The Wonderland Gallery is HERE.  The first item on the page is the subfolder with the PNG images.

Title: Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There
Author: Lewis Carroll
Artist: John Tenniel
Date Published: 1865

I post it mainly for the numerous color and black & white illustrations, but I have added a folder of the entire book (unedited, raw scans in very high resolution) for anyone interested in the book as a whole.  It is written in, but then again it was a child’s school book.

I have not been able to edit and post the cleaned up pictures yet, but will get to it shortly.  In the meantime the full page scans (very large) are HERE.

Title: Des Kindes erstes Lesebuch Illustrierte Fibel mit farbigen Bildern (The Child’s Alphabet Book Primer Illustrated with Colored Pictures)
Author: Rudolf Dietlein
Artist: Various
Publisher: J. F. Schreiber
Date Published: 1880′s (circa)

Here is what the images currently look like.   They are very large, so there is plenty of room to play with if you want to download them and edit them yourself before I get around to it.

The book itself will be up for sale in my SHOP sometime soon.

Hound with Hedgehog, Boy with DOnkey, Clocks, Children and Eggs

The folder is HERE in the GALLERY. A SUBFOLDER has the images without the text. I will link to some images soon as I get the time.

Title: The Flower Children: The Little Cousins of the Field and Garden
Author: Elizabeth Gordon
Artist: M. T. Ross
Publisher: P. F. Volland (Chicago)
Date Published: 1910

The Flower Children Store is a shop where you can purchase many items with these images.

Flower Children Zazzle Store

I will soon add images linking directly to the Gallery.

These are from the McLoughlin Brothers American edition, which was slightly altered from the original English edition.  Any edition prior to 1900 is rather scarce, and in good condition is sought after by collectors.

The story is adapted from Charles Perrault, one of the seminal figures in the birth of the modern fairy tale.   The illustrator was Kate Greenaway, who was a prolific illustrator of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.   Some of her other illustrations are catalogued online and available HERE at the Illuminated Books Project.

I have posted all the pages as originally scanned in their own folder.   Thus you can read the full text.  I could not find this exact version of the text online, so posting as text instead of images is not possible now (as I am not about to transcribe it).  I will update this post if I find the text.   The images I have cleaned up and posted in the main folder.  I have repaired the tears and enhanced the colors.  The originals are in the sub-folder, so you have access to those as well.

The Gallery has links to all the plates, both edited and as scanned.   The images below link to the individual image pages where they are available for download in various sizes for free.

Title: Diamonds and Toads
Author: adapted from Charles Perrault (from traditional sources)
Artist: Kate Greenaway
Publisher: McLoughlin Brothers
Date Published: circa 1875

Click on an image to go directly to that page in the Gallery.

Cover

Cover Detail

Rose's Kindness

Pearls and Diamonds

Toads and Vipers

The Fairy's Visit

Rear Cover

The images and text are available elsewhere, but I decided to put up some nice sized and cleaned up scans.  Too often what you can find is either dirty or needs to be edited to be made usable.   The text, too, I have posted, although it is also available at Project Gutenberg.  The version I have posted is that from the 1909 book, and is slightly different from the original, which can be found synopsized here at Wikipedia.

Title: Princess Belle-Etoile
Author: Traditional
Artist: Walter Crane
Publisher: John Lane
Date Published: 1909

The images below are linked to the gallery pages where I have made them available for download in various sized high resolution JPEG’s.  The main gallery page for this book is HERE.

The Corsair Finds the Children

Feintise and Belle-Etoile

Prince Cheri saves the turtle-dove

Prince Cheri and the two-headed monster

Prince Cheri falls into the spacious hall

Cheri and Belle-Etoile

Full Text

Once upon a time there were three Princesses, named Roussette, Brunette, and Blondine, who lived in retirement with their mother, a Princess who had lost all her former grandeur. One day an old woman called and asked for a dinner, as this Princess was an excellent cook. After the meal was over, the old woman, who was a fairy, promised that their kindness should be rewarded, and immediately disappeared.

