Childhood's Playtime from Coloured Designs by H. W. Petherick.

London and New York: Frederick Warne & Co. ; Scribner,
Welford & Armstrong, Ca. 1877. Charming chromolithographed illustrations of children around the world, including a story on Australian children. One of the Aunt Louisa' London Toy Books Series, 1/- or Mounted 2/-.

The Australian Children story is illustrated with a plate of a young girl on horseback talking to other children in a bucolic landscape, with mountains in the distance. The text describes their vastly improved circumstances, following immigration to Australia: "On the green plains of Australia these little children play, they have forgotten long ago the poor home far away. .... Now there is bread and meat for all, and blue sky overhead; and on their father's meadow land the milk white lambs are fed." Other content includes 'Childhood's Playtime', 'Continental Children', 'The Children of Great Britain and Ireland' (the illustration is a double spread), and 'Canadian and American Children'.

With a young owner's very elegant contemporary signature at the top of the first illustration, James Arthur Malcolm, Christmas 1877. Lithographed by Kronheim & Co., London. The number 61 at the front wrapper.

Large 4to, 6 pp, [6] leaves of plates. Color pictorial stiff paper wrappers. The front wrapper illustrated with scene of western children conversing with other children of the world. Advertisements at rear wrapper for Warne's Nursery Literature. Wrappers lightly dusted, otherwise very good condition. OCLC: 154194851 records one copy at Auckland Libraries. Trove 42522646 records one copy at the National Library of Australia. Very good condition. Item #22813

Price: $350.00