Children's Stories From The Bible (48 Colour Plates), Circa 1920 🇬🇧👶📖

This volume of Children's Stories From The Bible is a top-shelf decorative antique and an important artifact of early 20th-century British book illustration.

The book is visually defined by 48 full-page Colour Plates by Harry G. Theaker, a key illustrator of the period.

Its value is secured by the high Aesthetic Premium of its illustrations and a non-replicable Provenance Premium documenting ownership by Mrs. C. L. Birch of Oakland, California.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨ The book retells key narratives from the Old and New Testaments for children, with simplified text designed for early reading. The contents include stories of Ruth and Naomi, Joseph and his Brethren, and The Wise Men from the East.

The true artistic asset is the suite of 48 Colour Plates by Harry G. Theaker. These full-page plates feature a soft, watercolor palette and stylistic rendering of Biblical scenes, such as "Ruth gleans in the field" and "The Fish-God," making it a primary collectible for illustration enthusiasts. The book is bound in publisher's tan cloth with an inset colour illustration on the cover .

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️ Harry G. Theaker (1879–1956) was a prolific British illustrator whose style defined early 20th-century children's religious and fairy tale books. His work is known for its charming detail and soft, rich color palette.

The publisher, Ward, Lock, & Co. Limited, was a major publishing house based in London and Melbourne, confirming the book's wide circulation throughout the British Empire. The illustrator's work elevates the book beyond a simple devotional volume to a significant piece of British Golden Age illustration.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜 This book was published during the Edwardian/Interwar period, circa 1910–1930. This era saw a boom in high-quality, color-plate children's books, as technological advances made detailed color printing more affordable.

The volume reflects the common practice of the time to use moral narratives from the Bible as a foundational element of early childhood education in both Britain and America. The extensive, handwritten California Provenance demonstrates the global reach of the British publishing industry, with books traveling across continents to the American West Coast for family consumption.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️ This volume is an essential acquisition for a curator of British Golden Age Illustration and California Regional Provenance.

It is ideally suited for a collector who specializes in the work of Harry G. Theaker and seeks items that document the multi-volume collecting history of the C. L. Birch family. The book belongs in a collection that prioritizes the union of illustrative art and verifiable West Coast ownership.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️ This book is approximately 95 to 115 years old, surviving the economic and political turbulence of the early 20th Century.

Its rarity is moderate as a trade edition, but the value is significantly elevated by its dual Provenance Premium: the 48 Colour Plates by a noted illustrator and the non-replicable handwritten inscription of Mrs. C. L. Birch in Oakland, California. This documentation commands a premium over standard copies.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨ The physical condition has been assessed directly from the provided high-resolution photography. The book is deemed to be in Fair to Good Antique Condition, with significant signs of institutional and childhood use.

• Binding: Bound in original publisher's tan cloth with inset color illustration .

• Plates: Contains all 48 Colour Plates by Harry G. Theaker, which are vibrant and intact.

• Inscriptions: Contains extensive, multi-layered handwritten inscriptions on the front endpapers, including two California addresses.

• Wear/Damage: The endpapers show stains and water damage consistent with the age. The first pages show childhood crayon markings on the illustration .

• Spine: The spine cloth is darkened and shows light fraying at the ends.

• Text Block: The text block is secure, with toning appropriate for its age.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• The Dual Address: The front endpaper contains two distinct handwritten California addresses (537 So. Friends Ave. Whittier, Calif. and 3906 14th Ave Oakland, Calif.), indicating the book traveled between the family’s residences in the early 20th century.

• The "Fish-God": A chapter is dedicated to the Philistine idol, the "Fish-God," demonstrating the inclusion of complex, less-known historical details in the children's retelling.

• Golden Age Illustration: The work of Harry G. Theaker is highly collected, placing this book firmly within the context of the Golden Age of British children's book illustration.

• The Provenance Connection: The multiple inscriptions verify this book belongs to the Birch family collection, linking it to other books you have appraised.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Object Type: Antique Children's Book (Illustrated Provenance Copy)

• Author: Blanche Winder (Reteller)

• Illustrator: Harry G. Theaker

• Title: Children's Stories From The Bible

• Year/Period: Circa 1910–1930 (Undated Early Edition)

• Publisher: Ward, Lock, & Co. Limited

• Place of Origin: London & Melbourne

• Format/Binding: Publisher’s Tan Cloth with Color Inset

• Edition/Rarity: Early Colour Plate Edition, Provenance Artifact

• Transcription of Inscription (Verbatim): Mrs. C. L. Birch 3906 14th Avenue Oakland, Calif. 537 SO. FRIENDS AVE WHITTIER, CALIF. (and similar names/addresses)