"Nice Music,” by John Lawson or C.G. Hardie

"Nice Music,” unknown artist

1902

Chromolithograph

Published in 1902 within the children's collection Mother Goose Jingles, this antique book plate showcases a detailed chromolithographic illustration paired with an amusing narrative verse titled "Nice Music." The visual composition depicts a charming interior domestic scene where a young boy named Terry, dressed in a purple tunic and brown breeches, leans forward to play a cello that rests on a wooden floor near a music stand. To his right, a young blonde girl named Dolly, wearing a blue dress with a white apron and a large blue hair bow, points downward at a seated, spotted terrier named Fido, whom she holds by the collar. The typography below presents a lighthearted dialogue between the characters regarding the dog's vocal reaction to the cello, capturing Fido’s perspective: "I don't call that nice music: / It seems to me all wrong; / If you'll leave off and listen, / I'll sing you my / new song!"

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