"Good for Them!" by E.L.

"Good for Them!" by E.L.

1902

Chromolithograph

Published in 1902 within the children's collection Mother Goose Jingles, this antique book plate presents a charming chromolithographic illustration by an artist signed with the initials E.L. in the lower right, accompanied by a narrative verse titled "Good for Them!". The visual composition depicts a cozy nursery interior centered around a green-tiled fireplace decorated with a mantel clock and two small blue vases. A young girl in a pink dress stands holding two porcelain dolls while watching a young boy in a white sailor suit who kneels on the floor to bathe a third doll in a shallow metal washbasin using a sponge. The printed text features a playful poem initialed by C.B. that explores a child's innocent perspective on nursery routines: "A BATH, / Nurse says, is / 'good for you,' / So one is / good for / dollies too; / They must / enjoy it, / too, say I, / For, though / it's cold, / they never / cry!"

Originating from the renowned London fine-art publisher Ernest Nister (and co-distributed by E.P. Dutton & Co. in New York), this piece reflects the high production standards of Edwardian and late-Victorian commercial children's literature. The artwork is executed in the classic style of the period's celebrated illustrators, including John Lawson and C. G. Hardie, who specialized in idealized, sentimental depictions of childhood innocence, domesticity, and playful interactions with family pets. This specific plate is culturally and historically significant because it illustrates how turn-of-the-century children's books shifted toward pure entertainment and gentle humor, using sophisticated color printing techniques to make beautiful, engaging imagery accessible to a rapidly growing middle-class audience.

Dimensions: H 12” x 10” W

Condition: Toned with age