Arthur Rackham's Book of Pictures; Signed Limited Edition

This will be my last post for a while. I’m going to be without computer access for a couple of weeks but hope to be able to start posting and visiting you all again in July.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on these wonderful illustrations from Arthur Rackham's Book of Pictures.  Number 186 of a Limited edition of 1,030 numbered copies signed by Arthur Rackham of which 1000, numbered 1-1000, were for sale in Great Britain, Ireland and the Colonies; and thirty copies numbered 1001 - 1030 for presentation. Published by William Heinemann in 1913.

The illustrations in the book are grouped under different headings. So I will do the same...

Some Children

On The Beach

Children in The Broardwalk, Kensington Gardens

Marjorie and Margaret

Grotesque & Fantastic

The Gossips

Jack Frost

Mother Goose

The Leviathan

Once Upon a Time

The Wizard

Of the Little People

Elves

Seekers for Treasure

Goblin Thieves

By the Way

Malice

Some Fairy Tales

Santa Claus

Jack the Giant Killer

The Frog Prince

These illustrations are a small selection from the 44 superb colour plates in the Arthur Rackham Book of Pictures. Each plate is mounted on thick card behind a descriptive tissue guard. There are also 10 black-and-white illustrations. All the plates are in superb clean condition, free from creasing and tears. The original white cloth binding is soiled around the edges (see full description and price here) 

As if all that loveliness were not enough the book is also signed and numbered by Arthur Rackham! 

Arthur Rackham's Book of Pictures. Signed limited edition. Full details HERE

Thank you so much for taking the time to call in. I hope to see you all again in July. Barbara x 

Lost Treasure Found and Other News

Sandy from Patches of Heaven contacted me a few weeks ago to say she was looking for a book from her childhood. All she could remember about the story was a magical kind of forest, and a little girl called Belinda. I'm a big fan of Ivy Wallace and her books about Pookie the little white rabbit with wings. Belinda stars in the Pookie stories so it was very easy to point Sandy in the right direction. You can read Sandy's post here Lost Treasure Found at March House Books

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you might remember me mentioning a rare Rupert annual coming up for sale at auction. See the original post here. Bloomsbury Auctions estimated the value as £18000 to £22000 but in the end bidding stalled at £13000 and the annual went unsold. Sotheby’s had a rather better outcome when a first edition Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone containing personal annotations and illustrations by author J.K. Rowling sold for £150,000. It might be time to check your lofts, basements and outhouses in the hope of finding a copy!

You may also remember I mentioned finding a copy of the Jack and Jill all colour gift book containing a story about Tom Puss by Marten Toonder. I listed the book on eBay and am delighted to say it sold and is now on the way to the Netherlands. It’s a fitting end to the story as Marten Toonder was one of the most successful artists in the Netherlands famous for his Tom Puss and Oliver B Bumble comic strips. It's nice to know Tom Puss is on his way home.

For the joy of books; Catherine over at An Angel in the garden has written a lovely post about her favourite book shop. If you love books prepare to fall in love with this shop and with Catherine's blog!

Last but certainly not least if you are interested in ponies or books about ponies, I can thoroughly recommend a new book written by Jane Badger. Heroines on Horseback looks at the pony book through its beginnings in the 20s and 30s, to the glory days of the 40s and 50s, and beyond. Jane writes about the lives and contributions of noted exponents, including Primrose Cumming, Monica Edwards, Patricia Leitch, Ruby Ferguson and the Pullein-Thompson sisters, as well as providing a wide-ranging view of the genre as a whole, its themes and developments, illustrators and short stories. You can find out more about Jane and her book at Books Mud and Compost

Or view/purchase selected pony books at March House Books

That's all folks!

Adventures in Magic Land ... Recent Auction Buys

I've been busy buying lots of lovely new (vintage) books recently and thought you might enjoy a quick preview.  New stock will be available to view at March House Books. It will take me some time to list everything so don’t forget to check the website often. If you are looking for a particular book, please let me know, and I will do my best to find it for you. I hope there is something for everyone in this selection. For further information on any of the featured books, please click on the links or contact me via comments or by email. There is an email link in the right hand column of this blog.

Roy Rogers Adventures No. 1, Eagle Annual No. 3,  The Beano Book 1959, Champion the Wonder Horse, Billy Boyd Comic Annual, Rocky Lane Western Comic Annual and Roy Rogers Comic Album.

