Girl planting in garden, 1923

  This girl is working hard to get the soil ready for planting - and in a dress and bonnet, no less!  She hasn't even seemed to notice the butterflies fluttering around her, encouraging her to plant something pollinator-friendly. (Or at least that's what I imagine they'd be whispering!)

   This illustration, from "Surprise Stories" by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey, was published in 1923. And it's no surprise that Florence E. Nosworthy (also known as Florence Pearl England) did a great job here - she always does! (Yes, I make bad jokes and puns way too often, I've been told...)

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Children on a wooden fence, 1910

  I imagine these children are siblings (look at those heads of curls!), but maybe that's just me. In any case, they're having great fun and are full of smiles. (Well, we don't know Baby's expression - probably pride from making it up on the fence like the "big kids"!)

  This illustration is from the book "Little Sunbeams", a collection of children's stories edited by Edric Vredenburg. The wise minds at the Digital Archive Ontario estimate it was published around 1910.

  All I know for certain about the artist is that their initials are "M.B." Which doesn't narrow it down much. Another image, below, that caught my eye has the same initials. Which proves another thing - M.B. is talented (fact) and his or her depictions of children are oh-so-charming (okay, that one's my opinion...but I'm right!). 

  Both these images are free of copyright and can be used however you wish - share, modify, print...have a blast! Click on an image for a larger version, and then save to your computer. 

Edited to add: M.B. could very possibly be May Bowley! Comment if you have any confirmation or other suggestions - I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Girl planting seeds, 1906

  

   We're still in the season when it seems everyone is talking about gardening, planting, and the flowers they're hoping to see. I'm not one of these people. Sure, flowers are great, but bugs, worms, dirt...um, no thanks!

  Still, I loved this illustration from a 1906 book for early readers. The little girl is concentrating so hard on digging the perfect hole to plant her seeds. Artist Bessie Collins Pease (later Gutmann) captured her intensity perfectly. 

  I'd love to hear - are you a dig-in-the-garden person or an admire-flowers-from-a-distance type? 

Two girls playing dolls, 1890s

   I'm not usually one to care about fashion, or, really, even notice it too much. But the dress and little boots on the girl with the braids drew my attention...and then I saw that adorable little pram! I would have *loved* one of those when I was little. (Or now...just saying!)

   This is from a book called "A Christmas Box of Pretty Stories". The artist is unknown to me; even the authors of the stories here go uncredited. All I can say for sure is that it was published by McLoughlin Bros. in New York, probably in the 1890s. The same image also appears in "The Book of Dollies" by Mary E. Gellie, published in 1890. 

  This image is out of copyright and can be altered, shared, crafted with...anything you want! Click on the image to see a larger version and then save and enjoy! 

Little girl plays pretend messenger, 1888

What a little cutie! Dressed in fairy wings and pulling a basket filled with packages, this girl is rocking the pretend play. The caption of this image, in adorable little-kid speak, reads, 

"I'm a messender, you see, 

Fwom Hymen's Expwess Tumpany."

  This illustration, by Jessie McDermott, is from the 1888 children’s novel, “Clover”, the fourth installment of Susan Coolidge’s "What Katy Did" series.

  (Check out McDermott's cool monogram in the lower-left corner. I love and hate these monograms. They're neat, but so difficult to decipher if you don't already know the artist! Okay, that's my rant of the day...)

  And I have another one to share - same illustrator from the same book. 

  A young girl holding a doll watches two women examine a piece of cloth. 

  These images are out of copyright. They can be used freely, however you like. Click on each to see a larger version, then save to your computer.

Happy Children Jumping, 1880

   This is a little illustration, but it really jumped out at me (no pun intended!).

   In it, a young child jumps into the arms of a man - maybe a father or a grandfather, hopefully not a random stranger...- while two other children (I'm thinking siblings) wait their turn. They are happy and, what struck me most, secure in the fact that Dad (Grandpa? Uncle?) will catch them safely. 

   Even a doggo is trying to get in on the fun!

   This one was published in the "Little Folks Reader", 1880. It was captioned “The Little German Children” and accompanied a story called “What I Saw in Boston”.

   I just love that such a seemingly simple illustration can have so many layers to it.

Victorian-era Ads - Beautiful Typography, circa 1852-1876

   I came across some gorgeous typography in an old scrapbook at the Library Company of Philadelphia's online collection. My only regret is that some of the images were too blurry to share here. (Despite my best attempts to enhance them!) 

   But, on the plus side, I did find some great ones to share! 

   Specifically, these are from a scrapbook of print specimens and proofs dated circa 1852 to circa 1876. The library infers that they were "probably compiled by a printer associated with the Philadelphia lithographic firm Stein & Jones." Okay, we'll go with that. 

   McKnight & Co. boasts of their "chemically pure...lead" paint. You don't see that anymore! 

  I don't know about you, but I would have been tempted to stop by Williams & Coons to check out their "Fancy Goods". And not because of their lovely ad. Okay, not just because of that.

  All images are in the public domain. Click any image for a larger version, then save and enjoy! 

Children Dancing Around Maypole, 1910

  These children are enjoying a fun May Day with a dance around the maypole!

  This fun illustration was featured on the first page of the short story, "A May Day in the Great City", from the book "Little Sunbeams", published by Raphael Tuck & Sons, circa 1910.

  I was not able to determine with any certainty who the initials "A.L.B" refer to. (So frustrating!) If you have a suggestion, I'd love to hear it! 

Victorian Family, 1896

  This is an illustration by Bertha G. Davidson, used as the frontispiece for the book "The Merry Five" by Shirley Penn, published in 1896. 

  I'd always wanted a large family like this, full of siblings. Though being a sensitive child who needed my quiet time, this was a completely illogical wish! Still, this sweet image conjures up all kinds of homey, loving vibes.

  This image is in the public domain and can be used freely - alter, print, craft, enjoy! Click the image to view a larger version, then save it to your computer.

Girl hugging grandmother, 1887

   This one hit me hard. The illustration and the story it accompanies went right to my heart. Poor Nora’s favoritest doll meets with misfortune in the form of a mischievous kitty. She runs to her grandma in tears, certain her doll is ruined. But grandma saves the day, as grandmas often do. She tells Nora about a similar experience she had as a girl, all while fixing the damage to the beloved doll.

   The story ends with Nora exclaiming,

“I do think that grandmas are the very best folks to have around when things happen!”

I heartily agree. I was fortunate enough to have a nana much the same, who seemed to be able to fix everything at any time. Let's hear it for those very special grandmas! 

   This image was included in the Little One’s Annual, a collection of stories, poems, and illustrations for children published in 1887. It accompanied the short story, “Dolls’ Trials” by Mary Elizabeth Northam (M.E.N.) Hatheway.