Some British Ballads - Illustrated by Arthur Rackham

Book excerpt: Originally published in 1919, Some British Ballads is a collection of verses and narratives illustrated by Arthur Rackham. Many of the songs are taken from Francis James Child’s compilation; The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, which he collected during the second half of the nineteenth century. This pioneering study into British folklore and song is a true gem, and contains the rhymes of ‘Clerk Colvill’, ‘The Lass of Lochroyan’, ‘The Twa Corbies’, ‘Get up and Bar the Door’, ‘The Old Cloak’, ‘Proud Lady Margaret’, and many more. This edition of Some British Ballads contains a series of dazzling colour and black-and-white illustrations – by a master of the craft; Arthur Rackham (1867-1939). One of the most celebrated painters of the British Golden Age of Illustration (which encompassed the years from 1850 until the start of the First World War), Rackham’s artistry is quite simply, unparalleled. Throughout his career, he developed a unique style, combining haunting humour with dream-like romance. Presented alongside the text, his illustrations further refine and elucidate the wonderful ballads of times gone by. Pook Press celebrates the great ‘Golden Age of Illustration‘ in children’s literature – a period of unparalleled excellence in book illustration from the 1880s to the 1930s. Our collection showcases classic fairy tales, children’s stories, and the work of some of the most celebrated artists, illustrators and authors.