Warwick Goble - ''The Water-babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-baby''

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"The Water-babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-baby" (1909)

Illustrated by Warwick Goble

Charles Kingsley's classic tale was first published in serialised version in "Macmillan's Magazine" in 1862.

It tells the adventures of a Victorian-era chimney-sweep, Tom, who is transformed into a Water-baby. Throughout the story that follows, Tom

meets an array of creatures who all play a part in the moral re-education of the boy before his return to his former life.

For the First Edition carrying his illustrations, Warwick Goble prepared 32 colour images depicting scenes described in Kingsley's classic tale.

That full suite of designs was published by MacMillan and Co. (London) in 1909.

The contemporary review published in "The Bookman" (1909) praised Goble's illustration thus:

He has given us sun and sea, fish and fairies which captivate us at once; for delicacy

of colouring and grace of line he has bettered his best, and the volume is a continuous

pleasure.

Similar comments appeared in "The Burlington Magazine" (Vol. XVI, 1909):

That Mr Warwick Goble should have overcome our natural prejudice against any

new illustrations to "The Water-Babies" is a proof of the excellence of his work. The

influence of Mr Arthur Rackham is to be noticed in many of the pictures of fairies;

but the clarity, variety and charms of these extremely pretty plates is not mere

repetition of any other artist; and the subjects are chosen with every attention to

the many sides of the fascinating story. This should be one of the most popular

gift-books of the season.

As indicated by the aforementioned review from "The Bookman", the version of Kingsley's fantasy illustrated by Goble depicts a wonderful

water world and landscape that serves as an beautiful setting for the author's unique Victorian moral tale.

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Cover of 'The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby' (1909), illustrated by Warwick Goble

To the left, we show a rare First Edition copy of "The Water-babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-baby"

carrying the illustrations of Warwick Goble.

This example retains the original decoratively gilt-stamped green cloth cover.

On the right, we show the Title Page

to this First Edition.

Title Page for ''The Water-babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-baby'' (1909), illustrated by Warwick Goble

Our Greeting Cards and Fine Art Posters showing the artwork of Warwick Goble from

"The Water-babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-baby" (1909)

Greeting Card sample showing a Warwick Goble illustration for ''The Water-babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-baby'' (1909)

Front of Greeting Card

(with envelope)

For connoisseurs of Goble's work, we have prepared sets of 32 Greeting Cards (approximately 7x5" on premium

acid-free card stock) displaying each of his colour images for the First Edition of "The Water-babies: A Fairy Tale

for a Land-baby" and on the left and right, we show an example of how these Greeting Cards appear.

Code: WG WBFTLB CS(32)
Price: US$160.00

Greeting Card sample showing the tipped-on infromation to the rear regarding the profiled illustration, ''The Water-babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-baby'' (1909) and Warwick Goble

Rear of Greeting Card

(with envelope)

When presented on Greeting Cards, these images are prepared as tipped-on plates - in 'hommage' to the hand-crafted

approach typical of prestige illustrated publications produced in the early decades of the 20th Century. Each card is

hand-finished and the images are presented on Ivory card stock with an accompanying envelope. The rear of each card

carries information about Warwick Goble, this wonderful suite and the profiled illustration - we have left the interior of the

cards blank so that you may write your own personal message.

Should you wish to order a reproduction print of one or more of these images, we have provided some options below.

Each of our Fine Art Posters is prepared with archival quality papers and inks - and also accompanied by information

about Warwick Goble, this suite and the profiled illustration.

To purchase, simply click on the appropriate "Add to Cart" button and you will be taken through to our Shopping Cart

secured through PayPal. Multiple purchases will be consolidated by that feature and shipping and handling costs to any

destination in the world are accommodated by our flat-rate fee of US$20 for every US$200 worth of purchases.

Of course, should you wish to discuss some customised options, we welcome your contact on any matter through

ThePeople@SpiritoftheAges.com.

In the meantime, enjoy perusing these wonderful images from Warwick Goble.

