Child wrapped in blanket, 1910

   We can only see half of this little one's face, but I feel like that face is full of wonder. 

  Fact check: I don't know for sure if this kiddo is a girl or a boy, but for the purpose of this post, I'm going with boy, just for simplicity's sake. Adjust in your own imagination as needed!

  He's wrapped up in a blanket, standing in front of a window, and staring up at a crescent moon. Did he creep out of bed, or is he just stalling to delay bedtime? That we will never know!

  This one came from the 1910 book "Little Rhymes for Little Readers," illustrated by Ruth Mary Hallock. The rhymes are sweet (not semi-morbid like in some book collections around this time and earlier!), and the pictures are lovely.

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

Girl with flowers, 1898

   A friendly warning...do NOT get me started on Etheldred B. Barry. Because I will then be forced to tell you what I've been learning about this woman - not only a talented illustrator of many children's books, but also an Episcopal nun who started the Order of St. Anne in 1910 and spent many years of her life caring for orphaned children as the head of the St. John House, run from her home. At the time of the 1910 census, she had 9 children, aged infant to 18 years, living with her. She even went to England in 1917, at the height of World War I, writing on her passport application that the object of her visit was the "care of orphaned children".

   Phew...okay, sorry about that. I'm just so impressed by this woman, and the more I learn, the more I love her! Even her photo (online via the Arlington Historical Society, but still under copyright) shows a woman with a cheerful face and kindly eyes.

  Anyway, Miss Barry is the illustrator of the adorable girl at the top of this post and the one just below. (A bonus if you made it this far!) Both images are from the 1898 book, "Laura's Holidays".

  Both these images are out of copyright and can be used and shared however you like. I hope you like them as much as I do! 

Child on a windy day, 1913

   You know the kind of day - the wind won't let up, leaves are blowing everywhere, and you have to grab your hat to keep it from blowing away!

   The child in this illustration gets it - they're holding their hat down with two hands, but they also seem delighted at the experience!

   An illustration by Florence Liley Young from the book "A Story Garden for Little Children", published in 1913.

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

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Boy standing on fence, 1928

  I've realized I don't add enough book illustrations of boys to this site. My only excuse is that, being a girl at one time myself, the depictions of girls and dolls and tea parties touch me deeper than other scenes.

  But today we'll mix things up! Jack here has climbed up on the wooden fence to look over at the pumpkins growing on the other side. Will he jump over and pick one? Far be it from me to spoil the ending!

  This illustration by Clara E. Atwood is from "The Outdoor Book: A Nature Reader for the Second School Year" by Zoe Meyer, published in 1928. 

  For the record: early readers and primers from the 1910s-1930s have great illustrations...just saying! (Hey, I was surprised!)


This book is in the public domain and can be used and shared freely. Click on the image to view a larger version and then save.

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.

Boy watching the clouds, 1905

  This boy is kicking off summer right - arms behind his head, lying in the grass, watching the clouds. No stress, no fuss. 

  Illustrator Josephine Bruce (from my home state of Massachusetts!) created this image for "Songs for Tom, Dick, Bob & Peggy", a book of songs published in 1905. This picture aptly accompanied a song called... wait for it... "Clouds". 

Playing with dolls, 1888

  I could play with my dollhouse for hours, and this little girl looks just as content with her doll family as I remember feeling!

  These illustrations are from a book called "A Merry Go-Round", illustrated by Constance Haslewood and published in 1888. 

  The resolution is not great, but perhaps that just adds to the vintage charm. And I always love seeing children in a completely different era playing in ways that are so similar to how I played, and how I've seen kiddos I love play. 

  Expect more from this book (coming soon!) but for now, enjoy these! Click on the image for a larger version and then save - they are both well into the public domain and out of copyright.