Vintage Books and Illustrators

Golden Age Illustrator Ethel Franklin Betts

2010-11-28T07:55:00.000-08:00

Ethel Franklin Betts (1878-1956), golden age illustrator, is another female artist from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts -- the school is famous for the numerous book illustrators, led by Howard Pyle.

These illustrations are from A Host of Children by James Whitcomb Riley.

Betts style is unusual, combining a collage feel with folk art with traditional fine painting. Or at least that's how I perceive it. Above, the Pixie People.

Here are some more illustrations from the book:

Lullaby

The Land of Used-to-Be

The Bear Story

Ruth E Newton's Chubby Kids and Cubs

2010-08-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

Ruth Eleanor Newton (1884-1972)was a prolific illustrator as well as a doll designer. She illustrated more than 40 titles for Whitman Publishing. She was known for her adorably chubby babies and toddlers.

Along with many other of the best illustrators of the day, she studied art in Pennsylvania. According to a Wikipedia article, she studied at the Philadelphia School of Fine Art, but that was probably the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art.

Here are some images from Ruth E. Newtons Nursery Rhymes. I like the texture of this cloth-like book:

Mistress Mary Quite Contrary

Little Miss Muffet

Lion Cubs -- Newton's animals are just as huggably cute as her children. They should have made stuffed animals based on her images.

One of my very favorites. I really like the use of color in this illustration.

The Three Bears, Victorian Illustration by R. Andre

2010-08-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

This was a great find, 1888 McLoughlin Bros. The Three Bears -- that was before Goldilocks name got into the title. Wonderful Victorian illustration by R. Andre. I really like the story as well, lots of detail. I will need to transcribe the story before I sell the illustrations. Since the book was very damaged, I decided to sell the illustrations rather than the book as a whole.

Here are the three bears going for a nice walk in the woods, dressed in their finest.

Along comes Goldilocks, "She was very merry and lighthearted and when she laugher her voice rang out with a clear silvery sound that was pleasant to hear." And that is very pleasant to read.

I like the sense of humor here, with the Bears house plate -- Ursa Major, Ursa Minor and Ursa Minimus. But, of course, Goldilocks couldn't read Latin

After Goldilocks eats the porridge and destroys some furniture she takes a nap in Little Bears bed, but soon the Bears come home. Little Bear wasn't happy to find her in his bed. Papa Dear and Mama Dear found her very sweet and did not want to hurt her.

However, when she awoke to find the Bears all peering at her, she became scared and ran away.

I am missing the last page of the book, but it looks like Papa Bear is trying to return Goldilocks' ribbon as she flees. A story that is sympathetic to the bears, who were very kind and forgiving of the home invader.

Jessie Watkins Over The HIlls, Illustration with Victorian Charm

2010-07-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

This darling Victorian children's book gives us a glimpse into the life of a child in the 1880s. Very sweet. Over the Hills has poems from a child's perspective by E L Shute with accompanying illustration by Jessie Watkins. The book was published by Frederick Warne & Co. There is no date, however, similar books were published in the 1880s.
I have not been able to find any biographical information on the author or illustrator. Here is the cover illustration.

In the pages we see the beauty of creative childhood play. Children had limited toys, but their imaginations were unlimited.

Although we still have hula hoops, you don't see children playing these types of hoop games anymore (unless you visit a living history museum like Old World Wisconsin)

Two little girls thrilled with seeing a bunny. Biophilia (love of nature) is natural for children, if they are allowed to experience nature.

I think the following two illustrations are very pretty.

I love the way the illustrator chose peacock feathers as a border for this puppy love scene.

Quite a treasure!

Margaret Evans Price Prolific Childrens Book Illustrator

2010-06-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

Margaret Evans Price 1888-1973 was a children's book illustrator and author. She was born in Chicago, but her family soon moved to Nova Scotia and then settled on the east coast, Massachusetts and later New York. It is interesting that her talents were discovered early. Her first illustrated story was sold to the Boston Journal when she was just 12. Her studies took her to the Boston Academy of Fine Arts and Paris.
Another interesting point in the life of Price, is that she was married to Irving Price who was the cofounder of Fisher Price Toy Company along with Herman Fisher.
Here are some nice images from The Real Story Book, published in 1927. I like this book because it has many lesser known stories, such as How the Sea Became Salt, The Seven Wonderful Cats, and Mr. and Mrs. Vinegar.

