Snowballs by artist unknown

Snowballs by artist unknown

1902

Chromolithograph

Published in 1902 within the children's collection Mother Goose Jingles, this antique book plate features a seasonal winter scene rendered in vibrant chromolithography, accompanied by a humorous narrative verse about a playful snowball fight. The main illustration showcases a young boy standing in a snowy landscape wearing a green double-breasted overcoat and a large blue tricorn hat while smilingly cradling a large, pristine snowball. Beside him, a younger child clad in a ruffled pink winter coat and a matching fur-trimmed hood bends down to pack more snow into spheres. A separate, smaller vignette in the upper right corner depicts an elegant young woman walking in the snow with a large white muff to warm her hands. The integrated typography displays a playful poem signed with the initials C.B. that details the boy's overambitious attempt to pelt his sibling: "He threw / one at / his sister, / But hit / her—oh! / dear, no, / Because / he made / a bigger / one / Than / he had / strength / to throw!"

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, seasonal outdoor play, and fashionable period dress. 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