Victorian Horizons

Lundin explores the contemporary response to the picture books of three pioneer Victorian illustrators of children's books: Walter Crane, Randolph Caldecott, and Kate Greenaway. Over a century after their first printing, the picture books are striking—breathtaking in their line, color, and design. The author frames "the horizons of expectation"—the context of assumptions and values—that shaped the way picture books were read and reviewed by their audience and examines their critical reception with a summary of their reputation over the last century. Finally, Lundin positions the three artists in relationship to each other and examines the historiography of the trio's canonization. The role of librarians, booksellers, and publishers was critical in making these names prominent through the twentieth century. The book illustrates that reputations are made, not born, and many cultural mediators are at work in the marketplace of children's literature.

Victorian artists Walter Crane, Randolph Caldecott, and Kate Greenaway produced a number of picture books that involved imaginative re-creations of childhood scenes. With the help of virtuoso color printer Edmund Evans, they elevated the form artistically and enjoyed great popularity. In this study, Lundin (children's literature, U. of Wisconsin-Madison) examines the history of the critical reception of these books in the last quarter of the 19th century.

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Anne Lundin is Associate Professor, School of Library and Information Studies, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she teaches courses in children's literature, youth services, and storytelling.