Sooty Keeps Shop A Twirly Book published in 1954 with illustrations by Tony Hart. Turn a revolving wheel to display ‘moving’ black and white images in the cut out  window on the front cover. Reminiscent of the flickering images produced by old black and white television sets from years gone by. Roy Rogers' Rodeo pop-up book scarce and colourful book published c1950. Five pop-ups in perfect working order. Enid Blyton's New Big Noddy Book another colourful book produced by Sampson, Low and Marston in 1955.

ABC in Living Models. One of the Bookano Living Model Series produced sometime between 1929 and 1949. The name Bookano was derived by combing the words "Book" and Meccano" the name of a popular mechanical toy. Here, with the turning of a page, whole forms and figures pop into life!

Rupert Bear Annuals from 1953, 1956 and 1957. If you are looking for a particular Rupert Bear book try visiting our 'bears' category HERE or use the search at www.marchhousebooks.co.uk

The Hide & Seek Story Book one of a series of books published by Blackie & Son in the 1930s. I previously featured The Bluebell Story Book (now sold)  - here and The Pansy Story Book (available at time of writing) - here     Adventures in Magic Land is one I've not seen before and very pretty it is too. Written in 1917 by Dorothy Black with illustrations by Florence Mary Anderson. With lots of stories, including Adventures in Magic Land, Sandy's great thought, the magic potion, the magic beads and other tales. The little picture strip books at the front are not listed yet but when they are you will find them here Picture Strip Books  Warne's Happy Book for Girls, The big book for girls, Girls favourite book and Warne's Pleasure book for girls are also waiting to be listed. If you are interested in any of these please visit our Vintage Illustrated Story Books catalogue where they will be arriving soon!

The annuals on the left are in the next box waiting to be checked and listed. I've not looked inside any of them yet, but the covers are enough to make my heart sing! I love annuals from the 1950s because they take me back to my own childhood.

I hope you've enjoyed this quick preview.  I must away now and get on with listing them. I hope to have them all done by the time you call in at my website. If you can’t find anything, or you need more information please do get in touch either in the comments' section or by email (see email link in right-hand column). Thanks for calling in!

Cats and dogs...and Peter Rabbit

Postcards from my collection;

My postcard collecting habit isn't confined to any particular subject. I like cards with cats or dogs just as much as cards with fairies or children. If there is an interesting message and a pretty picture, it makes them twice as nice, but it only needs one of those things to grab my attention.

A hand coloured card produced by E.W. Savory of Bristol.

I’m not sure what ‘the joke’ is but this happy looking dog certainly seems to be enjoying it.

You Naughty Bird! By Louis Wain. Posted  January 11th, 1905. 
Message reads - Dear May, what is the matter, are you ill, how is your face? Please write soon as we are so anxious. Hoping you are well, I am your loving friend Gwen. 

Oh dear I do hope May replied to poor Gwen! How much easier it is now with email and mobile 

phones!

Oh! I've got a pane! Illustration by A. E. Kennedy. Published by C. W. Faulkner and posted in 1943.

I can’t make head nor tail of the handwriting on this one so although there is a message, I’ve no idea what it is!  I may not be able to read the message on the back, but I love the message on the front! It reminds me of a poem called English is a pain! (pane?)

Rain, reign, rein, English is a pain. Although the words sound just alike, the spelling's not the same!

Bee, be, B, I'd rather climb a tree than learn to spell the same old word not just one way, but three!

Sight, site, cite, I try with all my might. No matter which I choose, it's not the one that's right!

There, their, they're, I almost just don't care. Too many ways to write one sound, I just don't think it's fair! To, two, too, so what's a kid to do? I think I'll go to live on Mars and leave this mess with ewe! (you?)

The unchained dog. Come any nearer if you dare.  By Cecil Aldin. Published by Raphael Tuck in their "Oilette" series. Message reads - Have got address elsewhere. Let me know if you have sent. 

Interesting! I wonder what that's all about. 

Have landed safely here, having a good time.

Published by E. T. W. Dennis. Posted to a Miss Elizabeth Webb on the 25th August, 1954. Darlings, here is a pussy to bring my love. Hoping you all are well and will have a good holiday with some nice warm weather. Such love to you all. K & G.  

I'm fed up waiting! Art and Humour Publishing, London. A & H Funny Dogs Series.

Posted on the 20th March, 1920. 

Message reads - Say Siss, do I owe you a letter, or do you owe me one? I dinna Ken the noo; but I hae ma douts. Anyhow I'm fed up waiting so you may expect a six page letter soon. From Yours Truly Pearl.

