalesbytheBrothersGrimm
ARTHURRACKHAM,1920
Detail,Endpiece“TheDogandtheSparrow,”HanselandGrethelandOtherTalesbythe
BrothersGrimmARTHURRACKHAM,1920
Therestandsanoldtree;cutitdown,andyouwillfindsomethingattheroots“TheGoldenGoose,”SnowdropandOtherTalesbytheBrothersGrimm
ARTHURRACKHAM,1920
TheGoldenCastleofStromberg“TheRaven,”HanselandGrethelandOtherTalesbytheBrrothersGrimm
ARTHURRACKHAM,1920
IntheeveningthesevenDwarfscameback“Snowdrop,”SnowdropandOtherTalesbytheBrothersGrimm
ARTHURRACKHAM,1920
Detail,Endpiece“TheBattleoftheBirds,”TheAllies’FairyBook
ARTHURRACKHAM,1916
TheDwarfs,whentheycameintheevening,foundSnowdroplyingontheground
“Snowdrop,”SnowdropandOtherTalesbytheBrothersGrimmARTHURRACKHAM,1920
[He]blewhimselfuplikeashipinfullsail“TheUglyDuckling,”HansAndersen’sFairyTalesandWonderStories
LouisRHEAD,1914
LOUISRHEAD,1857—1926
HansAndersen’sFairyTalesandWonderStories,1914Born in England and educated both at home and in Paris, Louis Rhead wasworkingasanillustratorinAmericabythemid1880s.Rheaddiscoveredthathe
had a real talent for poster design, and he received poster assignments frommany of the leading New York publications. As the publishing boom turnedtowardsillustratedbooks,Louisandhisbrothers,GeorgeandFrederick,adaptedtheirstylesandfoundassignmentsillustratingclassicstoriesforthenexttwentyyears. After 1900, book illustration became Louis Rhead’s primary creativefocus. Rhead produced illustrations for hundreds of black-and-white pieces inbooks such asSwissFamilyRobinson, Treasure Island, Tales ofKingArthur,Robin Hood, and the selection of pieces, presented here, from his HansAndersen’sFairyTalesandWonderStories.Rhead’scolorworkwasunusualinthatfull-sizelinepiecesofcolorimageswereprintedelsewhereinthebook.
GerdasaidfarewelltotheRobber-MaidenTheSnow-Queen,”HansAndersen’sFairyTalesandWonderStories
LOUISRHEAD,1914
NothingbutthecryingofaLittleChild“TheIce-Maiden,”HansAndersen’sFairyTalesand
WonderStoriesLOUISRHEAD,1914
Hereshesatandgazedfixedlydown
“TheIce-Maiden,”HansAndersen’sFairyTalesandWonderStories
LouisRHEAD,1914
“Comeundermybearskin,”saidtheSnow-Queen“TheSnow-Queen,”HansAndersen’sFairyTalesandWonderStories
LOUISRHEAD,1914
[They]lookedintoeachother’seyesandheldeachother’shands“TheIce-Maiden,”HansAndersen’sFairyTalesandWonderStories
LOUISRHEAD,1914
[He]heldontillhisfoottouchedtheladder“TheIce-Maiden,”HansAndersen’sFairyTalesandWonderStories
LOUISRHEAD,1914
Theyswambeforetheshipsandsanglovelysongs“TheLittleSea-Maid,”HansAndersen’sFairyTalesandWonderStories
LOUISRHEAD,191
“Thiscomesofwishingtohavecleanshoes”“TheGirlwhotroduponbread,”
HansAndersen’sFairyTalesandWonderStoriesLOUISRHEAD,1914
Invitedtoafamilyconcert“TheToad,”HansAndersen’sFairyTalesand
WonderStoriesLOUISRHEAD,1914
Thumblingstoodatthedoorandbeggedforabitofbarleycorn.“Youpoorlittlecreature,”saidthefield-mouse
“Thumbling,”HansAndersen’sFairyTalesandWonderStoriesLOUISRHEAD,1914
“Hedidnotcometowooher,”hesaid,“Hehadonlycometohearthewisdomoftheprincess”“TheSnowQueen,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
WILLIAMHEATHROBINSON,1913
WILLIAMHEATHROBINSON,1872
—1944
HansAndersen’sFairyTales,1913For the Robinson brothers, illustration was a family business.William HeathRobinson was the youngest of the three brothers, all of whom followed theirfather into the graphic arts, particularly illustration. William was by mostmeasures the most successful of the three: Not only did he have a good runproducing illustrations for the gift-book market during the early twentiethcentury,butheisevenmorehighlyregardedfortheingeniouscomicshedrewinthe years between thewars—a timewhen the popularity of the gift-book haddeclined, and many illustrators had drifted away from artistic endeavors.WilliamHeathRobinson’s book illustrationwork, especially for fairy tales, isamongthebest-lovedimageryoftheera.
