Winter Pictures by Poet and Artist. Illustrated by Edward Whymper. London, The Religious Tract Society, undated.
via: The Internet Archive
The Art of Book Design: Winter Pictures
Affinity
Art, Fun, & Nonsense.
Winter Pictures by Poet and Artist. Illustrated by Edward Whymper. London, The Religious Tract Society, undated.
via: The Internet Archive
©voyager, all rights reserved
Well, Jack and I did venture out yesterday. Twice. About 1 in the afternoon, the sun came out for an hour or so, and the sidewalks got all melty and full of slush. It seemed like a good time to go for a walk, and so we did. It was a delightful walk, too. Sloppy and cold, but not really icy. The sun started to melt the ice off the trees and the wires, but it didn’t shine long enough to raise the temp above zero, and so today, the trees are still frosted. Jack and I went out again after supper, and the sidewalk slush had turned into rough frozen ice. It wasn’t as slippery as I’d thought. The snow that covered the ice helped rough it up, and the soles of my boots were mostly able to find traction. Even Jack managed better with only 1 slip and no falls. Today the world remains frosted with ice and snow, and I love the way things look. There’s so much more light, and it reflects like millions of tiny, shiny diamonds in the glow of streetlights at night and the short glimpses of the sun today. The walking is difficult, but not dangerous. Most people have shovelled, and what ice remains is rough and well trampled. We need to go slow and shuffle a bit, but it’s so pretty outside I don’t mind.
Here’s another song for today. I sing this song when I’m on the beach ins the summer looking for sea glass because they shine like diamonds when you find them. Today the whole world is made of diamonds. And of course, we’re all as bright, and beautiful as diamonds ourselves, so let’s all shine a bit today, too.
Annie Oakes Huntington. Studies of Trees in Winter. A description of the deciduous trees of Northeastern America. Illustrated by Mary S. Morse with photographs by the author. Boston, Knight and Millet, 1902.
via: The Internet Archive
©voyager, all rights reserved
©voyager, all rights reserved
We had freezing rain all day yesterday, and it’s left our world coated in ice and a perilous place for walking. Jack and I set out early yesterday morning, just as the ice was starting, because I thought it might be the only window of opportunity for the whole day and I was right, The ice began to coat everything quickly, and a minute or two after leaving the house it was already slick walking. We went once around the big block, very slowly and cautiously. Mostly I walked on the grass, but Jack preferred the sidewalk because the grass was sharp with ice, and he was wearing vaseline boots that don’t have a decent protective tread* like mine. Jack did fine until we reached the places where the sidewalk slopes. Even four-footed Jack struggled once or twice with his balance on the sloped driveways. Poor Bubba found himself sliding sideways toward the street a few times, and in trying to correct himself, he had one or another of his back legs slip out. Then I’d see him freeze and dig his toenails into the ice and look up to me, asking what to do next. I encouraged him to use the grass a few times, but he said it hurt his feet and that made sense, so then I encouraged him to walk on the street, but Jack’s been raised to stay away from the road, and it’s so ingrained that he doesn’t like to do it. By the time we got home, the ice was already building up a thick coating on everything, and we both felt lucky to reach the house upright and undamaged. We didn’t leave the house again for the rest of the day.
©voyager, all rights reserved
©voyager, all rights reserved
We may not leave the house today, either. Today, we’re getting snow on top of the ice, making things even slipperier and more dangerous. No one has yet put down any salt, and it’s treacherous out there. Jack says he can use the backyard if he needs the toilet, and I thanked him very much for his consideration. Jack has seen me go Boom!, on the ice a few times in his life, and it always upsets him. When it’s slippery, Jack automatically slows down, and as he walks, he keeps looking over his shoulder to see how I’m doing. He’s such a good boy. Maybe I should try to take him out – just around the small block. What do you think – Should I stay or should I go?
Jules Verne. A Journey to the North Pole. Illustrated by E. Riou. London and New York, George Routledge and Sons, 1875.
via: The George Smathers Library at The University of Florida
It’s no secret that I love flowers, especially on Mondays, which I think need a bit of extra pretty. Well, for this Monday, Opus has sent us some gorgeous photos of the last of his moon vine. Enjoy!
