Frontispiece Design for "Peter Poodle, Toymaker to the King"

William Henry Bradley

1906 · Graphite, black ink, watercolor, and gouache · Drawings and Prints

Bradley, one of the great turn-of-the-century American creators of posters and books, wrote, illustrated, and designed the typeface for Peter Poodle Toy Maker to the King, one of his few forays into the field of children's books and one that was not a financial success. This highly stylized, symmetrical image was to be used as the book's frontispiece. The book tells the story of the toymaker Peter Poodle and two children, Tommy and Helen, in the magical town of Toyville. In this illustration, Tommy and Helen, having been crowned king and queen of the realm, enjoy a banquet of the best sweets and desserts they have ever tasted.

Artist

William Henry Bradley

Date

1906

Medium

Graphite, black ink, watercolor, and gouache

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

The Will Bradley Collection, Gift of Fern Bradley Dufner, 1952