Thebudopenedintoafull-blownflower,inthemiddleofwhichlayabeautifulchild
“TheMarshKing’sDaughter,”HansAndersen’sFairyTalesWILLIAMHEATHROBINSON,1913
Shestoodatthedoorandbeggedforapieceofbarley-corn“Tommelise,”HansAndersen’sFairyTalesWILLIAMHEATHROBINSON,1913
Itwashewhopulledherdown“TheMarshKing’sDaughter,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
WILLIAMHEATHROBINSON,1913
Father-stork“TheStorks,”HansAndersen’sFairyTalesWILLIAMHEATHROBINSON,1913
Thesonlivedmerrily
“TheFlyingTrunk,”HansAndersen’sFairyTalesWILLIAMHEATHROBINSON,1913
“Yes,Iwillgowiththee!”saidTommelise,andsheseatedherselfonthebird’sback
“Tommelise,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
WILLIAMHEATHROBINSON,1913
TheWildSwans“TheWildSwans,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
WILLIAMHEATHROBINSON,1913
Princesseshefoundinplenty,butwhethertheywererealprincessesitwasimpossibleforhimtodecide.
“TheRealPrincess,”HansAndersen’sFairyTalesWILLIAMHEATHROBINSON,1913
Therichmakingmerryintheirbeautifulhouses,whilethebeggarsweresittingatthegates
“TheHappyPrince,”TheHappyPrinceandOtherTalesbyOscarWildeCHARLESROBINSON,1913
CHARLESROBINSON,1870—1937
TheHappyPrinceandOtherTalesbyOscarWilde,1913DuringtheGoldenAgeofillustration,therewasaninterestin“new”illustratedstories, aswell as thewell-known tales ofGrimm,Andersen, and Perrault. Asmallgroupofthese“new”taleshavebecomeclassicstous,acenturylater.Forexample,OscarWilde’s collectionTheHappyPrince hadbeen inprintonlyaquarter of a centurywhenCharlesRobinson,WilliamHeathRobinson’s olderbrother, took it on as an illustration assignment in 1913—the same year thatWilliam produced images for the tales ofHans ChristianAndersen. Charles’sworkhereisdecidedlymoremature,betterdevelopedandrefinedthanmuchofthework being done for comparable titles of the time. Themiddle son of thethreeRobinsonboys,Charleshadastrongcareerinillustration,creatingartformorethansixtytitlesinaspanofmorethanthirtyyears.