The last card is my favourite, more because of the message than the illustration. ”From Yours Truly Pearl” is a great way to end, but I hae ma douts about her Scottish Ancestry!

Peter Rabbit;

A week ago yesterday this little rabbit appeared looking dazed and bewildered. We watched for ages in the hope that another rabbit, preferably his mum would come and fetch him, but by the time it got dark he was still sitting in the same spot in the corner of the garden. We thought about trying to catch him but each time we made a move his ears shot up and his nose started to twitch, so with sinking hearts we went to bed not expecting him to survive the night. But on Sunday morning, he emerged from under the shed, took a look about and proceeded to explore.

We so enjoyed watching him meandering around, but the threat of the neighbourhood cats gave us more than a few sleepless nights. We have been on rabbit watch all week!  On Friday night, the security lights came on and lo and behold there was not one but two cats prowling around the garden. Opening the bedroom window and shouting proved pointless but the sight of a mad woman (me) in PJs careering around the garden was enough to make them scat! Yesterday morning the little rabbit once more emerged from under the shed looking none the worse for wear.

Spot the Rabbit!

In the Peter Rabbit stories by Beatrix Potter, Peter was partial to some lettuces and some French beans and some radishes. Not so with ‘our’ little rabbit – first he ate some London Pride (Saxifrage umbrosa), some daises and some grass. Then he explored the rockery and the bedding plants and tried a little nibble of each. And that was the last we saw of him. We keep going to the windows and the back door, but the garden is quite empty. Has he moved on to another garden with nicer things to nibble? We hope he is safe, but don’t suppose we will ever know. It may be that one of the cats carried him away or maybe one of the buzzards that are always around, or perhaps bedding plants and saxifrage were his undoing.   It was such a privilege to meet you little rabbit – be well!

The Antiques Road Trip Arrives at Cottees Auction House

Yesterday was just a normal day. Up early and off to an auction, but as soon as we arrived at Cottees Auction House and Saleroom in Wareham, Dorset, we realised something was afoot. The packed car park should have given us a hint, but it took the sight of several young men hefting large cameras for the penny to drop. The Antiques Road trip was about to roll into town!

For anyone who’s not seen the show, the idea is quite simple. Two competing antique experts set off on a road trip around the UK searching for treasures to sell at auction.  Each week-long episode features different experts, yesterday was the turn of Philip Serrell and Tom Scott.  

Turning up in an open-top car is a nice touch, unless, as was the case yesterday, it's pouring with rain. The two presenters looked as if they were in need of a warming cup of tea, but first there was the business of putting the roof on the car...

not once, but three times!

Philip Serrell and Tom Scott staying dry between takes.

Filming continued throughout the early part of the auction, and I rather wish I’d paid attention as I don’t know who won. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before the programme airs.

I was high bidder on all the lots I wanted, so a very satisfactory day for me if not for the losing presenter.

Author Guest Post with Kandy Kay Scaramuzzo

     My childhood was pretty much normal for the time period. I was given frilly dresses, which I destroyed playing outside. In my first grade picture, I was sporting a very stylish black eye from playing football with the guys.  I also had a magnificent doll collection that was in pristine condition, because I never played with any of them. They never held any interest for me, yet they were the gifts I kept getting. It was the time period; little girls should have dolls and frilly dresses.   I, on the other hand, was much happier playing with model horses and animals, building them enclosures and making them places to sleep. No small container was safe from being a food dish for some kind of animal.

    When I wasn’t playing, I was reading. I pretty much wiped out the children’s section of our small town library. I loved animal stories, (big surprise there), unless they had a sad ending.  (To this day, I will not allow Old Yeller in my house.)  I would scrounge through my collection of play animals and find likenesses of the ones I had read about.  When I found one, I would put it on the shelf to remind me of the book I had read. This habit continued all through my childhood.

     One day someone gave me a small tea set with Peter Rabbit on it. It was made of china and very fragile. I thought it was the most wonderful thing in the world. I put it on the shelf with my raggedy animals and that was the beginning of my love affair for literature partner pieces in china.  This collection expanded over the years and grew to include a King Arthur Statue, a Treasure Island plate and many other wonderful treasures.

 

     I kept this collection for years, even taking it with me when I moved out to start my adult life. It was displayed prominently and safely in every place that I lived.  Unfortunately, returning home one day I discovered my house had experienced an unwelcome intruder. The large dog I owned at the time apparently made sure the intruder felt unwelcome and gave him a run for his money. The sad part is that during their ruckus every bit of china that I owned was smashed to dust.

