‘Fourth order lighthouse at Penfield Reef, Long Island Sound’. From _Illustrated Science for Boys and Girls_, 1881. Author unknown. Project Gutenberg ebook.

Since I just came back from a vacation in Delaware and Maryland, this 1881 illustration of a lighthouse seemed appropriate. Lighthouses of this period used Fresnel lenses, invented in 1822. These are the distinct ‘rippled’ lenses in 19th c. lighthouses that focused 85% of the lamp’s light (compared to the pre-Fresnel 20%). Though they weren’t introduced in the US until the 1850s, by 1860 all US lighthouses had them.

Fresnel lenses were ranked in ‘orders’ – with ‘first order’ being the largest, followed by ‘second order’, and so on down to ‘sixth order’. The caption of the illustration refers to it being a ‘fourth order’ lens. In modern lighthouses, Fresnel lenses are often replaced with modern alternatives that require less maintenance.

Click on the image to see it / download it full-sized.

Peace,

Honeysuckle, from _Dumpy Books for Children No. 7: A Flower Book_, 1901. Illustrations by Nellie Benson. Project Gutenberg e-book.

This lovely little flower faerie (fairy) comes from the oddly named Dumpy Books for Children, No. 7: A Flower Book, written by Eden Coybee, illustrated by Nellie Benson, and published in 1901. I found this gem on as an e-book on Project Gutenberg.

Black cat. Illustration by Karl Fahringer, from _Märchen-Sammlung_ (Fairytale Collection), date unknown, pg 36. Project Gutenburg ebook #23787.

I know this illustration is public domain because all Project Gutenberg books are public domain, but they didn’t give a date for publication, and I couldn’t find one anywhere either. Nor could I find any information about the illustrator, Karl Fahringer, except for his name. The book was entitled Märchen-Sammlung, which in English means simply ‘Fairytale Collection’; and was written by Ludwig Bechstein (1801-1860) and edited by Hans Fraungruber (1863-1933).

Dancing foxes from ‘How Mrs. Fox Married Again’ in _Household Tales by the Brother’s Grimm_, 1886. Illustration by Walter Crane. From the Project Gutenberg ebook.

I just loved this illustration by Walter Crane from an 1886 edition of stories by the Brothers Grimm. I’m not familiar with this specific tale – “How Mrs. Fox Married Again” – but the happy couple dancing is great fun. They are dressed in what the Victorians would consider ‘old fashioned’ clothes – from the early 1800s. Mrs. Fox is wearing a loose Empire waist dress and her beau is wearing knee-length breeches. Mrs. Fox even has a fan hanging from one arm!

A little Victorian waif with a flower, surrounded by a wreath of flowers. From _Dear Santa Claus_, 1901. From the Project Gutenberg e-book.

This image comes from a  book entitled Dear Santa Claus, which I found in ebook form on Project Gutenberg, was published in 1901. Its full title is Dear Santa Claus: Charming Holiday Stories for Boys and Girls. A number of the stories aren’t Christmas or Winter themed, so therefore, many of the illustrations are more appropriate for the Spring and Summer!

Today’s DPD are two small printer’s ornaments / dividers from mysterious little Victorian book I found on Project Gutenberg in e-book form. The book was titled Charlie Scott, or There’s Time Enough and seems to have been a ‘moral tale’. No author or illustrator is listed. I couldn’t even find a date of publishing, but the style and clothing indicate it is from the mid-1800s. There was a note stating it was published by “The Religious Tract Society, 56, Paternoster Row; 65, St. Paul’s Churchyard, and 164, Piccadilly.”; but, beyond that, its creators are a mystery.

A printers ornament of a bird's nest. From _Charlie Scott, or There's Time Enough_, published in the mid-1800s, illustrator unknown. From the Project Gutenberg e-book.

These cute little black and white ‘space fillers’ both have a bird theme – one with a pair of birds and the other with a nest. They aren’t very big (these are full-sized today, not thumbnails), but still awfully cute. Click on them to download them. Enjoy!

Endpiece illustration from ‘Pratt’s Practical Pointers on the Care of Livestock and Poultry’, featuring a hen and chicks, 1919. From Project Gutenberg ebook #16744.

In 1919, the Pratt Food C0. – a manufacturer of livestock and poultry feed and supplies – published a manual on ‘the care of Livestock and Poultry’. Of course, while it did tell you how to take care of your horses, cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens; it also was selling Pratt’s products, such as ‘Pratt’s Colic Remedy’ (for horses – ’998 cures out of 1,000 cases’) and ‘Pratt’s Baby Chick Food’ (‘I have used your Baby Chick Food with the best success..’ said one testimonial).  I found this little gem on Project Gutenberg, where it is eBook #16744.