27 Nov, 2006
Vintage children’s illustrations: portrayal of a typical mom?
Posted by andrea tomkins in: - Thrifty is nifty|Oh! Things!
I picked up this book for about a quarter at a local thrift shop. If I had stopped at the cover I would have given it a pass.
It’s called “My Clock Book” and the cover illustration is an uninspired 1970’s sketch of children gathered around a pile of clocks.
“Originally entititled WHAT TIME IS IT?” is written near the bottom of the cover. This is what caught my eye. I pulled it off the shelf and flipped it open. It all became clear. The publisher took the 1954 version of “What time is it”, changed the title (what was wrong with the old one?) and plunked an updated cover on it. But the illustrations inside remained the same. Budget troubles, perhaps? I don’t know, but they’re all like this:
The quality of illustration in these old books is wonderful. There is a certain innocence I really like. Books like this are like a time capsule of society’s expectations, aren’t they? I mean, how many moms are out shopping at 10:00 a.m … dressed to the nines (in heels!), rosy-cheeked and beaming with love and patience for their adoring children?
Ha. I love it.