      Life moves on and I completely forgot about my china literary collection. I still read everything I could get my hands on, but matching characters to actual figurines was a thing of the past. Then one day I was in an antique shop with a friend of mine, and I saw it. A full size cup and saucer decorated with Peter Rabbit and his friends. It was definitely calling me. The funny thing about it was, it was nothing like the original one that I owned in my youth. That one was a miniature set and this was just a random full size cup and saucer sitting in an antique store.

      That random little cup and saucer are now safely in my china cabinet with a Sleepy Hollow Night Light and a 150th Anniversary Alice in Wonderland Tea pot. There is also a small plate that I am sure connects to a book somewhere. It is very obviously not a regular china pattern. I call it my mystery plate. It has a small girl, a bell and a horse on it. I am thinking with all the horse stories I read, I will eventually come across the one it represents.

     

Now that I am an author with a book of my own, I can only hope that my book, Pie an Old Brown Horse (That Knows What He Is Doing), will delight and entertain as many children as the books I read as a youngster.   Pie was written as a family friendly book, one that someone can read with their kids or their kids could read by themselves.  I wrote Pie in Pie’s voice because I figured no one could tell his story better than he could.  The book ends on a happy note, something that I love in animal stories. So many of the good animal stories are written after the animal is gone, not this one, Pie is still with us at the ripe old age of 38. 

        Pie, the book takes the reader though the last 13 years of Pie’s life and everything he has done since he was rescued from a very bad situation that almost killed him. It takes you though many emotions and leaves you with a good feeling after you have finished it.  That was the effect I was looking for when I wrote it. The book is doing pretty well. It has been mentioned in January Magazine and the Wall Street Journal. He has won a 5 star review rating from Readers’ Favorites.  I am very proud of Pie, both the book and the horse.  It may not win a Pulitzer Prize, because it is told in the tone and vocabulary of a horse.  It is a wonderful, enchanting tale of a life that went on to improve many others even though it was a bit bruised itself.   Because of this, Pie has been featured on many inspirational book sites.  If you like animals or just a good story check out Pie an Old Brown Horse (That Knows What He Is Doing).

       Thank you Barbara for allowing me to guest post on your blog! Happy Trails To You and all your readers!  

Thank you Kandy Kay it was lovely to read about your childhood, your collections and your new book. I'm glad I could help re your 'mystery plate' I've loved Norman Thelwell illustrations all my life so it was easy to recognise this one. 

For more information about Pie, an Old Brown Horse (That Knows What He Is Doing) pay a visit to   

Kandy Kay Scaramuzzo      

For anyone wondering about the pony plate, there is lots of information about Norman Thelwell and his pony books on this page Thelwell.Org 

On Parade; Our Kiddies Gift Books

During the 1940s and 1950s several publishers, notably Renwick of Otley and Juvenile productions issued these pretty story books for children. Often printed on poor-quality paper, they were none the less lavishly illustrated by notable artists of the day. The front covers are a joy! Healthy-looking children and dressed animals along with large quantities of red ink seem to be the order of the day!

People often say; don’t judge a book by its cover, but in this case, the opposite is true. Do judge a book by its cover; these are beautiful inside and out!  View these and others like them at March House Books

Parade published by Renwick of Otley; A collection of stories and poems.

Our Kiddies Gift Book Published by Renwick of Otley. Several stories including the selfish elf by Arthur Groom. Four beautiful colour plates by Rene Cloke.

Going to it Also published by Renwick of Otley. Stories and poems.

Pat-A-Cake Nursery Rhymes illustrated by Rene Cloke. Published by Juvenile Productions in 1955.

Our Girls Yarns.  No publishing details given but according to COPAC it was published in 1949 by Renwick of Otley. 

Fun For Little Folk. Published by - you guessed it - Renwick of Ottley c1940s. Stories and Poems.

Whopper ABC and Play Book. Published by the Children's press in 1950. Stories, picture strips, games to play, dot-to-dots and lots more. Two-tone illustrations throughout by Rene Cloke, Molly B Thomson, Racey Helps and others. 

Hand in Hand to Fairyland published by Juvenile Production. A selection of fairy stories, including Cinderella, Puss in Boots, Aladdin and the three bears. The book is illustrated by Rene Cloke, but I don’t think she did the cover art. At a guess, I would say it’s by A. E. Kennedy, but that is just a guess.

Dick Whittington and Other Stories. Published by Sandle Brothers and Ward Lock in 1965 with illustrations by Rene Cloke.

I hope you've enjoyed this quick trip down memory lane.