We have two versions of a very classic old children’s book, The Water Babies. The text by author Charles Kingsley is the same in both, but different artists do the illustrations.
We have chosen prints from both books. One set shows the main character as an older “water baby”, maybe 4 or 5 years old. The second set of prints has the water baby as a baby. Both sets of prints are enhanced with watery blue backgrounds and………………lots of fairies. These prints are really and truly from an old antique book of a fairy’s tale. Great prints for vintage baby nurseries, or young children who love water and make believe.
You will see two styles of art prints. In the inventory, you will see some images that have four copies. One set is our restored and enhanced set, the second is a set we did nothing with…That set is faded and soft, but somehow it still appeals, probably because many prints are of water. Minimal cleaning may have been required to get rid of water stains, or pickling due to age.
The first set of prints is from The Water Babies, written by Charles Kingsley and published in 1917 by J.B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia and London. The prints and illustrations are by Maria L. Kirk.
The second set of prints is from The Water Babies by the same author, but published by Press Printers. The illustrator is Ethel F. Everett. There is an inscription dated 1918 when a recipient received the book as a gift. There is no copyright date.
