Click on this Logo for a larger version (54kB)
IrvingEds

Home Up Contents Search Feedback Site History

Home
Up
Services
Who
Works
Nursery Rhymes
Postcards
Greetings Cards
Tiles
First and Last
Where
Family
Named after
Buying
Friends
About Us
Links
Find out more

Editions of books by Washington Irving, 
illustrated by Randolph Caldecott

Old Christmas

Bracebridge Hall

All the illustrations by Randolph Caldecott for these books were originally Monochrome.  Arthur Locker, editor of The Graphic, enthused: "How especially charming are his girls!  And they are the best type of English girls.  Healthy, innocent yet refined creatures, who keep good hours, and spend much time in the open air."  But almost a century later, in 1956, Frederick Laws (1911-76) commented: "Looking at Caldecott today one regrets that he ever bothered with this beau ideal of gentleman or that best type of English girl.  The queer-looking people are so much more probable."

The fair Julia walks beside her young man past a copse of young trees; he is opening her Parasol as her hand rests on his arm The same picture from the Altemus edition, 1899, in colour but redrawn not so well.

The fair Julia and her lover (from Bracebridge Hall), 
as originally illustrated by Randolph Caldecott.

In the Altemus edition (1899), this picture is the Frontis-
piece and is in colour - but it has been redrawn (we leave 
you to work out the illustrator's name from the 
signature) and has lost Caldecott's subtlety.

Up Editions2 IrvingEds

 
 Questions or comments about this web site?  E mail  with "Caldecott" included in the "Subject" line of your message.  (Sorry, but to protect ourselves from SPAM we have to ask you to type email addresses and subjects manually.)
© 2000, 2004 Randolph Caldecott Society UK.  
Unless otherwise stated, material from this site may be freely copied and reproduced, but please acknowledge where you got it from!           Last modified:  10 Mar 2005