Several years ago I obtained a sizable archive from the family of Robert Clement Sconce (1787-1846). It contains hundreds of photographs and negatives, dozens of letters and documents, a hundred or so drawings, sketches and watercolor paintings, and a number of books, journals and diaries. Robert Clement Sconce, while born and raised in England, spent most of his adult life in the Mediterranean on the British controlled island of Malta. He held numerous positions in the British Admiralty that afforded him time and space to dabble in botany and art. He was in Malta as secretary to Admiral Sir John Duckworth and for ten years he was also Naval Agent Victualler for HM Dockyard, Malta. Although he was never wealthy, he and his family lived well and circulated in upper class English society. Portrait of Robert Clement Sconce In 1861 his daughter put together his life and Letters in two volumes:   LIFE AND LETTERS of ROBERT CLEMENT SCONCE, formerly Secreta...

Just a little over a year ago Raggedy Ann turned 100! Hard to believe. This lovable floppy fabric doll started as a fix-up by Johnny Gruelle of a worn out, torn up old doll his daughter Marcella found in the attic. He fixed her up and made her as vibrant as he could. Marcella and the doll she named Raggedy Ann became instant friends.   Marcella Gruelle and her mother Myrtle in 1911 Unfortunately, Marcella was to have only a short love affair with Ann as she died at the age of 13 as the result of complications from a smallpox vaccination program at school.   1915 Patent by Gruelle for the Design of a Doll Johnny Gruelle went ahead and got the patent for Raggedy Ann … for the memory of his daughter. Once the doll came to market it was a hit. Gruelle, a cartoonist and illustrator who had signed a publishing contract with P. F. Volland, introduced Raggedy Ann Stories in 1918. He wrote one new book a year for 20 years after that. In 1920, Gruelle...

We picked up about thirty copies of this wonderful magazine ... Children's Activities for Home and School ... dated 1946, 1947 and 1948. Wouldn't it be marvelous if kids were doing things with their hands and minds like this, instead of playing with their mobile devices. Don't get me wrong, these modern gadgets are wonderful. We carry our iPhones with us whenever we are away from home. But these activities are pretty cool! I chose to photograph a bunch from the October issues ... since this is October and Halloween is fast approaching. We have these vintage magazines available at $8.00 each ... while they last.

Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. The story was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks , under the title The Sea Cook , as the work of "Captain George North" over a period of several months from 1881-82. Treasure Island was first published as a book by Cassell and Company of London in 1883. Roberts Brothers of Boston published the first illustrated edition and the first US edition in 1884, and followed the next year (1885) with a paperback version using the same illustrations as the 1884 edition. What we have is the 1885 Roberts Brothers’ paperback edition. It is complete, except for missing the back cover … something almost unheard of for these lower quality mass publications. Look at the photos for condition … but I describe it as very good for a 130-year old paperback. These paperbacks … which later were called “dime store novels” … brought literature to the masses at a time wh...

One reason I love old ephemera, is that now and then I find true treasures. A while back, we found this marvelous little book … Plants Quadrupeds Birds . It is fully done by hand … all the text is hand printed in watercolor ink and it contains six ink and watercolor illustrations as well. This little book is written and illustrated by Robert Clement Sconce (1787-1846). It is signed simply “Sconce” on the inside of the front cover and was written to Sally from her Papa. Sally is Sarah Susanna “Sally” Sconce Bunbury (1816-1897), who later compiled, annotated and edited the work Life and Letters of Robert Clement Sconce (1861). Numerous passages in that book have Robert Clement Sconce discussing, in letters to his daughter Sally, his drawing and sketching using watercolors. The book begins: Does dear Sally know that while she has been amusing herself gathering Plants, and learning their names, she has been learning Bot...

Not only i s this a great children's book with great graphic images, but it al so has a boatload of craft projects for kids and kids-at-heart. The Make-It Book- Things to do with Scissors and Paste and Odds and Ends by Rachel Taft Dixon and Marjorie Hartwell. This wonderful book was published back in 1928, yet the craft projects are as relevant today as they were then.  The projects include paper folding, paper dolls, doll houses, masks, kites, things made from corks and clothespins, walnut shells and twigs. I have copied below a couple of clothespin projects. Pretty cute! Try them .  Click on the image to see a larger size.