THE THREE BASKETS; OR HOW HENRY, RICHARD, AND CHARLES WERE OCCUPIED WHILE PAPA WAS AWAY (Little Boy’s and Girl’s Library)

Hale, Mrs. S.J. [Sara Josepha Buel, editor, 1788-1879]

Editore: Edward Dunigan, New York, 1840

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Little Boy?s and Girl?s Library. 16mo. (14 cm.) 62p. Illustrated with seven full-page engravings attributed to "Elton" with each engraving also bearing the name "Whatman" (see more below). The one opposite the title page and the decorative title page itself have been hand-colored, as has the tail piece at p. 27. Sewn booklet in stiff cardstock covers printed in black and with a black hatch-mark design on the front cover and a list of New Juvenile Books, including The Little Boy's and Girl's Library, on the rear cover. Covers quite soiled and darkened, 1.5" piece missing at the bottom of the spine and along the rear gutter, corners mostly square and flat, all engravings in very good to near fine condition, hand coloring bright, scattered foxing throughout as one expects, else very good to near fine with no internal markings. Sarah Josepha Buell Hale (1788-1879) was a prolific New England novelist and poet who edited the Godey?s Lady?s Book for over 40 years. Active in public affairs, she is credited with writing one of the first novels pertaining to slavery in the U.S. (and was the first woman to do so); she was also a champion of women?s education, and helped to found Vassar Collage. She was the author of the nursery rhyme ?Mary?s Lamb? (now known as ?Mary Had a Little Lamb?). According to Blanck, the authorship of the Little Boy?s and Girl?s Library series was uncertain, although Sarah J. Hale was the editor for all volumes. The authorship of this volume has been attributed to a Mrs. Burden, from the title page of an undated British edition in the Osborne Collection of Children?s Literature at the Toronto Public Library. The "Elton" printed on each engraving may be Robert E. Elton, an engraver/printer/colorist who operated a printing firm (Elton & Company) with John McLoughlin, Sr. in the 1840s. The "Whatman" printed on each engraving may refer to James Whatman the Younger (1741-1798), whose father, James Whatman the Elder (1702-1759), began to produce fine English handmade paper at his Turkey Mill in Kent around 1740. The son continued to develop the fine paper originated by his father. The handmade paper bearing the Whatman's mark was still produced for special editions and art books until 2002. It is not clear that this little booklet bears the Whatman watermark, even if the engravings bear the Whatman name. Still, this is a rare book with OCLC showing only 3 holding libraries. Date determined from the publisher's dates of operation at 127 Fulton-street, New York, which have been verified as 1839-1842.

Codice articolo 009164

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• Titolo: THE THREE BASKETS; OR HOW HENRY, RICHARD, AND CHARLES WERE OCCUPIED WHILE PAPA WAS AWAY (Little Boy?s and Girl?s Library)
• Editore: Edward Dunigan, New York
• Data di pubblicazione: 1840
• Rilegatura: Soft cover
• Condizione: Very Good