Gifted to me was this century old art tutorial/poetry book.
The only reference I could find to Mabel Livingstone's Animal Drawing Book was in an educational article.This darling book was listed in the article, Use of Classroom Libraries to Stimulate Interest and Speed in Reading by M. Elizabeth James of the State Normal School, Salem Massachusetts.Published in The Elementary School Journal Vol. 23, No. 8 (Apr., 1923), by the University of Chicago Press, it was part of an extensive list of books "suitable for pupils of Grade II".
I love that the art lessons are told through rhyme.Whoever owned this book, early on, attempted many of the illustrations. What I find incredible is the fact that the artist dated his/her work as March 1, 1931 with the disclaimer on each of "bad cold". So dang cute!Glued within the book were several clippings of art lessons by Uncle Cobb Shinn. A quick search introduced us to this talented man who I am surprised not to already know.Conrad X. 'Cobb' Shinn (1887-1951) was an Indiana-born postcard illustrator who sold a series of successful novelty postcard lines which included (among others) Charlie Chaplin, automobiles and the Dutch culture in the beginning years of the 20th Century. After serving in World War I, Shinn found the market for novelty postcards dwindling so he also lent his artistic skills to cartoon features and illustrating many children's books [including his own, under the nickname Uncle Cobb] which taught easy step-by-step drawing methods.In his later years, the artist developed a small but thriving business as he migrated into the field of supplying electrotypes and stereotypes of stock cuts of photos and line art to the printing trade. In the days of letterpress printing, this was the forerunner of paper clip art and its successor, electronic clip art. He was so ahead of his time!Not all of his postcard designs were comical. This Scofield-Pierson Co. postcard (1908), shows a portrait, by Shinn, of the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and a bouquet of Carnation Flowers. I'm encouraged by Longfellow's unique words:
"And the night shall be filled with music,
And the cares, that infest the day,
Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,
And silently steal away."
What wonders lie in the discarded books of old! Here's to interesting discoveries, less cares and more wonders in the New Year.
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1 comments:
Thank you for sharing!! Love the little book by Mabel Livingstone and the examples from Uncle Cobb Shinn! Longfellow's beautiful image! May the cares of our world steal away too.
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