Walter Crane - part 3

Walter Crane (15 August 1845 – 14 March 1915) was an English artist and book illustrator. He is considered to be the most influential, and among the most prolific, children's book creators of his generation and, along with Randolph Caldecott and Kate Greenaway, one of the strongest contributors to the child's nursery motif that the genre of English children's illustrated literature would exhibit in its developmental stages in the later 19th century.

Crane's work featured some of the more colourful and detailed beginnings of the child-in-the-garden motifs that would characterise many nursery rhymes and children's stories for decades to come. He was part of the Arts and Crafts movement and produced an array of paintings, illustrations, children's books, ceramic tiles, wallpapers and other decorative arts. Crane is also remembered for his creation of a number of iconic images associated with the international socialist movement.

For more in-depth biographical notes see part 1, and for earlier works see parts 1 & 2 also.

This is part 3 of a 19-part series on the works of Walter Crane.

c1870-75 Walter Crane's Toy Books 

published by George Routledge & Sons

The Three Bears (1873):

End paper

The Three Bears

And, as the door stood open, in walked boldly
This child...

And next she saw three chairs, and tried to sit in the biggest,

"Ah, well," she thought, "there may be beds to lie on upstairs...

They rushed upstairs, and Father Bruin, growling,...

"But someone lies on mine!" the small Bear said.

So Silverlocks, in sudden terror flying, reached home.

Valentine and Orson (not complete):

End paper

And there within the castle hall they saw a head of brass...

1873 Walter Crane's New Toy Book 

published by George Routledge and Sons:

A B C (not complete)

A B C D

E F G

H I J

Q R S 

T U V

W X Y Z

1874 Goody Two Shoe's 

published by George Routledge and Sons 

containing Goody Two Shoes, Beauty and the Beast, The Frog Prince, The Alphabet of Old Friends.

End paper

Title Page

The Frog Prince: 

1874 The Alphabet Of Old Friends:

End paper

A B C D

E F G H

I J K L M

N O P Q R

S T U V

W X Y Z