Josephine Keeps House illustrated by Honor C. Appleton

Regular readers of my blog might remember me telling you about a recent purchase from Marchpane books in London. It’s a really nice copy of Josephine Keeps House by Mrs H. C. Cradock. 

Credited with being one of the most popular children’s writers between the wars Mrs Cradock, daughter of an Anglican Clergyman was born August Whiteford in 1863. She married Henry Cowper Cradock in 1893 and wrote under her married name. She died in 1941 having survived her husband by eight years. If you would like to know more about her, The British Library website is a very good place to start.  

The Illustrations are by Honor C. Appleton (1879 – 1951). Honor Appleton studied at the South Kensington Schools (which later became the Royal College of Art), Frank Caderon's School of Animal Painting and the Royal Academy Schools. At the end of her first year at the RA Schools, she published The Bad Mrs Ginger (1902). She became a professional illustrator eight years later with Blake's Songs of Innocence (1910). During the following three decades she illustrated over one hundred and fifty books. While the best known of her early illustrations were for the 'Josephine' series, she produced much other fine work. [The Illustrators The British Art of Illustration 1800- 1997: Chris Beetles Limited, London]

There are eleven Josephine books in the series plus three compilations;

Josephine and her dolls 1916 Blackie

Josephine’s happy family 1917 Blackie

Josephine is busy Blackie 1918

The big book of Josephine (contains all three of the stories above) Blackie 1919

Josephine’s birthday Blackie 1920

Josephine, John and the puppy Blackie 1920

Josephine keeps school Blackie 1925

The bonny book of Josephine (contains all three of the above stories) Blackie 1926

Josephine goes shopping Blackie 1926

Josephine’s Christmas party blackie 1927

Josephine keeps house blackie 1931

The Josephine dolly book (contains happy family Josephine John Josephine busy) blackie 1934

Josephine's Pantomime Blackie 1939

Josephine goes travelling Blackie 1940

In the first book in the series, we get to meet the dolls who are really the stars of the show. I’m sure the author had fun describing them as in; Charlie has pale blue eyes, a crack in his head, a little hole in his nose and no feet and no arms.  While Sunny Jim is “Always smiling even though the back of his head is off.”

In Josephine Keeps House Josephine and the dolls are moving but as Josephine explains, “We can’t find one that will do,” “so we must build.” “Now we must count you and see exactly who is big, who is little and all that." 

The first time I looked at the two little dolls in the corner of this picture I assumed they were conjoined twins. However, they are described as “The two Koreans.”  "One arm off each."  

Have you read anything written by Mrs H. C. Cradock?  

I can’t remember every throwing away broken toys. Damaged dolls were great for playing hospitals with. What about you, did you play with your toys long after they were past their best? Do you still have them?