John Austen's Fairie Queen Design Completed by Agnes Miller Parker

2010-04-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

John Austen was a carpenter turned prolific illustrator, and one of the most favored by the Limited Editions Club. While living in Kent, he brought his idea to the LEC directors, for an edition of Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queen. He would draw a series of illustrations, which would be turned into wood engravings. The works would resemble the story-telling tapestries of Elizabethan times. While the Nazis fought the British overhead, Austen embarked on the project, drawing sample pages, headings and drawings. As he began to work on the wood engravings, he started to lose the use of his right arm, and then the use of all his muscles. He died in 1948.
Agnes Miller Parker, a wood engraver and friend of John Austen, finished the project. The results are lovely -- detailed patterns and rich textures. Top illustration is King Arthur.

Britomart, the courageous lady knight

The Redcrosse Knight and the Dragon

The Heritage Press version of this book is currently available.

Images of Oz From John R. Neill, Royal Illustrator of Oz

2010-04-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

It was a good week and I had a nice find. I picked up a small lot of early printing Wizard of Oz books, Reilly & Lee, illustrated by John R. Neill. So now I have the opportunity to share some wonderful art from the Oz books.

Neill was a naturally gifted artist and an art school dropout. He was reported as saying, "They have nothing to teach me." He delved into a career as a newspaper illustrator honing his skills in busy Philadelphia newsrooms. He branched out into book illustrations and eventually became a freelance illustrator.

He is the most well known illustrator of Oz, illustrating 35 books in the series. It is enjoyable to peruse the Oz books, as some were primarily illustrated in black and white; some were illustrated with color plates and some were illustrated with four-color throughout. The Patchwork Girl of Oz is an example of an edition which used four-color throughout. Love these bright illustrations.

The illustrated endpapers are vibrant.

I really like the design of these pages.

The first illustrator of Oz, W.W. Denslow, illustrated Dorothy as a younger, chubbier little girl with reddish-brown hair. Neill totally changed and modernized Dorothy in Ozma of Oz.

Dorothy from Dorothy and The Wizard in Oz.

The Emerald City of Oz has some very pretty color plates of Dorothy in a very romantic style.

Another great image from The Emerald City of Oz

Dorothy with the Princess Ozma in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz.

Neill's OZ illustration career spanned 30+ years. What a fun way to make a living!

Little Golden Books Art: Viewing the Real Thing at Lake County Discovery Museum

2010-04-06T16:02:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful museum visit today where I saw 65 of the original watercolors, gouaches and pen and ink illustrations from Little Golden Books. I got a kick out of my friend's surprise that the Golden Book illustrations really were art.

Even though I've appreciated the talents of Golden Book illustrators for some time, my appreciation grew after seeing the "real thing." It was intriguing to see the texture and details of the works. It was also interesting to see the wide variety of artistic styles.

Here is one of Eloise Wilkins nature paintings featured in My Little Golden Book About God. Wilkins work has a harmonious quality.

Gustaf Tenggren is one of my favorite Golden illustrators and he was one of the most prolific. His work also shows great range. Here is a painting for King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. This as well as some of his other work has a folk art feel.

The mediums used were primarily pen and ink, watercolor and gouache. Gouache is a type of watercolor that is more vivid and opaque.

Garth Williams Elves and Fairies.

Elizabeth Orton Jones' Big Bad Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood

It did surprise me that this is the most extensive showing of original Golden Book illustration. The art was borrowed from the Racine Heritage Museum; Racine, Wisconsin is the birthplace of the Little Golden Books. I would love to see a more extensive showing; maybe the Racine Museum will do that someday.

Learn more about the exhibit.

Folk Art Inspiration From Edgar and Ingri D'aulaire

2010-03-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

The illustrator pair Edgar and Ingri Parin D'aulaire, emigrated from Europe, and became well-regarded for their illustrations as well as their historical writing for children. It's funny when you find a new artist, it seems you tend to start running into their work more often. Some genre of synchronicity, I guess.
I recently picked up both Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, at two different sales. Upon opening the pages, I was immediately charmed by the D'Aulaire style, both in their illustrations and their storytelling. The stories include details that turn historical characters into real people a child could relate to. The drawings are in both black and white as well as lovely hues.
The D'Aulaires folk art pictures look like colored pencil drawings, however, the books do not tell us the medium, only that they are lithographs. Of course, lots of horse illustrations, a perennial favorite!
One of the most interesting notes about Edgar is that he was a student of Henri Matisse.
I will be seeking out more Parin D'Aulaire collaborations at the book sales.