Shortly after, the King came that way, with his brother and the Lord Admiral. They were all so struck with the beauty of the three Princesses, that the King married the youngest, Blondine, his brother married Brunette, and the Lord Admiral married Roussette.

The good Fairy, who had brought all this about, also caused the young Queen Blondine to have three lovely children, two boys and a girl, out of whose hair fell fine jewels. Each had a brilliant star on the forehead, and a rich chain of gold around the neck. At the same time Brunette, her sister, gave birth to a handsome boy. Now the young Queen and Brunette were much attached to each other, but Roussette was jealous of both, and the old Queen, the King’s mother, hated them. Brunette died soon after the birth of her son, and the King was absent on a warlike expedition, so Roussette joined the wicked old Queen in forming plans to injure Blondine. They ordered Feintise, the old Queen’s waiting-woman, to strangle the Queen’s three children and the son of Princess Brunette, and bury them secretly. But as she was about to execute this wicked order, she was so struck by their beauty, and the appearance of the sparkling stars on their foreheads, that she shrank from the deed.

So she had a boat brought round to the beach, and put the four babes, with some strings of jewels, into a cradle, which she placed in the boat, and then set it adrift. The boat was soon far out at sea. The waves rose, the rain poured in torrents, and the thunder roared. Feintise could not doubt that the boat would be swamped, and felt relieved by the thought that the poor little innocents would perish, for she would otherwise always be haunted by the fear that something would occur to betray the share she had had in their preservation.

But the good Fairy protected them, and after floating at sea for seven days they were picked up by a Corsair. He was so struck by their beauty that he altered his course, and took them home to his wife, who had no children. She was transported with joy when he placed them in her hands. They admired together the wonderful stars, the chains of gold that could not be taken off their necks, and their long ringlets. Much greater was the woman’s astonishment when she combed them, for at every instant there rolled out of their hair pearls, rubies, diamonds, and emeralds. She told her husband of it, who was not less surprised than herself.

“I am very tired,” said he, “of a Corsair’s life, and if the locks of those little children continue to supply us with such treasures, I will give up roaming the seas.” The Corsair’s wife, whose name was Corsine, was enchanted at this, and loved the four infants so much the more for it. She named the Princess, Belle-Etoile, her eldest brother, Petit-Soleil, the second, Heureux, and the son of Brunette, Cheri.

As they grew older, the Corsair applied himself seriously to their education, as he felt convinced there was some great mystery attached to their birth.

The Corsair and his wife had never told the story of the four children, who passed for their own. They were exceedingly united, but Prince Cheri entertained for Princess Belle-Etoile a greater affection than the other two. The moment she expressed a wish for anything, he would attempt even impossibilities to gratify her.

One day Belle-Etoile overheard the Corsair and his wife talking. “When I fell in with them,” said the Corsair, “I saw nothing that could give me any idea of their birth.” “I suspect,” said Corsine, “that Cheri is not their brother, he has neither star nor neck-chain.” Belle-Etoile immediately ran and told this to the three Princes, who resolved to speak to the Corsair and his wife, and ask them to let them set out to discover the secret of their birth. After some remonstrance they gained their consent. A beautiful vessel was prepared, and the young Princess and the three Princes set out. They determined to sail to the very spot where the Corsair had found them, and made preparations for a grand sacrifice to the fairies, for their protection and guidance. They were about to immolate a turtle-dove, but the Princess saved its life, and let it fly. At this moment a syren issued from the water, and said, “Cease your anxiety, let your vessel go where it will; land where it stops.” The vessel now sailed more quickly. Suddenly they came in sight of a city so beautiful that they were anxious their vessel should enter the port. Their wishes were accomplished; they landed, and the shore in a moment was crowded with people, who had observed the magnificence of their ship. They ran and told the King the news, and as the grand terrace of the Palace looked out upon the sea-shore, he speedily repaired thither. The Princes, hearing the people say, “There is the King,” looked up, and made a profound obeisance. He looked earnestly at them, and was as much charmed by the Princess’s beauty, as by the handsome mien of the young Princes. He ordered his equerry to offer them his protection, and everything that they might require.

