Auld Acquaintance A Book for Friends and Remembrances
Arthur Rackham Ornaments Childhood Friendships for Auld Acquaintance
Amidst bigger trends propelling fantasy’s wider popular embrace, publishers solicited Arthur Rackham’s whimsical touch for minor jobs beyond major gift edition projects. One such case, the 1907 autograph album/scrapbook Auld Acquaintance curated by J. Harry Savory, featured two stand-alone Arthur Rackham black and white drawings reused from prior volumes.
Preserve this early custom conduit of handmade heritage before treasures scatter!
Buy Auld Acquaintance A Book for Friends and Remembrances
1907 children’s autograph album/scrapbook with rare Arthur Rackham drawings.
- eatures Rackham illustrations reused from prior works amidst creativefraternity
- Blank pages for personal inscriptions and mementos
- An unusual Edwardian youth bespoke publication converging fantasy fame
- Essential for fans of Rackham, book design, or Golden Age illustration
As the book intended friends to record personal messages upon linen pages strapped within green bindings, Rackham’s drawings provide mood setting charm. His illustrations originally appeared in 1896’s The Zankiwank and the Bletherwitch children’s verse by S.J. Adair Fitzgerald and J.M. Dent’s 9 volume Haddon Hall Library nature set. For devoted collectors, this surprise inclusion indicates near compulsory demand for Rackham’s visions infiltrating varied products marketed toward Edwardian juvenile fancies.
Format: Coarse linen sheets held by green cloth straps, green tie
Text: Auld Acquaintance: A Book for Friends & Remembrances
Arranged by J. Harry Savory
J. M. Dent & Co., London
and E. W. Savory, Ltd., Bristol
1907
Illustrators: Arthur Rackham and various unnamed artists
Rackham Contribution: 2 black & white drawings previously used in other volumes
Publishers: J.M. Dent & Co. (London); E.W. Savory Ltd. (Bristol)
Publication Date: 1907
As publishers tapped leading Golden Age illustrators to provide decoration tailor-made toward Edwardian juvenilia fads, this 1907 Auld Acquaintance autograph album/scrapbook curated by J. Harry Savory incorporates existing Arthur Rackham drawings alongside work by esteemed contemporaries like Louis Wain and Cecil Aldin. Beyond Rackham’s two scenes, abundant illustrations by major fantasy artists accompany blank linen pages for friends and family to inscribe personal notes and inspiration quotes.
Released in an oblong quarto format, the book features coarse textured bindings strapped by green ribbons that children could loosen to insert mementos, photos, or diary entries. Designed expressly to prompt handwritten contributions around cute animal drawings, pastoral visions, and whimsical characters, Auld Acquaintance offered a designated treasury securing memories and inspiration from loved ones.
Its creative fraternity nods to ascendant Golden Age names converging across publishing media catering to Edwardian youth while production qualities channeling homemade craft aesthetics anticipate modern bespoke and artisanal sensibilities. For Rackham devotees, his unexpected cameos indicate aggressive marketing permutations as publishers saturated juvenile spaces with his signature fantastical style to synonymous levels with fairy tales and fantasy itself.
