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Father Christmas

  • Object:

    Illustration

  • Place of origin:

    Great Britain, UK (made)

  • Date:

    ca.1890 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Röger, K. (artist)
    Nister, Ernest, born 1842 - died 1909 (publisher)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Watercolour on card

  • Museum number:

    RENIER.354

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

  • Download image

Ernest Nister (1842-1909) began his publishing career in 1885 when he acquired a lithographic workshop in Nürnberg and printed books for London publishers. In 1888 he became a publisher in his own right with offices at 24 St. Bride Street, London. He appointed the writer and editor, Robert Ellice Mack, as director.

Nister specialised in high quality colour printing for children in the last quarter of the 19th century. Movable books with various mechanisms became his speciality after 1890 (when be published his first stand-up book) but he also produced numerous picture books, annuals, poetry, nursery rhymes, calendars and greetings cards. He worked with a core of writers, including Clifton Bingham and Robert Ellice Mack, and illustrators, in particular Eveline Lance, Harriett M. Bennett, Edith A. Cubitt and Rosa Petherick.

Physical description

Watercolour drawing on stiff card of Father Christmas walking into a room through a curtain carrying a wooden horse in his right hand and a bag of toys over his right arm. On the right of the drawing two children watch from behind the curtain. Behind them in the background is a partial view of a piece of furniture with a blue vase on top. Mounted on card.

Place of Origin

Great Britain, UK (made)

Date

ca.1890 (made)

Artist/maker

Röger, K. (artist)
Nister, Ernest, born 1842 - died 1909 (publisher)

Materials and Techniques

Watercolour on card

Marks and inscriptions

Bookplate on verso reads: 'From the Library of Anne Renier and F.G. Renier'
Inscribed in blue crayon on verso: 'XXII', '12/12', '11109', 'K. Röger' and '2'
Initialled in ink on verso by Anne Renier: 'AR'
Inscribed in pencil on verso: 'K. Röger'
Initialled by artist on bottom left corner: 'K.R.'

Dimensions

Height: 428 mm Mount, Width: 325 mm Mount

Object history note

Drawn by K. Röger ca.1890 for Ernest Nister. Bequeathed to the V&A in 1970 by Anne and Fernand G. Renier as part of the Renier Collection.

Materials

Watercolour; Card

Techniques

Drawing

Subjects depicted

Children (people by age group); Toys (recreational artifacts); Father Christmas; Wooden horse (toy)

Categories

Illustration; Drawings; Dolls & Toys; Books

Production Type

Unique

Collection code

NAL

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Qr_O146683
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