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.