TheloveliestoftheQueen’smaidsofhonour“TheHappyPrince,”TheHappyPrinceandOtherTalesbyOscarWilde
CHARLESROBINSON,1913
TheRussianPrincess“TheRemarkableRocket,”TheHappyPrinceandOtherTalesbyOscarWilde
CHARLESROBINSON,1913
“WhatamiserablecreatureIam!”sobbedtheprincess“TheLittleSwineherd,”TheFairyTalesofHansChristianAndersen
HELENSTRATTON,1899
HELENSTRATTON,ACTIVE1891—
1925
TheFairyTalesofHansChristianAndersen,1899London-basedHelenStrattonwasconsideredtobeatthepeakofhercareerwithherillustrationsforacollectionoffairytalesbyHansChristianAndersen.Thiswork presented more than four hundred pen-and-ink illustrations by Stratton,rangingfromsmallornamentalvignettes tocomplexfull-pageandmulti-figurepieces.Inmanyoftheseimages,Strattonrevealstheinfluenceofthecommercialwork of the period, with Art Nouveau—inspired forms appearing within herimagery.Strattonproducedillustrationsforanumberofwell-receivededitions,including The Arabian Nights, George MacDonald’s The Princess and theGoblinandThePrincessandCurdie,andJeanLang’sTheBookofMyths.
Itwastheoldsoldier“TheRedShoes,”TheFairyTalesofHansChristianAndersen
HELENSTRATTON,1899
“What’sthat?”saidthewoman,lookinground“TheUglyDuckling,”TheFairyTalesofHansChristianAndersen
HELENSTRATTON,1899
[Theking]heldherbeforehimonhishorse“TheWildSwans,”TheFairyTalesof
HansChristianAndersenHELENSTRATTON,1899
BythattimetheyhadreachedLapland“TheSnowQueen,”TheFairyTalesof
HansChristianAndersenHELENSTRATTON,1899
TheswanscarriedEliseawayfromtherock“TheWildSwans,”TheFairyTalesofHansChristianAndersen
HELENSTRATTON,1899
FromeverytreehungthreeorfourKings’sons,whohadwooedtheprincess,buthadbeenunabletoguessherriddles
“TheFellow-Traveller,”TheFairyTalesofHansChristianAndersenHELENSTRATTON,1899
Andwhatwasmoredelightfulstill,thegoosejumpeddownfromthedish,andwaddledalongtheground,withaknifeandforkinitsbreast,uptothepoor
girl“TheLittleMatch-Girl,”TheFairyTalesofHansChristianAndersen
HELENSTRATTON,1899
Oneeveninghetoldastory...whichgreatlyimpressedthem“UndertheWillow,”TheFairyTalesofHansChristianAndersen
HELENSTRATTON,1899
Headpiece“TheTinder-Box,”FairyTalesandStoriesbyHansChristianAndersen
HANSTEGNER,1900
HANSTEGNER,1853—1932
FairyTalesandStoriesbyHansChristianAndersen,1900ThestunningrangedisplayedwithintheimagesbyHansTegnerpresentedhereisunmatched forworkbya single artist.Reflecting the experimentationbeingdoneinprintingattheturnofthecentury,Tegner’sillustrationsareprintedinavariety of dark colors, as well as being reproduced in a number ofmediums.While most of these plates are engravings done after paintings, there arereproductions of line-art drawings as well. Tegner (1853—1932), a well-respected artist in his homelandofDenmark and a renowned illustrator of theworksofHansChristianAndersen,hashadaninfluenceonfuturegenerationsofartists.