The King was so interested about these four children, that he went into the chamber of the Queen, his mother, to tell her of the wonderful stars which shone upon their foreheads, and everything that he admired in them. She was thunderstruck at it, and was terribly afraid that Feintise had betrayed her, and sent her secretary to enquire about them. What he told her of their ages confirmed her suspicions. She sent for Feintise, and threatened to kill her. Feintise, half dead with terror, confessed all; but promised, if she spared her, that she would still find means to do away with them. The Queen was appeased; and, indeed, old Feintise did all she could for her own sake. Taking a guitar, she went and sat down opposite the Princess’s window, and sang a song which Belle-Etoile thought so pretty that she invited her into her chamber. “My fair child,” said Feintise, “Heaven has made you very lovely, but you yet want one thing—the dancing-water. If I had possessed it, you would not have seen a white hair upon my head, nor a wrinkle on my face. Alas! I knew this secret too late; my charms had already faded.” “But where shall I find this dancing-water?” asked Belle-Etoile. “It is in the luminous forest,” said Feintise. “You have three brothers; does not any one of them love you sufficiently to go and fetch some?” “My brothers all love me,” said the Princess, “but there is one of them who would not refuse me anything.” The perfidious old woman retired, delighted at having been so successful. The Princes, returning from the chase, found Belle-Etoile engrossed by the advice of Feintise. Her anxiety about it was so apparent, that Cheri, who thought of nothing but pleasing her, soon found out the cause of it, and, in spite of her entreaties, he mounted his white horse, and set out in search of the dancing-water. When supper-time arrived, and the Princess did not see her brother Cheri, she could neither eat nor drink; and desired he might be sought for everywhere, and sent messengers to find him and bring him back.

The wicked Feintise was very anxious to know the result of her advice; and when she heard that Cheri had already set out, she was delighted, and reported to the Queen-Mother all that had passed. “I admit, Madam,” said she, “that I can no longer doubt that they are the same four children: but one of the Princes is already gone to seek the dancing-water, and will no doubt perish in the attempt, and I shall find similar means to do away with all of them.”

The plan she had adopted with regard to Prince Cheri was one of the most certain, for the dancing-water was not easily to be obtained; it was so notorious from the misfortunes which occurred to all who sought it, that every one knew the road to it. He was eight days without taking any repose but in the woods. At the end of this period he began to suffer very much from the heat; but it was not the heat of the sun, and he did not know the cause of it, until from the top of a mountain he perceived the luminous forest; all the trees were burning without being consumed, and casting out flames to such a distance that the country around was a dry desert.

At this terrible scene he descended, and more than once gave himself up for lost. As he approached this great fire he was ready to die with thirst; and perceiving a spring falling into a marble basin, he alighted from his horse, approached it, and stooped to take up some water in the little golden vase which he had brought with him, when he saw a turtle-dove drowning in the fountain. Cheri took pity on it, and saved it. “My Lord Cheri,” she said, “I am not ungrateful; I can guide you to the dancing-water, which, without me, you could never obtain, as it rises in the middle of the forest, and can only be reached by going underground.” The Dove then flew away, and summoned a number of foxes, badgers, moles, snails, ants, and all sorts of creatures that burrow in the earth. Cheri got off his horse at the entrance of the subterranean passage they made for him, and groped his way after the kind Dove, which safely conducted him to the fountain. The Prince filled his golden vase; and returned the same way he came.

He found Belle-Etoile sorrowfully seated under some trees, but when she saw him she was so pleased that she scarcely knew how to welcome him.