Gustaf Tenggren Prolific Illustrator for Disney, Golden Books

2010-02-25T11:51:00.000-08:00

Gustaf Tenggren, born in Sweden, and emigrated to the US, was a prolific illustrator of children's books. He had a unique, vivid, caricature style. Tenggren got his big break in 1935, when he was hired as art director for Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. He also worked on Pinocchio, Fantasia and Bambi.
He is one of the most popular of Golden Books illustrators and did the Poky Little Puppy.
Here are some images I particularly like. These two are from a Golden Press Folk Songs book.

Here are two from The Lion's Paw:

And here are some Golden Book classics, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack in the Beanstalk. I love Tenggren's Jack!

I always enjoy finding a Tenggren book when I'm out hunting.

Clara M. Burd, Golden Age, Painter and Illustrator

2010-02-09T10:19:00.000-08:00

I love the illustrations done by Clara M. Burd, who studied painting in France. She was noted for her children's portraits and also for stained glass designs. These illustrations are from Friendly Animals, Saalfield Publishing, 1928. The large format book with such detailed and beautiful illustrations is quite a treasure and very hard to find.
In the collie and Shetland pony, above, notice the skill Burd had in painting animals. Her children, too are adorable, a little Rubenesque.

Here are two from A Child's Garden of Verses, 1930.

You can see her expert use of light in these illustrations, particularly Bed in Summer, when the early evening sun is illuminating the bedroom. So pretty . . .

Premier Palaeo-artist Zdenek Burian -- Prehistoric Animals

2010-01-06T13:46:00.000-08:00

Zdenek Burian (1905-1981), you could say he's the man who put the life back into dinosaurs. Working with palaeontologist Joseph Augusta in Czechoslovakia, Burian painted prehistoric landscapes and animals to complement Augusta's vivid descriptions.

Gorgosaurus and Scolosaurus

Prehistoric Animals was published by Artia in conjunction with Spring Books of London in 1956. Burian's paintings were the basis for the award-winning film Journey to the Beginning of Time, released in 1955.

A brief bio of Burian -- he dropped out of an art academy at 14 and embarked on a career as a book illustrator. In the '30s, the universities in Czechoslovakia were closed due to war and professors had idle time. This is when Burian hooked up with Joseph Augusta to collaborate on books. Burian later worked with palaeontologist Zdenek Spinar.

Earlier palaeo-artists produced animals that were stiff and rigid, while Burian was the first to incorporate action into his portraits of prehistoric animals. His paintings, mostly in oil, are so realistic that it was often commented that they appeared to be painted from live subjects.
This is what Burian told his friend, Oldrich Fejfar, on how he works:

"When I paint an animal, I always start with the eye. I make a sketch with pencil or charcoal and then I paint the eye in oil, and then I proceed. The eye looks at me and I understand the animal better." (From Cesky Rozhlas,08-06-2005, by Pavla Horáková)

Burian is considered one of the most influential palaeo-artists and he has many imitators.

Here is Burian's Phororhacos -- 6 foot tall flightless birds -- looks menacing.

Really pretty and dreamy prehistoric landscape. That dragonfly -- Meganeura -- had a 30 inch wingspan.

This depiction of Elasmosaurus is full of action. Skeletons of this prehistoric animal were believed to be the remains of dragons.

The woolly mammoth and the cave bear were contemporaries of early man.

Great vintage book!

Early Illustrators of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes

2009-12-07T08:33:00.000-08:00

I'm especially fond of antique Mother Goose books. Here are a few samples of antique Mother Goose illustrations:

It's interesting how different these three interpretations are of "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush."

Above, Henriette Willebeek Le Mair from Our Old Nursery Rhymes, 1911. Le Mair, a native of Holland, was strongly influenced by French illustrator Maurice Boutet de Monvel. Her children are pastel, delicate -- they have a certain formality about them.

Jessie Wilcox Smith's children are bright and lively. You can actually feel the movement in this illustration from Mother Goose, 1914. A Philadelphia native, Smith studied under Howard Pyle. She truly loved children and had originally intended to be a kindergarten teacher.

