Grandmother surrounded by grandchildren, 1905

   Aww, this image! Granny has come to visit, and all the grandkids are eager to hear her stories and get her attention!

   This illustration, by Will Vawter for the book "Riley Songs o' Cheer" by James Whitcomb Riley (1905), accompanies a poem titled Granny that reads, in part:

"Granny's come to our house,

       Ho! my lawzy-daisy!

All the children round the place...

    That runs to kiss their Granny."

   Yes, I skipped some lines so it no longer rhymes, but you get the idea. Granny is the star of the day - and this illustration shows it!

Girl makes doll gown with grandmother, 1913

  Alice is going to be in a wedding, and she's determined that Little Girl Blue, her beloved doll, should get to be a part of the festivities, too. Who can make a lovely gown for Miss Girl Blue? Of course, it's Grandma to the rescue!

  There are some lovely illustrations in the book, "Little Girl Blue Plays 'I Spy!'", written by Josephine Scribner Gates and published in 1913. Frustratingly, no credit was given to the creator of those illustrations. (Not even in the copyright forms filed for the book. Yes, I checked!) 

"Grandma dearly loved to dress dolls, and she joyously fashioned the pretty gown."

    There are a few more pictures from this book I saved - I hope you'll like them as much as I do! 

  

  As an aside, what do you think about the large hair bows of this time period? I'm not sure I would have been a fan!

  Buying doll wedding gown supplies! And after all that work is finished, there are still dishes to be done. Good thing Alice has a little helper to assist...

  These images are all in the public domain (having been published in 1913, more than 95 years ago). They can be used freely. Click on an image to view a larger version, save to your computer, and enjoy! 

Girl and grandfather on the shore, 1899

  This is a beautiful image of a little girl at the shore, stepping over large rocks while her grandfather holds her hand to keep her steady.

  My grandfather looked nothing like this man, but it reminds me of him all the same. He had been in the U.S. Navy and retained a love of all things nautical throughout his life. One of his children made him a ceramic fisherman that looked just like this fella, pipe and all!

  The only thing that irks me here is that we don't know the artist who created it. All we can say is that it was "Printed in Holland". Sigh. Not helpful.

  Aw, well. The image deserves to be shared on its own merits!

This image, published in the annual bound edition of Chatterbox magazine (1899), is in the public domain for any and all to share and enjoy. Click on the image for a larger version and then save to your computer.

Children with grandmother, 1913

   It's always special when Grandma comes to visit. She listens to the most mundane stories with rapt attention, she brings presents, and she gives the best hugs!

   The three children in this illustration by Florence Liley Young are most interested in the "present" part just now. In the story "Three Guesses", in "A Story Garden for Little Children" (1913), each child has...yep, three chances to guess what's inside the package. 

    Not to be a spoiler, but I bet they're going to end up with the surprise in any case!

  This image is in the public domain and can be used freely. Click on the image for a larger version and save 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.