Old Feintise learned from her spies that Cheri had returned, and that the Princess, having washed her face with the dancing-water, had become more lovely than ever. Finding this, she lost no time in artfully making the Princess sigh for the wonderful singing-apple. Prince Cheri again found her unhappy, and again found out the cause, and once more set out on his white horse, leaving a letter for Belle-Etoile.

In the meanwhile, the King did not forget the lovely children, and reproached them for never going to the Palace. They excused themselves by saying that their brother’s absence prevented them.

Prince Cheri at break of day perceived a handsome young man, from whom he learned where the singing-apple was to be found: but after travelling some time without seeing any sign of it, he saw a poor turtle-dove fall at his feet almost dead. He took pity on it, and restored it, when it said, “Good-day, handsome Cheri, you are destined to save my life, and I to do you signal service. You are come to seek for the singing-apple: it is guarded by a terrible dragon.” The Dove then led him to a place where he found a suit of armour, all of glass: and by her advice he put it on, and boldly went to meet the dragon. The two-headed monster came bounding along, fire issuing from his throat; but when he saw his alarming figure multiplied in the Prince’s mirrors he was frightened in his turn. He stopped, and looking fiercely at the Prince, apparently laden with dragons, he took flight and threw himself into a deep chasm. The Prince then found the tree, which was surrounded with human bones, and breaking off an apple, prepared to return to the Princess. She had never slept during his absence, and ran to meet him eagerly.

When the wicked Feintise heard the sweet singing of the apple, her grief was excessive, for instead of doing harm to these lovely children, she only did them good by her perfidious counsels. She allowed some days to pass by without showing herself; and then once more made the Princess unhappy by saying that the dancing-water and the singing-apple were useless without the little green bird that tells everything.

Cheri again set out, and after some trouble learnt that this bird was to be found on the top of a frightful rock, in a frozen climate. At length, at dawn of day, he perceived the rock, which was very high and very steep, and upon the summit of it was the bird, speaking like an oracle, telling wonderful things. He thought that with a little dexterity it would be easy to catch it, for it seemed very tame. He got off his horse, and climbed up very quietly. He was so close to the green bird that he thought he could lay hands on it, when suddenly the rock opened and he fell into a spacious hall, and became as motionless as a statue; he could neither stir, nor utter a complaint at his deplorable situation. Three hundred knights, who had made the same attempt, were in the same state. To look at each other was the only thing permitted them.

The time seemed so long to Belle-Etoile, and still no signs of her beloved Cheri, that she fell dangerously ill; and in the hopes of curing her, Petit-Soleil resolved to seek him.

But he too was swallowed up by the rock and fell into the great hall. The first person he saw was Cheri, but he could not speak to him; and Prince Heureux, following soon after, met with the same fate as the other two.

When Feintise was aware that the third Prince was gone, she was exceedingly delighted at the success of her plan; and when Belle-Etoile, inconsolable at finding not one of her brothers return, reproached herself for their loss, and resolved to follow them, she was quite overjoyed.

The Princess was disguised as a cavalier, but had no other armour than her helmet. She was dreadfully cold as she drew near the rock, but seeing a turtle-dove lying on the snow, she took it up, warmed it, and restored it to life: and the dove reviving, gaily said, “I know you, in spite of your disguise; follow my advice: when you arrive at the rock, remain at the bottom and begin to sing the sweetest song you know; the green bird will listen to you; you must then pretend to go to sleep; when it sees me, it will come down to peck me, and at that moment you will be able to seize it.”

All this fell out as the Dove foretold. The green bird begged for liberty. “First,” said Belle-Etoile, “I wish that thou wouldst restore my three brothers to me.”

“Under my left wing there is a red feather,” said the bird: “pull it out, and touch the rock with it.”

The Princess hastened to do as she was instructed; the rock split from the top to the bottom: she entered with a victorious air the hall in which stood the three Princes with many others; she ran towards Cheri, who did not know her in her helmet and male attire, and could neither speak nor move. The green bird then told the Princess she must rub the eyes and mouth of all those she wished to disenchant with the red feather, which good office she did to all.

