This book, titled A Treasury of Pleasure Books for Young Children, was written and edited by English writer and photographer Joseph Cundall in 1850, and features over 100 illustrations by British artists John Absolon and Harrison Weir. An inscription reveals that the book was given by Henry W. Longfellow to his then four-year-old son Ernest as a Christmas present in 1849. Its printed publication date of 1850 possibly indicates that Henry, through his publishing connections, may have had access to an advance copy.
The book is a collection of fairy and folk tales, many translated from those collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in German beginning in 1812. Of particular interest is the version of The Three Bears included in this volume. The original, written by British poet Robert Southey in 1837 based on a tale he heard from an uncle, has an old woman as the character who comes uninvited into the home of three bachelor bears. Cundall’s version is the first to change the old woman into a young girl named “Silver-hair”. Another half-century would pass before she ultimately became “Goldilocks”, and the three bears became a mother, father, and young bear.
This book is also of note due to its possible use of toxic pigment on the cover. The specific shade of green used here, often referred to as emerald or “Paris” green, was achieved using copper arcetoarsenite, a compound containing arsenic that was also historically used as an insecticide, and one that is toxic if ingested or inhaled. While the poisonous qualities of arsenic were known during the Victorian era, at the time the coloring was not generally believed to be dangerous in the amounts used on books, as well as textiles, wallpapers, and other items.
Books containing copper arcetoarsenite can be safely handled and stored by following a few guidelines. A project by the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library to identify books using this toxic pigment began in 2019, and can be read about at Poison Book Project - Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library. Longfellow House – Washington’s Headquarters NHS has been working to identify other potentially toxic volumes in its collection.