R. Anning Bell – illustratör

‘Grimm’s Household Tales’ contains fifty of their best-loved stories, edited and translated by Marian Edwardes, and illustrated by R. Anning Bell. It includes the narratives of ‘The Golden Goose’, ‘Briar Rose’, ‘The Robber Bridegroom’, ‘Cinderella’, ‘Tom Thumb’, ‘The Juniper Tree’, ‘The Frog Prince’, ‘Hansel and Gretel’, and many more. Robert Anning Bell (1863 – 1933) was an English artist and designer, famed for his beautiful watercolours, mosaics, and stained-glass works.The Brothers Grimm are perhaps the best known folklorists of all time. Die Brüder Grimm; Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, lexicographers and authors – who together specialized in collecting and publishing folklore during the nineteenth century. The popularity of their collected tales has endured well; they have been translated into more than 100 languages, and remain in print in the present day. ‘Grimm’s Household Tales – Illustrated by R. Anning Bell’ is a text to be appreciated by young and old alike; extraordinary for its literary as well as artistic significance.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.

The Banbury Cross Series was a collection of 12 volumes of books edited by Grace Rhys and published in London by Dent in the 1890s. Each book is attractively illustrated with full page and partial page pen and ink drawings in a classic Art Nouveau style by leading artists of the era. This title, Jack the Giant-Killer and Beauty & the Beast is accompanied by the sophisticated black and white open line work of Bell. His drawings perfectly convey the wickedness of the giant and the gentleness and compassion of Beauty. About the Illustrator: Robert Anning Bell (1863 - 1933) was an English artist and painter. He and a group of fellow artist-craftsmen brought about the last bloom of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. As well as painting in oil and watercolour, he also worked in stained glass and mosaic. Bell''s illustrations are close in style to his contemporary Charles Ricketts. Many of the earliest children''s books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Pook Press are working to republish these classic works in affordable, high quality editions, using the original text and artwork so these works can delight another generation of children.