1915 Rare 1stED - Those Mysterious Children illustrated by Honor C. Appleton
An attractive and rare Edwardian children’s novel, beautifully illustrated in colour by Honor C. Appleton, whose delicate figures and soft palette give the book much of its period charm.
Author: Dorothy Russell.
Title: Those Mysterious Children.
Publisher: London, Glasgow and Bombay: Blackie and Son Limited, 1915. First Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7.5" x 5.5".
Pages: 256 pages.
Binding: Very good original publisher’s pale grey pictorial cloth binding, lettered and decorated in blue and brown, with a lovely mounted colour illustration by Honor C. Appleton to the front board. The binding remains firm and attractive, with light general wear, some age toning to the spine and minor rubbing at the extremities, as shown. Protected in a removable mylar cover.
Content: Very good content. The pages are generally clean and well preserved, with foxing mainly affecting the preliminary and final leaves, as shown, and occasional scattered spotting elsewhere. Two old ownership names in ink appear on the front free endpaper. Otherwise a sound and pleasing copy.
Illustrations: Complete with the 5 beautiful full-page colour illustrations by Honor C. Appleton, including the colour frontispiece. The plates remain bright and attractive.
Estimate: USD $150–200.
The book: Those Mysterious Children is a charming early twentieth-century children’s story by Dorothy Russell, combining domestic adventure, friendship, curiosity and the irresistible attraction of mysterious new neighbours.
The story begins when Molly and the young narrator notice new arrivals at a nearby house in Chisholme Square. The newcomers quickly become known simply as “the Mysteries,” and their appearance sets in motion a series of encounters, misunderstandings, adventures and surprises. Chapter titles such as “The Mysteries at No. 15,” “Tony’s Adventure,” “A Visit to the Zoo,” “A Visit to the Sea,” “Tony in Trouble Again” and finally “Mysteries No Longer” give a delightful sense of the book’s lively episodic character.
The five colour plates by Honor C. Appleton depict the children with an understated elegance and naturalness, using soft watercolour tones and expressive gestures rather than exaggerated fantasy.
The author: Dorothy Russell was a British writer of children’s fiction active during the early decades of the twentieth century. Her books belong to the tradition of family and adventure stories centred on the everyday lives of children, where small mysteries, friendships and domestic incidents become occasions for excitement and discovery.
The illustrator: Honor Charlotte Appleton (1879–1951) was a British illustrator particularly admired for her graceful depictions of children and literary subjects. Working mainly in watercolour, she illustrated numerous books for publishers including Blackie & Son and became especially associated with children’s classics and girls’ stories.