The Golden Gift Book by Odhams
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| There was the poor brute -a rabbit caught by the foot "Trapped" Golden Gift Book p. 181 |
I have mentioned before how hard it is to collect Sheppard's published artwork when Blackie and Son or Odhams chose to reprint the same story in a different book, or to reprint the illustrations for another story, and today I have a new combination.
I bought this 512 page volume on eBay after asking the seller what story Sheppard had illustrated - mentioning I already own two versions of The Golden Gift Book by Odhams in which "The Baby and the Bear" appears. The response meant I purchased this straight away, not realising this has 512 pages, i.e. is two and a half inches thick! In fact it bears little resemblance to the other two 312 or 320 page slim volumes!
I have listed the complete contents below alphabetically to help any researchers. For example in typing this up I discovered B. L. Kearley as an author. I knew Kearley was an agent for various comic artists, but this was new. So you never know.
The other two versions I have state "Copyright S1141" printed by Odhams (Watford). I'd love to crack the code for that strange copyright statement. Is it 1941? The other version I have states "Reprinted 1948" and printed, surprisingly by "The Aberdeen University Press". What went on here, I have no idea.
Anyway back to the reason for the blog: Raymond Sheppard's illustrations
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| "Trapped", Golden Gift Book, 1939, p175 |
TRAPPED by Richard Bird
Bird (William Barradale-Smith, 1881-1965) wrote for Blackie's Children's Annual, Blackie's Boy's Annual as well magazines such as Boy's Own Paper, Captain and The Strand magazine. He was a schoolmaster who wrote his stories from first-hand knowledge, as one source states. However, I doubt Queer doings at Aldborough was such a tale - about the experience of a public schoolboy who suddenly became invisible!
If you look at the image at the top of this article you'll see a wonderful self-portrait of the artist himself and again shinning down the drainpipe (below).
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| "All asleep?" "Trapped", Golden Gift Book, 1939, p177 |
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| Mister Bateson began a resumé of the game "Trapped", Golden Gift Book, 1939, p179 |
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| Down a friendly spouting "Trapped", Golden Gift Book, 1939, p180 |
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| "Beastly shame!" was Hopwood's verdict "Trapped", Golden Gift Book, 1939, p183 |
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| "For he's a jolly good fellow!" burst forth in all its glory "Trapped", Golden Gift Book, 1939, p187 |
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| "Trapped", Golden Gift Book, 1939, p189 |
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS by Richard Bird
- The Forward in Love. An improbable comedy. London: Herbert & Daniel, [1911]
- The Gay Adventure. A romance. Edinburgh; London: W. Blackwood & Son, 1913.
- The Rival Captains. A public school story London: Henry Frowde; Hodder & Stoughton, [1916]
- The Sporting House. A school story London: Oxford University Press, 1921.
- The Deputy Captain London: Oxford University Press, 1922 [1921]
- The Ryecroft Rivals London: Blackie & Son, [1923]
- The Liveliest Term at Templeton London: Blackie & Son, [1924]
- Dawson's Score, and other school stories London: Blackie & Son, [1924]
- Trouble at Wyndham London: Blackie & Son, [1925]
- Touch and Go, and other school stories London: Blackie & Son, [1925]
- The Big Five at Ellerby, and other school stories London: Blackie & Son, [1926]
- Play the Game, Torbury! London: Blackie & Son, [1926]
- The Third Jump, and other stories London; Glasgow, [1927]
- Queer Doings at Aldborough, London: Oxford University Press, 1927.
- Carton's Cap, and other school stories London; Glasgow: Blackie & Son, [1927]
- The Moreleigh Mascot London; Glasgow: Blackie & Son, [1927]
- School House v. The Rest London: Oxford University Press, [1928]
- Thanks to Rugger, and other school stories London; Glasgow: Blackie & Son, 1928.
- The Wharton Medal London: Oxford University Press, 1929.
- Captain of Keynes London; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, [1930]
- A School Feud. London: Oxford University Press, 1930.
- Terry Takes Charge London: Oxford University Press, 1931.
- The Richard Bird Omnibus. containing The Rival Captains, The Sporting House, The Wharton Medal. London: Oxford University Press, 1937.
