Caldecott, Randolph

The House that Jack Built; The Diverting History of John Gilpin; The Mad Dog; The Babes in the Wood; The Milkmaid; Sing a Song for Sixpence; The Queen of Hearts; The Farmer's Boy; Hey Diddle Diddle and Baby Bunting; The Three Jovial Huntsmen; A Frog he would a-wooing go; The Fox Jumps Over the Parson's Gate; Come Lasses and Lads; Ride a-cock horse to Banbury Cross [&c.]; Mrs Mary Blaize; The Green Panjandrum Himself

4to (231 x 201mm.) and oblong 4to (205 x 241mm.), 16 volumes, each volume with either 8 (first 8 titles) or 6 (remaining 8 titles) full page colour illustrations including some double page designs, numerous other line drawing illustrations and cover designs by Caldecott, original pictorial wrappers, collector's maroon box, some light soiling and browning, a few volumes with nicks to spines, box worn (16)

Caldecott's series of picture books was created under the direction of the printer Edmund Evans, who had earned a reputation during the 1860s as "the leading and the best woodblock colour printer in London" (Oxford DNB). He engaged Caldecott to produce two new books per year to be published for the Christmas market. Beginning in 1878, the series continued up until Caldecott's death in 1886.