Little Showman's Ser. 2. These larger tableaux instruct as well as delight by depicting the seasons of the year in an iconography familiar to children in the temperate climates of Western Europe and the Northern United States. Each scene gently, but firmly, articulates the social mores and expectations of the day. As such, the books inscribe and affirm a cultural history in their presentation of domesticity. Even in their moments of play and leisure, the children learn gender roles and class expectations, becoming socialized into family life.
Boys climb trees and girls rock cradles.
On loan from William Muller. Love practically jumps off the page in these charming tableaux. Although smaller and more fragile than books, the valentines shown here unite lovers through the standard tableau techniques of die-cutting and hand assembly. With their red hearts, cupids, blue birds, roses, and mild-mannered children, the cards speak love in every sentimental way. Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.