Here is Eulalie Minifred Bank's Mulberry Bush. I love the old-fashioned, innocence of her children. This is from Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes, 1923.

Another lovely Jessie Wilcox Smith illustration, Mistress Mary Quite Contrary.

And from the very popular Real Mother Goose, 1916, an illustration of Mistress Mary by Blanche Fisher Wright. This is from an early edition of this popular title. I've noticed that the colors are much richer in the earlier books.

This will likely be the first many blogs on antique nursery rhyme illustrations.

Masha, a Mystery Illustrator of Childrens Books in the '40s

2009-11-25T07:43:00.000-08:00

Masha (Maria Simchow Stern) illustrated the very first Little Golden Book, Three Little Kittens in 1942. That is some claim to fame, however, there is virtually no information available about Masha. Considering that she had a "pen name," she must have wanted to stay anonymous.
In my book dealing, I have come across two titles by Masha from the '40s, The Child's Book of Bible Stories and the Child's Book of Prayers, published by Random House.

The illustrations in both of these books are so beautiful. The design enhances the art with gold borders and gold touches. Very sweet, innocent children, dreamy pastel coloring. Heavenly . . .

Here are some images:

Dog Illustrators Capture the Canine Spirit

2009-11-18T09:14:00.000-08:00

Small children, horses, dogs -- can't resist vintage books with illustrations of these. Today, the subject is dogs. Many children’s books illustrators have their favorite dogs – Tasha Tudor is known for curious Corgis.

Bessie Pease Gutman’s little collies are as adorable as her babies.

Marguerite Kirmse (1885-1954) was one of America’s most noted canine artists. Her favorite breed was Scotties, but she was well known for her etchings of Pointers. I particularly like her collies when she teamed up with Albert Payson Terhune. In images, she captured the personality, intelligence and beauty of the breed that Terhune conveyed in his stories.

Wesley Dennis is more known for the horses he illustrated for Marguerite Henry’s books. "This artist saw beyond hide and hair and bone. You could see that he understood and loved animals, that he was trying to capture their spirit, personality and expression,” Henry said of Dennis’s work. They also collaborated on the Book of Dogs, which includes really charming images of puppies and dogs of varying breeds.

Ruth Wright Paulsen collaborates with her husband on many books including Puppies, Dogs and Blue Northers. I like the soft textures in her huskies as they sleep in pink and blue snow fields.

Marguerite de Angeli’s Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes – Among the Best

2009-11-14T05:34:00.000-08:00

Marguerite de Angeli, (1889-1987) if not a Renaissance women, she was certainly multi-talented. Marguerite de Angeli’s Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes is considered one of the finest Mother Goose illustrations.

This children’s book author and illustrator started her professional career as a concert contralto. She gave that up to start a family – she had 6 children – and learned illustration from Maurice Bower when she was in her 30s. It seems book illustration is a healthy path as she lived to the age of 98.

As an author, she was a bit of a maverick, tackling challenging subjects in the ‘40s, such as racial prejudice. She often wrote of poor people, minorities and others who were disenfranchised. She won many awards including a Newberry Award for The Door in the Wall, a Newberry Honor for Black Fox of Lorner and two Caldecott Honors for her illustrations of Yonie Wondernose and the Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes in 1957.

The Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes is an especially lovely find for the genre. The large pages allow the images, both color and black and white to dance through the pages. The delicate black and white drawings are every bit as delightful as the color illustrations. I love her Little Bo Peep – so much detail.

Throughout the book, the images are soft and warm, portraying perfectly the soft, still unformed young child. In her biography, she tells how she used her family members as models. She captures the mood of the rhymes with humour and sensitivity. It will bring a smile to your face to look at Mary Had a Little Lamb. The children in the classroom are so delighted to have a lamb at school!

Holling C. Holling -- Colourful Historic Fiction

2009-11-09T14:37:00.000-08:00

Holling Clancy Holling (1900 -1973), a prolific children’s book writer and illustrator, combined large, colorful, full-page illustrations with nature-themed books. His style combined fiction with history and he was therefore able to take children on a learning adventure.
Holling was born in Holling Corners, Michigan to an educated family which loved books. He loved to draw from early childhood as well as to spend time in the Michigan woodlands. Holling graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago and went to work for the Field Museum of Natural History. (Walter Alois Weber also attended the Art Institute and worked at the Field Museum, probably following Holling by several years.)
Holling met his wife Lucille while at the Art Institute. Eventually they worked together to illustrate many children’s books. They say Lucille worked on much of the border art. Seems like a very nice partnership.
Holling’s rich and brightly colored illustrative style was developed when he spent some time studying in New Mexico.

