Powerhouse Museum Favourites - Part 6: Maggie's ABC Book

Here's the book I'm talking about. 

It's a children's book, home made in 1894.  It contains many educational devices  which are still found in quality childrens books today.

The book is highly personalised, painstakingly hand illustrated and lettered. Not unusually for the time it includes Christian prayers for a child.

Numbers are also included, here counting up to twelve the basic commercial quantity of the age.  The advanced copperplate script is shown, days of the week,  months and compass points.

A page is devoted to each letter of the alphabet showing three simple and everyday words beginning with that letter and also showing a drawing of each item.  For example the letter "I" is exemplified by Ivy, Ink and Iron.

William Harrison (1881 - 1923)  made it when aged just 13 for his niece Maggie Harrison who lived in Argyle Terrace, Twerton on Avon,England.  William, although born in England was apparently living in Australia at the time he made the book and it contains images of Australiana in addition to things which would have been familiar to Maggie.

The quality of lettering and illustration  produced by a 13 year old boy is absolutely astounding.

Unsurprisingly, William Harrison went on to a significant career as Art Director and later advertising manager for Wunderlich Limited.

Other examples of his work in the PHM collection are:

- This set of 1896 Christmas cards he sent to his nieces Maggie and Kathleen

- A set of hand drawn designs  for Wunderlich Ceilings from 1907 - 1909.

- A photograph of the house he designed for himself and built in 1911 at 34 Manning Road, Double Bay.  2009 Google street view of this property here.

- A watercolour painting by Harrison of a house, circa 1920.

The treasure though is Maggie's ABC book.

Comments

[Sean DeSimone]

Casting stay-at-home dads for new major cable network show.

Sean De Simone Casting is in search of stay at home dads to be profiled in a new cable docu-series. We are in search of fathers who take care of the kids while their wife goes to work. Father Friends, play group dads and family relations a plus.

Please email Sean De Simone at desimonecasting02@gmail.com with a letter of interest telling us about you and your family and why you would like to be a part of our show. Please also make sure to send a photo or yourself and family no older then six months old and a current contact telephone number. Hard copy materials can be sent to

Sean De Simone Casting
P.O Box 20347
New York, NY 10009
Telephone Number – 917-475-1411

Electronic submissions preferred.
Please feel free to pass onto friends and family who might fit the criteria.

[Bob Meade]

Sean,

If you are sending a film crew to Australia then I'll think about it.

But I'm not sending you a begging letter. You can send one to me.

And please enclose a photograph of yourself - we only deal with telegenic television producers. No uglies permitted.

Thanks.