"Cover and Thackeray initials in Medallion" — for the Harry Furniss Centenary Edition of "Christmas Books" (Macmillan, 1911)

Cover and Thackeray initials in Medallion

1911

Blue linen, gold-stamped cover and spine

23.3 cm high by 16.6 cm wide (9 ⅛ by 6 ½ inches)

Cover and gilt spine for Christmas Books.

Scanned image and text by Philip V. Allingham.

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned the image and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]

"Prelude" (December 1854)

It happened that the undersigned spent the last Christmas season in a foreign city where there were many English children.

In that city, if you wanted to give a child’s party, you could not even get a magic-lantern or buy Twelfth-Night characters—those funny painted pictures of the King, the Queen, the Lover, the Lady, the Dandy, the Captain, and so on — with which our young ones are wont to recreate themselves at this festive time.

My friend Miss Bunch, who was governess of a large family that lived in the Piano Nobile of the house inhabited by myself and my young charges (it was the Palazzo Poniatowski at Rome, and Messrs. Spillmann, two of the best pastrycooks in Christendom, have their shop on the ground floor): Miss Bunch, I say, begged me to draw a set of Twelfth-Night characters for the amusement of our young people.

She is a lady of great fancy and droll imagination, and having looked at the characters, she and I composed a history about them, which was recited to the little folks at night, and served as our FIRESIDE PANTOMIME.

Our juvenile audience was amused by the adventures of Giglio and Bulbo, Rosalba and Angelica. I am bound to say the fate of the Hall Porter created a considerable sensation; and the wrath of Countess Gruffanuff was received with extreme pleasure.

If these children are pleased, thought I, why should not others be amused also? In a few days Dr. Birch’s young friends will be expected to reassemble at Rodwell Regis, where they will learn everything that is useful, and under the eyes of careful ushers continue the business of their little lives.

But, in the meanwhile, and for a brief holiday, let us laugh and be as pleasant as we can. And you elder folk—a little joking, and dancing, and fooling will do even you no harm. The author wishes you a merry Christmas, and welcomes you to the Fireside Pantomime.

W. M. THACKERAY. December 1854. [Pp. 289-290]

Comment

Macmillan & Company published the Furniss "Centenary Edition" simultaneously in London, New York< Bombay, Calcutta, Melbourne, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Toronto. "This edition de luxe of one thousand copies was printed in 1911" [verso of title-page]. The 428-page volume contains the following seasonal offerings:

Mrs. Perkins Ball (pp. 3-76)
Our Street (pp. 77-144)
Doctor Birch and His Young Friends (pp. 145-206)
The Kickleburys on the Rhine (pp. 207-288)
The Rose and The Ring (pp. 287-428)

It contains just four illustrations by Furniss, but reproductions of all of Thackeray's illustrations.

Bibliography

Furniss, Harry. The Rose and The Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and the Prince Bulbo. William Makepeace Thackeray's Christmas Books. With illustrations by the author and Harry Furniss. The Harry Furniss Centenary Edition. Ed. Lewis Melville. London: Macmillan and Co., 1911. Pp. 287-428.

Titmarsh, M. A. [W. M. Thackeray].The Rose and The Ring. London: Smith, Elder, 1855.

Created 4 August 2022