- The Boys of Dyall's House London; Glasgow, [1939]
- The Morleigh Mascot London; Glasgow, [1946]
- Meet the Australians Dick Kevin, and Bird (Richard) pseud. [i.e. Walter Barradell-Smith.] London: Devereaux Publications, [1948]
- Cricket. The Ashes, 1948. Fixtures, personalities, history, data, tables, records. Dick Kevin, and Bird (Richard) pseud. [i.e. Walter Barradell-Smith.] London: Devereaux Publications, [1948]
- A School Libel London, [1952]
MAGAZINE STORIES (thanks to http://www.philsp.com/indexes.html)
- The Ace of Stamps, Boy’s Own Paper Oct, Nov, Dec 1924, Jan, Feb, Mar 1925
- Bats versus Boats, The Captain Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep 1922
- Beginners’ Luck!, Chums Aug 7 1920
- Borrowed Plumes,The Captain Aug 1920
- Change Over!,Chums Feb 22, Mar 1, Mar 8, Mar 22, Apr 5, Apr 12, Apr 26, May 24, May 31, Jun 28, Jul 19, Jul 26, Aug 9 1925
- Christmas at the Professor’s, The Captain Dec 1921
- Dawson’s Score, The Captain Oct 1919
- The Dipcote Skippers, The Captain Oct, Nov, Dec 1915, Jan, Feb, Mar 1916
- The Eleventh Hour, The Captain Nov 1921
- Garvice v. Grammar, Boy’s Own Paper Feb, Mar 1930
- The Ghost Walk, The Captain Jan 1923
- Glad Rags or—!, The Captain Sep 1919
- Hard Lines, The Captain Feb 1920
- Harker’s “300”, The Captain Feb 1923
- The Haunted Dorm, Boy’s Own Paper Aug, Sep 1921
- The Henley of the North, The Captain Jan 1923
- The Holiday Task, The Captain Apr 1921
- Honours Easy, The Captain Mar 1924
- Hooligan Hall, The Captain Oct, Nov, Dec 1920, Jan, Feb, Mar 1921
- The House in Rotherhithe: A Tale of the Press-Gang, Short Stories Mar 12 1898
- Kill or Cure, The Captain May 1920
- Latimer’s Luck, Chums May 24 1924
- Little Candles, The Strand Magazine Apr 1916
- “Little Miss Austin”, The Captain Mar 1920
- The Liveliest Term at Templeton, The Captain Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep 1923
- The Man in Blue, The Captain Nov 1922
- The Mascot Monkey, The Captain Feb 1922
- New Traditions, Boy’s Own Paper Aug, Sep 1929
- Ordeal by Water, Boy’s Own Paper Jul 1922
- The Red Flag, Boy’s Own Paper Nov, Dec 1921, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr 1922
- A Song of Summer, (pm) Pearson’s Magazine Aug 1897, Everybody’s Magazine Jul 1900
- The Sovereign Remedy, The Captain Jan 1920
- The Speaker’s Eye, The Captain Jul 1918
- The Tail End, The Captain Mar 1922
- Talent Money, The Captain Jul 1919
- The Third Jump, The Captain Oct 1922
- The Third Trick, The Captain Apr 1920
- Treason and Plot, The Captain Nov 1919
- When Ghost Meets Ghost, The Captain Dec 1919
- Without Reward, The Captain Aug 1919
THE BEAR AND THE BABY by C. G. D. Roberts
For a biography and listing see Wikipedia Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts KCMG FRSC (January 10, 1860 – November 26, 1943) was a Canadian poet and prose writer. His story looks quite interesting.
Raymond Sheppard illustrated one of his stories in this book "The Bear and the Baby" which is about a story told to a young boy of a 5 year old girl taken down a flooded stream aboard a raft. A baby bear comes aboard just as scared as the young girl. The girl's mother sets out with a friend in a boat to retrieve the girl who loves the little bear. Just in time they rescue the girl before another mother, the bear, comes aboard!
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| "Bill's raft's carrying me away" Golden Gift Book, 1939, p347 |
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| Flung her arms about the bear Golden Gift Book, 1939, p349 |
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| He bent to the oars Golden Gift Book, 1939, p351 |
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| He rowed rapidly away just as the old bear dragged herself up on the raft Golden Gift Book, 1939, p352b |
This colour image is interesting in that it was not included with the story in the other two copies I have and also it's printed on matt paper and 'tipped in' as they say. Usually these are tipped in but on glossy paper. You have the whole short story in one picture here!
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| Clutched the baby hysterically to her breast Golden Gift Book, 1939, p352 |
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| Golden Gift Book, 1939, p353 |
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Dustjacket
THE GOLDEN GIFT BOOK, London: Odhams Press Limited, 1939, 512 pages
CONTENTS in alphabetical order
The other two Golden Gift Books I have are missing the following from the above listing (oh, and Vachel is not a spelling mistake!):
