Caldecott's Collection - AND Rumbo-Rhymes - 1881-1911

A beautiful collection of two richly illustrated classics of English book art from around 1900, created by two of the most important illustrators of the Victorian era – Randolph Caldecott and Walter Crane. Both works artistically unite sophisticated color illustrations with children's songs and verse, and are among the defining publications of the so-called "Golden Age of Illustration".
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1. Caldecott, Randolph: R. Caldecott's Collection of Pictures & Songs containing The Diverting History of John Gilpin – The House that Jack Built – An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog – The Babes in the Wood – The Three Jovial Huntsmen – Sing a Song for Sixpence – The Queen of Hearts – The Farmer's Boy. London and New York, Frederick Warne & Co., 1881, 240 pages with numerous color and black‑and‑white illustrations, illustrated original cloth binding, color paper endpapers, 23 x 20 cm

The collected edition brings together eight of Randolph Caldecott's most famous picture books, whose colored wood-engraved illustrations significantly influenced the development of the modern picture book. Caldecott's lively characters, the exceptional sense of movement, and the harmonious integration of image and text made his books milestones of children’s book illustration. To this day his work is regarded as groundbreaking; the renowned American Caldecott Medal for outstanding children's book illustrations bears his name.
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2. Calmour, Alfred C.; Crane, Walter (Illustr.): Rumbo-Rhymes or The Great Combine. A Satire. First edition. London and New York, Harper & Brothers, 1911. 92 pages. Half-title page, 22 color plates and drawings by Walter Crane, illustrated half-cloth binding, color paper endpapers, 23 x 17 cm

Satirical picture book with texts by Alfred C. Calmour and color illustrations by the prominent English artist Walter Crane. In poetic form the work gathers animals of various kinds for an allegorical gathering, whose plot humorously comments on social and political developments of the time.

Walter Crane ranks alongside Randolph Caldecott and Kate Greenaway as leading illustrators of the English Arts and Crafts movement. His decorative compositions, clear lines, and finely tuned color fields lend the work a high artistic appeal and make it a characteristic example of early 20th-century illustrated book art.
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Both volumes show age-appropriate signs of use. The Collection of Pictures & Songs has a foxed title page with isolated light foxing, the binding slightly rubbed. Rumbo-Rhymes shows light signs of wear. Overall, a well-preserved and decorative collection of two sought-after classics of English illustration art.