The three Princes and Belle-Etoile hastened to present themselves to the King; and when Belle-Etoile showed her treasures, the little green bird told him that the Princes Petit-Soleil and Heureux and the Princess Belle-Etoile were his children, and that Prince Cheri was his nephew. Queen Blondine, who had mourned for them all these years, embraced them, and the wicked Queen-Mother and old Feintise were justly punished. And the King, who thought his nephew Cheri the handsomest man at Court, consented to his marriage with Belle-Etoile. And lastly, to make everyone happy, the King sent for the Corsair and his wife, who gladly came.

“Rhymes for Kindly Children” is subtitled “Modern Mother Goose Jingles.”  It is more blatantly geared toward teaching children proper manners, though, and even the titles reveal this end.  Children, of course, will not always embrace such obviousness, and perhaps this is why the rhymes themselves never became quite as popular as the traditional Mother Goose fare.   The illustrations are nice though, and especially of interest to any Gruelle fan.

I have placed some representative images below, all linked to the GALLERY.  The full list is viewable there.

Title: Rhymes for Kindly Children:  Modern Mother Goose Jingles
Author: Ethel Fairmont
Artist: Johnny Gruelle
Publisher: P. F. Volland Company
Date Published: 1916

Click a thumbnail to visit the gallery page for the image where it can be downloaded in many very high resolution sizes.

Albert's Pet Bunny

Bird Friends

Gathering Berries

The Adventurer

The Make-Believe Express

The New Bonnet

The Useful Cow

Three Little Hollanders

Bed-Time

If You Saw a Man With a Nice, Fat Horse

Kindly Children Learn to Love

The Harmful Hitting Habit

The Proud Mother

The Untidy Children

Most books with Pletsch’s work are in German, and I have not seen another copy of this particular work.  He was fairly prolific in the late 1800′s.  Typically, books included four to ten full page color illustrations, with many smaller cuts distributed throughout the text.  This book is typical in this regard.

Ludwig Richter was another prolific German illustrator, with archetypal period illustrations appearing in many children’s books and fairy tales as well as other media.   He was influential in the use of woodcut illustrations at the time.  With this current book it is not always easy to tell who executed which illustration, nor the identities of the “other” referred to on the title page.

While I have not seen this book other than the copy I have in hand, it is referenced in various ads from scanned books from the same publisher at Google Books, such as HERE.

Title: Wonder-World:  A Collection Of Fairy Tales, Old and New
Author: Translated from the French, German and Danish
Artist: L. Richter, Oscar Pletsch, and Others
Publisher: George Bell and Sons
Date Published: 1875

In all there are about 60 images.  I have posted many representative pictures below.  All of them are available in the GALLERY.  These thumbnail illustrations link to the GALLERY, where each image may be downloaded in various sized, high resolution JPEG files.

Cover Detail

Cover Detail

Cinderella

Little Meta

Padmanaba and Hassan

The Sleeping Beauty

The Glass Mountain

The Wood-Maiden

Padmanaba and Hassan

Sunshine Stories

Hans in Luck

King Thrush-Beard

Little Meta

Little Snow-White

Little Thumb

Mother Holle

His illustrations here make a nice contrast to those of Virginia Frances Sterrett, who illustrated Hawthornes’ other children’s book derived from Greek mythology.  I have scanned and posted those images, from Tanglewood Tales, as well.

These images have been edited and enhanced to bring out the colors and remove some of the age toning.  The complete text as well as full page, unedited scans, are available at the Library of Congress web site, HERE.

Title: A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys
Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne
Illustrator: Walter Crane
Publisher: Houghton, Mifflin
Date Published: 1892

The Images below all link to the gallery where they are available for free download in many high resolution sizes of JPEG files.

