Artwork for Lavender's Blue

One of the definitive collections of nursery rhymes, the 1954 picture book 'Lavender's Blue' was a landmark in the history of children's illustration. Released at a time when there were no major awards to honour illustrators – the Kate Greenaway Medal, Britain's most coveted award for illustration, wasn't awarded until 1956 – the book's art nevertheless received a special commendation from the British Library Association and an honourable mention by the Hans Christian Andersen Award panel. Today, 'Lavender's Blue' enjoys the distinction of having never been out of print in the 60 years since its release. Writing in the Times Literary Supplement, Ian Serrailler noted that ‘among artists who specialise in books for children, Harold Jones is pre-eminent. Since Jean de Brunhoff’s incomparable Babar series, no artist has understood more successfully than he that a picture has little meaning for a child if he cannot step inside it.' The collection acquired by Seven Stories includes 85 watercolours, 75 ink drawings, and five separate pieces with inked page borders, demonstrating Jones's skills as both painter and draftsman.