, Horsley, R.A., Redgrave, R.A.,
Webster, R.A., Linnell and his three sons, John, James, and William, H.
J. Townsend, and others.... The preparation of these books gave me
practical knowledge in the technicalities of the arts of type-printing,
lithography, copper and steel-plate engraving and printing, and
bookbinding in all its varieties in metal, wood, leather, &c."

Copies of the books in question appear to be very rare. It is doubtful
if the omnivorous British Museum has swallowed a complete set; certainly
at the Art Library of South Kensington Museum, where, if anywhere, we
might expect to find Sir Henry Cole completely represented, many gaps
occur.

How far Mr. Joseph Cundall, the publisher, should be awarded a share of
the credit for the enterprise is not apparent, but his publications and
writings, together with the books issued later by Cundall and Addey, are
all marked with the new spirit, which so far as one can discover was
working in many minds at this time, and manifested itself most
conspicuously through the Pre-Raphaelites and their allies. This all
took place, it must be remembered, long before 1851. We forget often
that if that exhibition has any important place in the art history of
Great Britain, it does but prove that much preliminary work had been
already accomplished. You cannot exhibit what does not exist; you cannot
even call into being "exhibition specimens" at a few months notice, if
something of the same sort, worked for ordinary commerce, has not
already been in progress for years previously.

[Illustration: ILLUSTRATION FROM "THE ROYAL UMBRELLA." BY LINLEY
SAMBOURNE (GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. 1880)]

[Illustration: ILLUSTRATION FROM "ON A PINCUSHION." BY WILLIAM DE MORGAN
(SEELEY, JACKSON AND HALLIDAY. 1877)]

Almost every book referred to has been examined anew for the purposes of
this article. As a whole they might fail to impress a critic not
peculiarly interested in the matter. But if he tries to project himself
to the period that produced them, and realises fully the enormous
importance of first efforts, he will not estimate grudgingly their
intrinsic value, but be inclined to credit them with the good things
they never dreamed of, as well as those they tried to realise and often
failed to achieve. Here, without any prejudice for or against the South
Kensington movement, it is but common justice to record Sir Henry Cole's
share in the improvement of children's books; and later on his e