Verse Collection

Birthday card, RAF flying dog pilot. mid-20th century

Ichthyosaurus as a museum piece
Cartoon of an Ichthyosaurus as a museum piece, in the Ballad of the Ichthyosaurus

The Lamb, illustration from Songs of Innocence and of Experience. c1770-1820. Artist: William Blake
The Lamb, illustration from Songs of Innocence and of Experience. c1770-1820

There was an Old Man of Thames Ditton, who called out for something to sit on (litho)
966338 There was an Old Man of Thames Ditton, who called out for something to sit on (litho) by Lear, Edward (1812-88); Private Collection; (add.info.: There was an Old Man of Thames Ditton)

Four frogs ice skating on a Christmas card
Four frogs ice skating hand in hand on a Christmas card, with comic verse below. circa 1890s

There was an Old Man of Blackheath, whose head was adorned with a Wreath (litho)
966250 There was an Old Man of Blackheath, whose head was adorned with a Wreath (litho) by Lear, Edward (1812-88); Private Collection; (add.info.: There was an Old Man of Blackheath)

"There was an old man with a beard, who said, It is just as I feared
LLM386602 " There was an old man with a beard, who said, It is just as I feared! ", from A Book of Nonsense, published by Frederick Warne and Co

Half Dome mountain at sunset in Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California, USA

The Pied Piper Of Hamelin (engraving)
3655198 The Pied Piper Of Hamelin (engraving) by Ralston, William (1848-1911) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Pied Piper Of Hamelin)

Advertisement for Colmans Mustard - Jack and Jill are never ill... because Colmans ensures good digestion. circa 1950s

WW2 birthday card, Postman with black kittens
Birthday card, Postman with black kittens, and a reference to blackout regulations. circa 1940s

George Chapman / Anon Copp
GEORGE CHAPMAN English poet and dramatist, known especially for his verse translations of Homer Date: 1559 - 1634

Illustration by Cecil Aldin, Forty Fine Ladies, with text by Patrick R Chalmers. The Huntsmans Story -- huntsmen, horses and hounds on a country road and crossing a field. Date: 1933

Poetry, from an Album of Poems, Graphite Drawings & Watercolours, c. 1828
XYC286282 Poetry, from an Album of Poems, Graphite Drawings & Watercolours, c.1828 (w/c on paper) by English School, (19th century); Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection, USA; English

William Wordsworth: We Are Seven (engraving)
6025638 William Wordsworth: We Are Seven (engraving) by Foster, Myles Birket (1825-99) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: We Are Seven)

Santa Claus proposing a toast on a Christmas postcard
Santa Claus proposing a toast on a Christmas and New Year postcard. Date: circa 1900s

Birthday card, Chimney Sweep Dog. mid-20th century

Young girl standing at a window on a Christmas card, with a poem on the left. Date: circa 1890s

Illustration, A Song of the English, Thames Embankment
Illustration to A Song of the English, a patriotic set of poems by Rudyard Kipling (first published in the English Illustrated Magazine)

The Land Of Counterpane (colour litho)
5217698 The Land Of Counterpane (colour litho) by Willcox Smith, Jessie (1863-1935); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Land Of Counterpane)

"There was an Old Man of Corfu, who never knew what he should do", from A Book of Nonsense
LLM386624 " There was an Old Man of Corfu, who never knew what he should do", from A Book of Nonsense, published by Frederick Warne and Co

Medieval illumination: Edward the Black Prince
Chandos Herald manuscript: 4000 line French verse account of the exploits of Edward the Black Prince in the 100 years war

Illustration, A Song of the English, Lighthouse
Illustration to A Song of the English, a patriotic set of poems by Rudyard Kipling (first published in the English Illustrated Magazine)

St. George of merry England
Vintage engraving of a verse from Spensers Faerie Queene, with an image of Saint George and the Dragon. 1892

Birthday Greetings with spray of flowers
Birthday Greetings -- a spray of pink and white flowers on a birthday postcard. Date: early 20th century

Private yachts anchored in Opunohu Bay on the island of Moorea in the Society islands of French Polynesia

Three Part Song (colour litho)
2780494 Three Part Song (colour litho) by Maxwell, Donald (1877-1936) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Three Part Song)

The Pipes Of Lucknow (colour litho)
3651564 The Pipes Of Lucknow (colour litho) by Rainey, William (1852-1936) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Pipes Of Lucknow)