TheKingledJohannesoutintothePrincess’sgarden.Ineverytreehungthreeorfourskeletonsofprinceswhohadwooedtheprincess
“TheTravelingCompanion,”FairyTalesandStoriesbyHansChristianAndersen
HANSTEGNER,1900
Johannesuntiedhishandkerchiefandshowedtheprincesstheuglyheadofthetroll
“TheTravelingCompanion,”FairyTalesandStoriesbyHansChristianAndersen
HANSTEGNER,1900
Itwasoneofthetavernsofthosedays.Anumberofpeople,consistingofskippers,citizens,andlearnedpersonagesweresittingthere“TheGaloshesofFortune,”FairyTalesandStoriesbyHansChristian
AndersenHANSTEGNER,1900
Themaidsofhonorweresotakenupwithcountingthekissesthattheydidnotnoticetheemperor
“TheSwineherd,”FairyTalesandStoriesbyHansChristianAndersenHANSTEGNER,1900
TheLapwomanandtheFinwoman“TheSnowQueen,”FairyTalesandStoriesbyHansChristianAndersen
HANSTEGNER,1900
Headpiece“ThePrincessandthePea,”FairyTalesandStoriesbyHansChristian
AndersenHANSTEGNER,1900
“Ihadallthetwelvenew-bornwill-o’-the-wispsinmylap,”saidtheWomanfromtheMarsh
“TheWill-O’-the-WispsareinTown,”FairyTalesandStoriesbyHansChristianAndersenHANSTEGNER,1900
Heperceivedahorriblerock,asblackasink,andthenextminuteoneofthedragonscastingoutfirefromhismouth
“TheFairwithGoldenHair,”D‘Aulnoy’sFairyTalesGUSTAFTENGGREN,1923
GUSTAFTENGGREN,1888—1956
D’Aulnoy’sFairyTales,1923The Swedish artist Gustaf Tenggren arrived late to the Golden Age of bookillustration. When he entered the field professionally, he followed the leadcarved by Rackham, Dulac, and the Robinson brothers. By the mid-1920s,however, themarket for lavishly produced gift-bookswas beginning towane.Tenggren sought out opportunities in a multitude of areas, including books,magazines,andadvertising.In1936histalentswererecognizedbyWaltDisneyStudios; Tenggren was hired to work with on significant animated films,includingSnowWhite andPinocchio.AfterTenggren leftDisney, in1939,hisapproach to illustration was much simpler, possibly due to his successfulinvolvement with animation. Tenggren continued to flourish as a children’s-bookillustratorinthe1940sand’50s,butneverreturnedtotherichcomplexitythathedisplayedinhisearlierwork.
Somebodymusthavestolenmygoodwineandputinitsplacethesetrifles“GracieuseandPercinet,”D’Aulnoy’sFairyTales
GUSTAFTENGGREN,1923
Sheopenedtheboxandimmediatelyoutcameaquantityoflittlemen“GracieuseandPercinet,”D’Aulnoy’sFairyTales
GUSTAFTENGGREN,1923
Herecognizedinherthesamebeingwhosebeautyhehadadmiredinthegallery
“TheGoldenBranch,”D’Aulnoy’sFairyTalesGUSTAFTENGGREN,1923
Iknowyouwellqueen,andIknowthefearthatyouarein“TheYellowDwarf,”D‘Aulnoy’sFairyTales
GUSTAFTENGGREN,1923
“Shallweexchange?”hesaidtotheownerofthesheep“WhatevertheOldManDoesIsAlwaysRight,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
MILOWINTER,1916
MILOWINTER,1888—1956
HansAndersen’sFairyTales,1916
AsanAmericanillustratorwhobuiltupalonglistofclassictitles,MiloWinterproducedworkthathadamorecomicedgethanmanyofhiscontemporaries;healso possessed a colorful palette and showed a real talent for storytelling.OriginallyfromPrinceton,Illinois,WinterattendedtheChicagoArtInstituteandthenwentontoalongcareerinchildren’sbooks.Heisbestrememberedtodayfor the work he did on the RandMcNally children’s book line. These bookscontainedscoresofcolorillustrations,manyembeddedwithinthetext,aswellaslarger plates. TheRandMcNally series includedAesop’s Fables, theArabianNights,Alice inWonderland, andGulliver’sTravels.After a long andprolificcareerasanillustrator,WinterbecameanarteditorforChildcraftin1947.
Thatcertainlywasapleasuretrip!“OléLuköié,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
MILOWINTER,1916
“Comeintomywarmroomanddinewithme”“Thumbelina,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
MILOWINTER,1916
Theswanlaidhisheadinherlapandshestrokeditswhitewings“TheWildSwans,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
MILOWINTER,1916
ThepoorDucklingwasscoffedatbythewholeyard“TheUglyDuckling,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
MILOWINTER,1916
HearrivedinthelandoftheTurks“TheFlyingTrunk,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
MILOWINTER,1916
TheWatchmantraveledtothemoon“Fortune’sOvershoes,”HansAndersen’sFairyTales
MILOWINTER,1916