It seems as if everyone has gone colouring book mad, so what better time to share some examples we have in the archive and offer a chance for you to have a go yourself?
One of the most fascinating collections we hold at Blythe House is the Renier Collection, the largest special collection of children’s literature in the UK. Given to the museum in 1970 by Anne and Fernand Renier, it consists of 80,000 books as well as toys, games and printed ephemera. It also features two early examples of colouring books:
‘Little Folks’, with illustrations by Lizzie Lawson and others, 1882
‘Floral Fancies’ by G. W. Rhead, 1886
The Archive of Art & Design also holds the Krazy Kat Arkive of artist and designer Eduardo Paolozzi. The collection of 20,000 items include collages, comics, scrapbooks as well as a wealth of colouring and activity books, mostly from the 1960s and 1970s. Aside from featuring Superman, Doctor Who, Star Trek and Buck Rogers, it also holds rarer gems such as:
Chief Wholecheeze Colouring Book of Alaska, 1966
Your Trip by Air Coloring Book, undated
Shirley Temple My Book to Color, 1937
And for those feeling stressed and in need of artistic inspiration, print off some of the V&A’s collections and colour your cares away (click to enlarge):
- Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee wallpaper, E.791-1970, supplied by F. Scott & Son, 1887
- Henry Capel’s Art Furniture photolithograph show-card, 29637:138, printed by S. Straker & Sons, 1875
- Birds and Berries wallpaper design, E.145-1974, designed by C. F. A. Voysey, 1893
- Drawing, AL.8281:1, by Mirza Akbar, 1840-1870
- Design for stained glass, no.1460, possibly by Hans Jakob Plepp, 1575-1595
The Renier Collection of children’s literature can be searched on the National Art Library Catalogue.
For more information on the Eduardo Paolozzi archive contact the Archive of Art & Design here.
