Wet Paint, 1900

   This dollhouse is going to be quite a prize...but first, the paint has to dry!  

  This is a sweet image. Maybe the boy is just a kind brother, or maybe he's hoping to win this gal's heart by his work painting her dollhouse. 

  This is the cover image of the bound edition of "The Prize for Girls and Boys" for 1900. There are no hints about who illustrated this, or many of the images inside the magazine, either. That's not unusual, but it's still irksome to me. And so far, this is the only edition I can find online of this magazine, though it was published in England for several years. 

  Just for fun, the original cover is below. These are both public domain and can be used freely. Click on either image for a larger version, then save!

Girl serving cookies to her dolls, 1930

  Cookies are served!

  That's what this girl seems to be saying to her dolls, propped up comfortably on the couch in the finery. (Perhaps it's a party?) Except for that poor boy doll who is left to sit on the floor. (I hope he at least gets a cookie!) 

  Lucille Enders is the illustrator of this fun scene, from the children's book "In All France: Children in Town and Country". 

  Having been published in Chicago in 1930, this image is in the public domain and can be used freely. Click on the image for a larger version. 

Woman sewing, 1870

   I just can't resist the sewing images I sometimes come across. It's the closest I get to working a sewing machine, if I were being honest!

  These images come from a French printing catalogue circa 1870. The title of the catalogue is "Fonderie de Renault et Robcis : fantaisies, caractères de labeurs, fleurons et vignettes". I know what about half those words mean, but I still had a blast browsing through the pages...

  Of course, the sewing-themed ones caught my eye. I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I do!

  These images are all well into the public domain and free to use. Click an image for a larger version and then save it to your computer. Enjoy! 

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Graphophone advertisements, 1900

   One of the fun things about browsing old catalogs is discovering a product you never even knew existed. For me, the Graphophone was one of these. The gramophone I've heard of; the Graphophone...not so much. So I had to look it up. If you're similarly curious, read on!

   The Graphophone was the name of an improved version of Edison's phonograph, invented by Alexander Graham Bell, Charles Sumner Tainter and Chichester Bell in 1886. The trademark was initially acquired by Volta Graphophone Company, and then passed through several companies before becoming part of the Columbia Phonograph Company—which eventually became today's Columbia Records.[1]

   These devices weren't envisioned for music entertainment at all. Inventors initially believed these "talking machines" would be ground-breaking for businesses, able to easily capture dictation that stenographers would later type up. [2]

   But by the time these ads were printed in a 1900 holiday catalog, the devices were being used in private homes, playing prerecorded music cylinders right in their living rooms.[3]

   It must have been amazing to hear recorded voices for the first time! Or to be able to listen to a favorite song on demand. It's something we take for granted, but how mind-blowing for a family in the late 19th century! 

Boy dressed as General Washington, 1920

  Here in the U.S., our thoughts are on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, coming up on July 4 of this year. We're evaluating our history and what it means to be an American. 

  The little boy in this illustration has none of those heavy thoughts. He's full of images of becoming a national hero like General Washington, riding on his toy horse, with an American flag in one hand. 

  Florence White Williams drew this picture for the February 1920 issue of Little Folks magazine. 

Three exuberant children, 1926

  There is so much going on in this illustration by Dorothy Furniss. Just as much chaos as three exuberant kiddos can bring to a single afternoon. Pretend play, forgotten toys, exploring cabinets...and is that lamp about to topple over??!!

   This image was found in "The Girls' Own Annual" of 1926 and accompanied the story "The Holiday Aunt" by Irene D. Soole, a tale about that aunt who knows all about children...and yet has none of her own. She's full of advice and somehow has no idea what she's doing when left to actually spend time with the children. Curious, indeed!

   If you're smirking right now, I'll assume you know the type...

Girl looking at spiderweb, 1908

  Sometimes pictures need no words - they're gorgeous and perfect just the way they are. Jessie Willcox Smith's paintings are that way. 

  So I leave you with this one. May you enjoy it as much as this girl seems to be enjoying her flowers. (I hate to admit that it was only when I enlarged the image that I noticed the spiderweb the girl is looking at with...is that surprise? fear? wonder? Let me know what you think!) 

This image, from "Dream Blocks" by Aileen Cleveland Higgins, was published in the United States circa 1908 and is now in the public domain. Click on the image for a larger version and then save and enjoy!