Before the freeze I was able to rescue a moon vine blossom and photograph it. It was a bit of a challenge, since I was taking multiple photographs while it was wilting. But, it was worth it. Now I can’t wait for next year, to try again.
Moon vine Unfurling – 1 ©Opus, all rights reserved
Moon vine Unfurling – 2 ©Opus, all rights reserved
Moon vine Unfurling – 3 ©Opus, all rights reserved
Moon vine Unfurling – 4 ©Opus, all rights reserved
Stella Austin, S. Baring-Gould, Caroline Birley, E.H. Nachtbull-Hugessen, Charlotte M. Young, Mrs. Lucy Massey, Mrs. Molesworth, Anne Thackery-Ritchie, Ethel Mary Wilmot- Buxton. Jack Frost’s Little Prisoners. A collection of stories for children four to twelve years of age. Boston, Knight and Millet, 1887.
Welcome to December at The Art of Book Design. We have a full month of winter-themed books to share and I thought I’d start with a title that expresses how Jack and I feel about winter when it’s icy outside. It’s a book of winter stories for young children, and I love the little birds that decorate the cover.
via: The George Smathers Library at the University of Florida
G. Clifton Bingham. A Snow Baby. London, Ernest Nister, 1888.
Goody Two Shoes. New-York, McLoughlin Bro’s, 1888.
I’ve always wondered about the origin of the expression “Goody Two-shoes,” and I finally found the answer in a Victorian Era’s Children’s book. This is not the original version, which I have been unable to locate, but the story is the same. It was initially published in 1768 by John Newbury Co. In London and tells the story of an orphaned girl who does well in life despite her impoverished beginnings. As with most stories of the time, the girl succeeds by being unfailingly kind and sweet, and she is rewarded with a happy marriage to a wealthy man. Uggh! So it’s basically Cinderella without the cinders and marriage is the ultimate success for a girl. Goody’s brother also does well, by going to sea and having lots of adventures while amassing a fortune. Why do the boys always get to have adventures, but the girls must become capable and good wives?
It’s a short book, so I’ve attached all the illustrations below the fold if you’re interested.
It isn’t certain who wrote the story. In those days, publishing houses paid writers for anonymous work. Some people argue that Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith may have penned the story. Others suggest that John Newbery himself wrote the story, or possibly Giles Jones, a friend of Newbery’s. There is little evidence for any of these claims.
The 1768 book isn’t the origin of the phrase, however, which is first seen in literature in 1670 in the book Voyage to Ireland in Burlesque by Charles Cotton.
Mistress mayoress complained that the pottage was cold;
‘And all long of your fiddle-faddle,’ quoth she.
‘Why, then, Goody Two-shoes, what if it be?
Hold you, if you can, your tittle-tattle,’ quoth he.
– Voyage to Ireland in Burlesque, 1670, by Charles Cotton
The phrase being used in this instance to point out the Goodwife’s (Goody) privilege (having 2 shoes as opposed to others who have none.) The 1768 book did, however, make being a Goody Two-Shoes into a desirable trait for a girl.
Next week we’ll look at a different sort of book for girls.
Source for book and illustrations: The Internet Archive
Source for information on Goody Two-Shoes: Wikipedia
A.G. Plympton. The Black Dog and other stories. Illustrated by the author. Boston, Roberts Brothers, 1896.
I promised Jack that I would read him this story on the weekend. His best friend is a black dog named Leo, and Jack is convinced that black dogs are the most fun. I hope the story is full of adventure with a happy ending. Those are the sort of stories that Jack likes best. Me, I enjoy reading stories out loud that are full of interesting characters so I can make up voices and play-act a bit. Jack usually pretends that he doesn’t care about that, but I know he loves it, too.
Alfred Lord Tennyson. Guinevere. Illustrated by Byam-Shaw. London, T.C. and E.C Jack, 18?? (publication date unknown)
Edward A. Rand. Illustrated by C.A. Bobbett. A Saltwater Hero, New York : Thomas Whittaker, 2 and 3 Bible House, 1894
Frances Hodgson Burnett. Earlier Stories: First Series. New York, C. Scribner’s sons, 1907.