Children of Many Lands,above 1929, was one of the first children’s books he illustrated. It is fun to browse the colorful interpretations of children from Japan, China, Holland . . .

The Book of Indians, 1935 -- Swaths of desert peach creates an awesome illustration.

More horses from Book of Indians:

He is best known for the series of books he wrote and illustrated – historical fiction. Paddle to the Sea, was his first in this series. It traces the journey of a woodcarving made by an Indian boy through the Great Lakes and out to the Atlantic Ocean. See the drama in this illustration. He knew how to make geography fun.

And the pretty cover of Seabird, a story about four generations of travel by a carved ivory gull.

The Many Illustrators of Anna Sewell's Black Beauty

2009-11-03T14:58:00.000-08:00

I don't know how many different artists have illustrated a version of Black Beauty since it was first published in 1877. It may be the children's book with the most editions. I have read that the Bible is the only book that has sold more copies. It's popularity is a testament not only to the quality of the book, but also to the scores of animal lovers in the world. Anna Sewell told a story that needed to be told -- after all the centuries of servitude the horse has given mankind. It lives on today as a reminder to be kind to all living beings.
Every time I see a version of Black Beauty at a book sale, I buy it. Here are some interpretations:

Perhaps my favorite Black Beauty, by Wesley Dennis. Very soft, fluid. The perfect illustration for the narrative, "I remember a large pleasant meadow."

The Walter Seaton Black Beauty, nice.

Cute Black Beauty art for young readers -- Wonder Book's BB with a little girl by George Santos

Samuel Lowe's BB with a boy by George Pollard

Distinctive style of Fritz Eichenberg

And a "modern times" black Beauty by Susan Jeffers. Love her dreamy style, lots of attention to surrounding details. Nice lines.

Bessie Pease Gutmann -- Golden Age of Illustration

2009-11-01T07:27:00.000-08:00

Bessie Pease Gutmannn was one of the women illustrators from what is considered the Golden Age of Illustration late 1800s to early 1900s. Improved printing techniques and booming industrialized economy allowed for lavishly produced books filled with illustrations.

She learned her trade at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women. Jessie Wilcox Smith also attended the school, at earlier date. Howard Pyle considered the father of American illustration taught at the Drexel School in Philadelphia. Philadelphia was a breeding ground for American illustrators at the time.

Pease Gutmann's first illustrated books were A Child's Garden of Verses in 1905 and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 1907. Her early works were influenced by the Drexel School artists -- black outlines and flat colors. They are wonderful illustrations and she had the ability to capture the spontaneity and innocence of childhood.

When she had her own children, she started to use them as models and developed the style she is known for. Very sweet, innocent and healthy babies and toddlers painted in pastel tones. In many of her paintings adorable puppies -- often collies -- complete the picture.

Unlike many of her contemporaries, she was fortunate to be able to combine her career with motherhood. Her husband owned the publishing company she worked for.
These illustrations came from Sweet Dreams It combines the lovely art of Bessie Pease Gutmann with the poems of Pamela Prince.

Brian Froud and His Faeries

2009-10-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

British illustrator Brian Froud is likely the most highly acclaimed of current fantasy illustrators. Born in 1947, Froud says he became interested in fairyland while in college and one of his major influences is Arthur Rackham.
I was drawn to Froud's illustrations immediately recognizing their Rackhamesque qualities. In an interview in Fairies World, Froud says he was drawn in by Rackham's trees with faces. They reminded him of climbing trees as a child and the connection he had with the souls of trees.

Froud's illustrations are enlivened by his deep connection to the fairy world:

" It's very interesting, people often think that dealing with faery is a retreat from reality and I say 'no' it is not, it is actually a re-engagement with the world."

Here are some of his earlier works from Fairies and Master Snickup's Cloak, both published in 1979.

I like the fluidity of his mermaid. Froud says fairies are always flowing.

Very pretty bluebell fairy.

You can see the Rackham influence particularly in this from Master Snickup's Cloak. Froud said he used more browns early in his illustrating career, and then moved towards more intense multi-layered colors.

