Charles Robinson 1870-1937, illustrator

Trying to sort out a multitude of books, some to keep, some to give to charity, decisions, decisions, I came across this edition of a Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson.  It is a reprint of many of this well-known children's book.  Inside the cover there is a school crested label telling us that it was awarded to my aunt as a Holiday Task Prize, probably a couple of years before she died in 1928. The only daughter, she had five brothers one of whom died earlier when he was four years old.

The illustrations are by Charles Robinson, who came from a family of artists and illustrators.  His father was Thomas Robinson, but his brothers were better known - William Heath Robinson for his  drawings of eccentric machines and Thomas Heath Robinson who illustrated books and several  London magazines of the time.  The above book was the first for Charles in 1895 followed by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 1907, Grimms Fairy Tales in 1910 and The Secret Garden in 1911.  These are just a few of many.

This poem reminds me of my childhood:


We built a ship upon the stairs
All made of the back-bedroom chairs,
And filled it full of sofa pillows
To go a-sailing on the billows.


We took a saw and several nails,
And water in the nursery pails;
And Tom said, 'Let us also take 
An apple and a slice of  cake;' -
Which was enough for Tom and me 
To go a-sailing on, till tea.


We sailed along for days and days,
And had the very best of plays;
But Tom fell out and hurt his knee,
So there was no one left but me.


(A Good Play).

A dry day today but very cold.