A treasury of pleasure books for young people
By: illustrated with one hundred and sixty-eight pictures by eminent artists.
Contributors: Absolon, John, 1815-1895; Wehnert, Edward Henry, 1813-1868; Meadows, Joseph Kenny, 1790-1874; Weir, Harrison, 1824-1906; Bolton, Thomas, fl. 1851-1893; Slader, S. V., fl. 1854-1865; Mason, W. G. fl. 1842-1857; Measom, William Frederick, fl. 1840s-1876; Green, W. T., fl. 1837-1872; Macquoid, Thomas Robert, 1820-1912; Cundall, Joseph, 1818-1895; Greenaway & Wright
Publisher: Sampson Low & Son
Published: 1856
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 30
Subjects: Illustrated children's books -- Specimens.; Nursery rhymes.
Genres: Specimens.
Notes: Includes Preface addressed "To my dear children, Maja, Harry, and Herbert" signed "Your loving Father, J. C." [i.e. Joseph Cundall], and dated 1849.

"The 'Story of the three bears' is a very old Nursery Tale, but it never was so well told as by the great poet Southey, whose version I have (with permission) given you, only I have made the intruder a little girl instead of an old woman.  This I did because I found that the tale is better known with SILVER-HAIR, and because there are so many other stories of old women."--Preface.

Wood-engraved illustrations are by John Absolon, Edward Wehnert, Kenny Meadows and Harrison Weir.  Engravers include T. Bolton, S. V. Slader, W. G. Mason, Greenaway & Wright, W. Measom, Green and W. Gorway.

T.p. and preliminary wood-engraved illustration printed within floriated border with signatures: "Macquoid. del." and "T. Bolton.".  A version of this border is also used throughout "King Arthur's alphabet" and on several separate title pages for stories within the text.  For a later use of this border design, see lower wrapper of McLean D 0600.

Several illustrations, including all those for "The life and death of Jenny Wren", are the same as those used in "A treasury of pleasure books for young children" published in 1850 by Grant and Griffith, and Joseph Cundall.  This title also includes a similar Preface by Joseph Cundall.  See McLean D 1117.

Illustrations for "The life and death of Jenny Wren" were also used with the addition of colour in a separate issue of this story published in London [ca. 1858] by Sampson Low, Son, & Co. within the series "Pleasure books for children".  See McLean D 0600.

MASS copy: Bound in blue morocco-grain cloth blocked in gold and blind.  Boards with bevelled edges; a.e.g.  With binder's ticket: "Leighton  Son &  Hodge,  Shoe Lane  London.".  With bookseller's label: "Sold by  W. Hunt,  Tavern St  Ipswich.".  With presentation inscription dated 1859.  With bookplate: "George Croxton.".
Table of contents: value: illustrated by John Absolon; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by Harrison Weir; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- by Thomas Roscoe ; illustrated by Kenny Meadows; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- by Thomas Roscoe ; illustrated by Kenny Meadows -- illustrated by John Absolon; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- by Thomas Roscoe ; illustrated by Kenny Meadows -- illustrated by John Absolon -- by Robert Southey ; illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- by Thomas Roscoe ; illustrated by Kenny Meadows -- illustrated by John Absolon -- by Robert Southey ; illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- by Thomas Roscoe ; illustrated by Kenny Meadows -- illustrated by John Absolon -- by Robert Southey ; illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- attributed to Oliver Goldsmith ; illustrated by John Absolon; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- by Thomas Roscoe ; illustrated by Kenny Meadows -- illustrated by John Absolon -- by Robert Southey ; illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- attributed to Oliver Goldsmith ; illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by Harrison Weir; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- by Thomas Roscoe ; illustrated by Kenny Meadows -- illustrated by John Absolon -- by Robert Southey ; illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- attributed to Oliver Goldsmith ; illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir; value: illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- by Thomas Roscoe ; illustrated by Kenny Meadows -- illustrated by John Absolon -- by Robert Southey ; illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir -- attributed to Oliver Goldsmith ; illustrated by John Absolon -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Harrison Weir -- illustrated by Edward Wehnert; value: illustrated by John Absolon-- illustrated by John Absolon-- illustrated by John Absolon-- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir-- illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir-- illustrated by Harrison Weir-- illustrated by Harrison Weir-- illustrated by Harrison Weir-- illustrated by John Absolon-- illustrated by Harrison Weir-- illustrated by Harrison Weir-- by Thomas Roscoe ; illustrated by Kenny Meadows-- illustrated by John Absolon-- by Robert Southey ; illustrated by John Absolon and Harrison Weir-- attributed to Oliver Goldsmith ; illustrated by John Absolon-- illustrated by Harrison Weir-- illustrated by Harrison Weir-- illustrated by Edward Wehnert-- illustrated by Edward Wehnert.