Lecture 4: Walter Crane's Picture Book Experimentations | Stephanie Montalti

Overshadowed by his contemporary William Morris, Walter Crane found his way into the children’s book market where he advocated for quality prints for children as fundamental to their literacy. Crane believed that society was rooted in “picture-writing” and experimented with the picture book as a mode for conveying decorative arts, like wallpaper patterns, as well as symbolism. His interest in fairy tales has been read as an extension of his appreciation for past arts and reflects a Victorian fascination with fantasy. Taking Crane as a case-study reveals wider, Victorian, considerations of the children’s book and visual arts. Nineteenth-century children’s literature was no longer purely didactic, but could be valued for its entertainment properties. Focusing on Cinderella’s Picture Book and Beauty and the Beast as examples, the lecture highlights properties of each text that precede the modern picture book. I will also introduce picture book terminology regarding the image and text relationship as well as paratext. Lastly, Montalti considers how Crane adapted beloved fairy tales during the “Golden Age” and how they paved the way for future visualizations of classic characters.