Early Illustrators of a Child's Garden of Verses

2009-10-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson is one of the most illustrated children's books with more than 100 versions. Stevenson's poems capture the wonder and fantasy of childhood and I can see why every illustrator of children's literature would want to add their interpretation. I recently picked up a book that is a sort of anthology of early illustrators of A Garden of Verses. Put out by Chronicle Books in 1989, it includes illustrations of the poems by some 20 illustrators, from 1896 to 1940. The book is a pleasure to browse through, each illustration a delight to the visual sense.
Although all the illustrations are beautiful, some are particularly appealing to my sense of aesthetics. I find myself drawn over and over again to the Clara M. Burd illustrations. She often signed her work, C M Burd. I orignally found her through a rare book, called Friendly Animals. (As the book is in tatters, I have been matting the illustrations).

C.M. Burd is one of the few illustrators who went to Paris to study art. I think possibly it is her use of color that attracts me -- she often has a mix of muted, neutrals contrasted with brighter tones. This particular illustration is actually more colorful than most of her work. She also make nice use of light - I think she must have painted outdoors.
I would have liked to share all the illustrations in this book -- but I had to stop myself and include some of my favorites as well as some that show the diverse styles.

From 1922, Juanita Bennett -- a similar use of color in a more dream world style.I would like to find out more about this artist --not much information out there.

Jessie Wilcox Smith, 1905, very detailed, painterly, beautiful -- she is a very popular and well-regarded illustrator -- one of the few women who made it into the Illustrator Sourcebook. She was a student of Howard Pyle.

Millicent Sowerby, 1908, was primarily self taught and her work shows a great diversity. I was drawn to this one -- I think it has an Arthur Rackham feel to it.

The simpler, understated style of H. Willebeek Le Mair, 1926.

And again the prolific Margaret Tarrant, 1918 -- reminds me of early poster art.

Ruth Mary Hallock, 1940, love the very '40s look of this illustration. There is another of hers I like equally, but it needs more space.

And another very pretty one by Florence Edith Storer, 1909

I'd like to find the originals of these books in any condition.

Wildlife Artist, Illustrator Walter Alois Weber

2009-10-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

Walter Alois Weber is one of the most noted of wildlife illustrators. As I was sorting through my books about wildlife and animals, I came across Homes and Habits of Wild Animals. This is one of my very favorites. The wildlife portraits are breathtaking.

Weber (1906-1979) is a native of my own hometown, Chicago. According to interviews, Weber developed his talent for drawing at an early age and used to sell his drawings at a local tavern so he could buy soda pop. He later studied at the University of Chicago and the Art Institute, and worked for the Field Museum. His resume goes on . . . He spent many years as an artist for National Geographic Society and he was the first artist to win the duck stamp award.

I like the softness of his painting. While his wildlife drawing is excellent, there is a certain romanticism to the the picture as a whole, no doubt enhanced by the beautiful background landscape. Here are three from the book:

The Alaskan brown bear. The soft greens and blues of the mountain stream are lovely. Makes me want to take a trip up north.

The Barren Ground Caribou on its annual migration through the icy northern country. The lilac and blue tones truly evoke a feeling for that beautiful wintry land.

In the river otter portrait, I like the way he captures the playful nature of the animal.

Here, also is the cover of Friendly Animals. While the cover was illustrated by Weber, the inside pages were done by Percy Reeves. Reeves has a less realistic style, but it is quite charming.

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A Fascination With Antique Book Illustration

2009-10-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

There is nothing I love better than going to an estate sale and finding a collection of vintage illustrated books. That is the jackpot for me!

I truly believe all books -- particularly all fiction -- should be illustrated. Artistic illustrations certainly create a more collectible book. Illustrations are like the decor in a home. They can make it more beautiful, more true to its essence.

I recall going through a collection of Limited Editions Club books I acquired. I was looking through each of the Shakespeare volumes. Now, a Midsummer Night's Dream is one of my favorite Shakespearean plays -- the fairies, the fantasy, the forest. Prior to opening the book, I had a vision in my head of what the illustrations should look like. I opened the book to find Arthur Rackham's interpretation of the play was perfect -- capturing the essence of A Midsummer Night's Dream. The soft colors, his light-handed, mystical style . . . just right.

Those types of books are a treasure to behold. If you have any stories of books that are perfectly illustrated please share them.