Victorian Illustrations: The Old Woman Tossed in a Basket

I couldn't resist a couple more pictures of the Old Woman Tossed in a Basket!

The first  is from The Real Mother Goose (1916), illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright. The small black and white drawing is from The Little Mother Goose (1912), illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith.

Witchy Girl / Housewife in Victorian Ad

Here is another woman with a broom to sweep the cobwebs from the sky -- this one from an antique Victorian soap ad. 

I like the contrast yet connection between the sensuous woman on her broomstick and the busy housewife (kitchen maid?) in her kitchen.  Each has the same knowing look on her face, looking right at the viewer, as if they are the same woman!

I hope you enjoy this old advertising art in your creative endeavors.

Fairy Tale Witch and Moon: Nursery Rhyme

There was an old woman tossed up in a basket,
Ninety times as high as the moon;
And where she was going I could'nt but ask it,
For in her hand she carried a broom.

"Old woman, old woman, old woman," quoth I,
"O whither, O whither, O whither, so high?"
"To brush the cobwebs off the sky!"
"Shall I go with thee?" "Aye, by and by."

I remember this nursery rhyme from Mother Goose.  I always liked it.  This version is from The Baby's Bouquet, A Fresh Bunch of Rhymes and Tunes by Walter Crane, with his wonderful illustration.

Beautifully Detailed Owl Illustration

Something a little different -- a gorgeous Victorian scientific ornithological illustration of a Hawk Owl.  Owls are one of my favorite birds, without a doubt, and I love birds.  The detail and soft watercolor painting in this picture are amazing.  I hope to bring you many more birds and animals in the future!  Remember the image is large, and you can resize it very large or print it very small if needed for charms, jewelry, etc.