Perseus & The Graiae

Perseus Armed by the Nymphs

Perseus & The Gorgons

Perseus Showing The Gorgons Head

The Stranger Appearing to Midas

The Stranger Appearing to Midas

Midas Daughter Turned to Gold

Midas with the Pitcher

Pandora Wonders at the Box

Pandora Desires to Open the Box

Pandora Opens the Box

Hercules and the Nymphs

Hercules and the Old Man of the Sea

Hercules and Atlas

Philemon and Baucis

The Strangers in the Village

The Strangers Entertained

Bellerophon at the Fountain

Bellerophon on Pegasus

Bellerophon and the Chimaera

Pyle (1853-1911) also wrote and illustrated classic retellings of other Arthurian tales as well as Robin Hood. He also authored original stories which he illustrated, along with many other titles such as He was perhaps one of the most influential children’s book illustrators, influencing such artists as N.C. Wyeth, Frank Schoonover and others. The Brandywine River Museum in Pennsylvania, just north of Wilmington, DE has a very good collection of Pyle’s work along with those he influenced.

Title: The Story of King Arthur and His Knights
Author: Howard Pyle
Artist: Howard Pyle
Publisher: Charles Scribner’s Sons
Date Published: 1903

Below are some representative image of the found in the GALLERY. Each image is linked to a page where it may be downloaded in various sized high resolution formats.

King Arthur of Britain

Herald

Angel

Uther-Pendragon

Herald

Sir Kay breaketh his sword at ye Tournament.

Two knights colliding in a tournament. The both hold lances, and one lance has shattered. The knight falls.

Sir Kay showeth the mystic sword unto Sir Ector.

How Arthur drew forth ye sword

In the Valley of Delight

The Battle with the Sable-Knight

Excalibur the Sword

The Lady Guinevere stands holding a rose. Two mounted knights, perhaps jousting, ride near a castle in the background.

Two Knights do Battle before Cameliard

Woman with Rose: Decorative margin piece: A woman holds and smells a rose.

The White Champion meets Two Knights at the Mill

Four Knights serve the Gardener Lad - The "boy" sits at a table. Sirs Gawain, Ewaine, Geraint, and Pellias pour drink and bring food.

The Gardener Lad takes off his Cap - King Leodegrance and Guinevere discover that the boy is Arthur.

Arthur and Guinevere meet, as she steps form a coach or pavilion, attended to by knights, pages and servants.

Circular margin detail of a knight with drawn sword.

The Lady of the Lake stands with trees and a flying goose or swan in the background.

A woman writes or paints on a board in the outdoors.

The Enchanter Merlin sits a a table or desk and consults his big old book. It is illuminated and obviously of great magical importance. A magic ball lies on the desk, too.

An enchantress or sorceress (Vivien?) looks cunning and devious.

Vivien Bewithces Merlin

The cleaned up images are HERE.  They are all about 1800 pixels on the longest side, so are nicely high resolution for many purposes.

Smaller, PNG versions are in a subfolder, HERE.  These have the background removed, or set to transparent, which is useful for a lot of applications and uses.

The originals were a bit dirty, and when I first posted this I said I would replace them if and when I got the chance.  I have now done so, but have kept the earlier versions.   The original, dirtier images are now in a subfolder, HERE.   They are a bit lower rez and not as sharp, but closer to the original as seen in the book.

To see or download the full text of the book (off this site and without illustrations) at Project Gutenberg CLICK HERE.

Title: Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There
Author: Lewis Carroll
Artist: John Tenniel
Publisher: Henry Altemus
Date Published: 1897

All 50 images are in the GALLERY for this title and ready to be downloaded. Here are some samples, each of which leads to the image page for that picture.

Alice and the White Knight

The Black Kitten and the Ball of Worsted

Oh, you Wicked Little Thing

Into the Looking Glass Room

Alice Pushes Through the Mirror

The Red Queen and the Red King

Alice holds the White King

The White Knight Slides Down the Poker

The Jabberwocky

Alice in the Garden of Live Flowers