Vintage children Christmas tags

  I've been having way too much fun going through Raphael Tuck & Sons' online postcard collection! I'm especially drawn to the adorable illustrations, like those by the Bowley sisters, Ada and May. 

    I ended up gathering some favorites and making a sheet of holiday tags - I'm excited to share them with you! Most of the illustrators are from the talented Miss Ada Bowley - I just couldn't resist sharing the joyful scenes she created. 

  

  Available as a PNG below or as a PDF file on Ko-Fi. Let me know - which one is your favorite? 

Haliburton First Reader Illustrations, 1912

    

  Okay, I'll admit my fail. I spent way too much a bit of time trying to find the illustrator of these images (I especially love the one above!) but I came up short. I even ran some samples through AI to see if they could figure it out where my research fell short, and I got a different answer every time. Sigh. 

     But we can still enjoy the images without knowing who created them! The one above is an illustration to go with a "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" poem. 

   These are all from "The Haliburton First Reader", written by Margaret Winifred Haliburton, published in Boston in 1912. 

Children sledding in winter, 1912

  Yes, I know...I'm totally in the wrong season. While everyone around me is thinking "spring", I'm sharing this winter illustration. <Shrugs>

  This sweet scene of two children sledding while two adults (parents?) look on was created by Florence Storer for the 1912 book, "Christmas Tales and Christmas Verse", written by Eugene Field.

  I also made a slight alteration, because I just love the black & white look! 

 

Children carrying Christmas treats in the snow, 1926

   The cute kids in this illustration drew my attention first, but it's all the little details that really make this one a treat! The bottom of the image is signed "Hilda Harvey". It's from the 1926 version of Ward Lock & Co's Wonder Book, an annual book of stories and pictures for children. In particular, it accompanied a fanciful story called "Jack Frost's Daddy".

Playful winter illustration, 1886

 There's so much winter fun going on in this illustration! Sledding and snowball throwing and skating (and...oops - falling!). It's especially apt for promoting a business in Buffalo, New York, a place known for it's long winters. 

  This is from a page of a catalog of fall & winter fashions for 1886-1887 from Bronner's Fashionable Clothing House. (I love the name!) 

Two robins on snowy branch, 1898

 

"We can all do some good, if we will." - Dickens

  This lovely illustration is from "Holly Berries from Dickens", a book of quotes from Charles Dickens' books. It was published in 1898, after Dickens' death, by Boston publishers Dewolfe, Fiske & Co. 

  Below is a slightly upscaled version and also a transparent background version. Enjoy playing around with them - all are in the public domain!

Winter Birds Illustration, 1893

 

   I love the serenity this illustration exudes. A chilly winter day, but these small birds have clearly found something yummy to gather around for.

   This scene illustrates the poem “Christmas Morn” in an 1893 book called "Flowers I Bring and Songs I Sing", with works by Edith Bland (later Nesbit), Helen Marion Burnside and Arthur Scanes. I don’t know who the illustrator was, but they really captured a lovely moment.

   To get the full size, just click the image and then save to your computer. Public domain image, so free to use however you please! 

Victorian Mother & Daughter in Winter Scene, 1893

A sweet illustration by British artist Maude Goodman of a mother and child walking through the snow, bundled up in Victorian outdoor clothing, with the little girl’s attention on a passing bird.

This one was from "Flowers I Bring and Songs I Sing", a book of beautifully illustrated poems for children by Edith Bland (later Nesbit), Helen Marion Burnside and Arthur Scanes. It was published by Raphael Tuck & Sons in 1893. 

This same image, in black & white, was used by Raphael Tuck & Sons for a Christmas card. 

Which version do you prefer? I like them both, but the colored version really resonated with me!

 

Sisters sledding, circa 1910

 A fun winter postcard, possibly circa 1910, of two girls (sisters?) enjoying a sled ride. The vintage-lover in me thinks, "Aww, how sweet! Little sister feels safe in big sister's lap!" And then the maternal side of me rears up with, "That's not safe! She's going to get hurt!" 

  I also made a version with just the sisters on the sled and a transparent background. Click on either image to see the larger version, then right-click and save.