Fine Art Poster sample showing a Warwick Goble illustration from ''The Water-babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-baby'' (1909)

An example of one of our Fine Art Posters

in a superb 14x11" format

Warwick Goble - the colour illustrations for "The Water-babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-baby" (1909)

Warwick Goble - 'The thing whirred up into the air, and hung poised on its wings, ... a dragon fly, ... the king of all flies' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'She walked beside Tom, and talked to him' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'In rushed a stout old nurse from the next room' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'By the smoky town in its murky cowl' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

The thing whirred up into the air,

and hung poised on its wings, ... a

dragon fly, ... the king of all flies

She walked beside Tom, and

talked to him

In rushed a stout old nurse from

the next room

By the smoky town in its

murky cowl

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C1 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C2 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C3 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C4 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Warwick Goble - 'Play by me, bathe in me, mother and child' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'A quiet, silent, rich happy place' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'She was the Queen of them all' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'C'est l'amour, l'amour, l'amour qui fait le mond a la ronde' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Play by me, bathe in me, mother and child

A quiet, silent, rich, happy place

She was the Queen of them all

"C'est l'amour, l'amour, l'amour

qui fait le mond � la ronde"

Fine Art Poster (14x11'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C5 14x11
Price: US$55.00

Fine Art Poster (14x11'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C6 14x11
Price: US$55.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C7 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C8 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Warwick Goble - 'When all the world is young' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'When all the world is old' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'From which great trout rushed out on Tom' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'He watched the moonlight on the rippling river' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

When all the world is young

When all the world is old

From which great trout rushed out on Tom

He watched the moonlight on the rippling river

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C9 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C10 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (14x11'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C11 14x11
Price: US$55.00

Fine Art Poster (14x11'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C12 14x11
Price: US$55.00

Warwick Goble - 'Past the great town, with its wharfs, and mills, and tall smoking chimneys' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'We float out our life in the mid-oceans, with the warm sunshine above our heads' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'And sit upon a point of rock, among the shining sea-weeds' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'Tom had never seen a lobster before' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Past the great town, with it wharfs, and mills,

and tall smoking chimneys

We float out our life in the

mid-oceans, with the warm

sunshine above our heads

And sit upon a point of rock, among

the shining sea-weeds

Tom had never seen a lobster before

Fine Art Poster (14x11'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C13 14x11
Price: US$55.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C14 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (14x11'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C15 14x11
Price: US$55.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C16 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Warwick Goble - 'The fairies came flying in at the window and brought her such a pretty paid of wings' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'A real live water-baby, sitting on the white sand' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'Tom found that the isle stood all on pillars, and that its roots were full of caves' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'And frightened the crabs, to make them hide in the sand' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

The fairies came flying in at the

window and brought her such

a pretty pair of wings

A real live water-baby, sitting

on the white sand

Tom found that the isle stood all

on pillars, and that its roots

were full of caves

And frightened the crabs, to make

them hide in the sand

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C17 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C18 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C19 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C20 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Warwick Goble - 'He crept away among the rocks, and got to the cabinet, and behold! it was open' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'I always forgive every one the momet they tell me the truth of their own accord' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'The ladies all gathered gossamer in autumn' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'Underneath the trees lions were prowling about' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

He crept away among the rocks,

and got to the cabinet, and

behold! it was open

"I always forgive every one the

moment they tell me the truth of

their own accord"

The Ladies all gathered Gossamer

in Autumn

Underneath the trees lions

were prowling about

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C21 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C22 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C23 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C24 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Warwick Goble - 'There he saw the last of the Gairfowl, standing up on the Allalonestone, all alone' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'The most beautiful bird of paradise' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'He saw the fairies come up from below, and carry baby and cradle gently down in their soft arms' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'All round it the ice cliffs rose, in walls and spires and battlements' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

There he saw the last of the Gairfowl,

standing up on the Allalonestone,

all alone

The most beautiful bird of paradise

He saw the fairies come up from below, and carry

baby and cradle gently down in their soft arms

All round it the ice cliffs rose, in walls

and spires and battlements

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C25 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C26 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (14x11'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C27 14x11
Price: US$55.00

Fine Art Poster (14x11'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C28 14x11
Price: US$55.00

Warwick Goble - 'That's Mother Carey' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'Pandora and her box' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'At last he came to the great sea-serpent himself, lying dead at the bottom' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

Warwick Goble - 'Found himself tight in the legs of the most wonderful body which he had ever seen' from ''The Water-babies, a fairy tale for a Land-baby''

"That's Mother Carey"

Pandora and her box

At last he came to the great

sea-serpent himself, lying

dead at the bottom

Found himself tight in the legs of

the most wonderful body which he

had ever seen

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C29 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C30 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C31 10x18
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (10x18'')

Code: WG WBFTLB C32 10x18
Price: US$60.00

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Last modified: 12/31/11