Easter postcard with eggs and catkins. Date: circa 1930s

Woman in a crinoline dress on a greetings card
Woman in a crinoline dress in a garden on a greetings card, with verse below. Date: early 20th century

Smartly dressed man on a comic greetings card with verse and pull tab. Date: circa 1850s

Cartoon of monkeys playing billiards, Christmas greetings card. (chromolitho)
6031508 Cartoon of monkeys playing billiards, Christmas greetings card. (chromolitho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Cartoon of monkeys playing billiards)

Nursery rhyme: Little Boy Blue (chromolitho)
5990948 Nursery rhyme: Little Boy Blue (chromolitho) by Haslewood, Constance (fl.1890); Private Collection; (add.info.: Little Boy Blue)

Illustration of Carolina Oliphants poem Bonnie Charlie (colour litho)
3094456 Illustration of Carolina Oliphants poem Bonnie Charlie (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Little Tommy Tittlemouse (colour litho)
3631217 Little Tommy Tittlemouse (colour litho) by Greenaway, Kate (1846-1901) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Little Tommy Tittlemouse)

The Goose With The Golden Eggs (colour litho)
5227849 The Goose With The Golden Eggs (colour litho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Goose With The Golden Eggs.); © Look and Learn

The Loss Of The Birkenhead (colour litho)
3651563 The Loss Of The Birkenhead (colour litho) by Rainey, William (1852-1936) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Loss Of The Birkenhead. ")

Botanical Sketchbook -- lettering. A poem entitled English Flowers. Date: 1920s

Victorian Cyclists and Motorists on a Snowy Road
Illustration showing the scene on a British road in the winter, circa 1899. In the foreground cyclists, two on a tandem, can be seen

Come with a romp with Neptune! He is king of the sea, where the lobster and crabs, the sole and the dabs, dance in the waves with glee

Sweep, oh sweep oh! Clean your chimneys keep, oh! For smoky flues we can t excues, since I will sweep them cheap, oh! Date: Circa 1880

Olive Malvery serving in a sweet shop
In the early 1900s, Olive Malvery, an established singer and reciter of verse, became known for her investigative reports of Londons poor, especially women

Auctioneer on a Christmas and New Year card, with a lot of financial puns in the verse. Date: circa 1890s

She dwells with beauty, beauty that must die, Illustraion to the poem Ode on Melancholy by John Keats
3502851 She dwells with beauty, beauty that must die, Illustraion to the poem Ode on Melancholy by John Keats, from Poems of Keats, pub.c.1910; (add.info.: She dwells with beauty)

And so she pines, and so she died forlorn, imploring for her Basil to the last, Illustration to the poem Isabbela
3502843 And so she pines, and so she died forlorn, imploring for her Basil to the last, Illustration to the poem Isabbela, or The Pot of Basil by John Keats, from Poems of Keats

Title page from Alexander Pope's 'The Dunciad'
5307846 Title page from Alexander Pope's 'The Dunciad'.; (add.info.: Title page from Alexander Pope's 'The Dunciad'. Alexander Pope (1688-1744) an English poet

Untired she read the legend page, of Holy Mark, from youth to age, Illustration to the unfinished poem by John Keats
3502845 Untired she read the legend page, of Holy Mark, from youth to age, Illustration to the unfinished poem by John Keats, The Eve of St, Mark, from Poems of Keats

Diana and Endymion, Illustraion from the poem Endymion by John Keats, from Poems of Keats, pub.c.1910
3502838 Diana and Endymion, Illustraion from the poem Endymion by John Keats, from Poems of Keats, pub.c.1910; (add.info.: Diana and Endymion, Illustraion from the poem Endymion by John Keats)

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"Verse: A Melody of Imagination and Expression" In the enchanting world of verse, where words dance upon the pages like graceful ice skaters, we find ourselves immersed in a tapestry of diverse imagery. Just as William Blake's "The Lamb" evokes innocence and experience, his illustrations transport us to a realm where imagination knows no bounds. As we wander through this poetic landscape, we stumble upon an unexpected sight—a museum showcasing an Ichthyosaurus fossil. Its ancient bones whisper tales of forgotten oceans and prehistoric wonders, reminding us that even in verse, history has its place. But it is not only fossils that captivate our attention; there is also the power of symbolism. A woman raising her skirts to scare off the devil reminds us that poetry can be both playful and profound—using metaphorical gestures to confront our deepest fears. And what could be more whimsical than four frogs gracefully gliding across ice on a Christmas card? In this moment frozen in time, joy leaps from their amphibian hearts onto the canvas—an invitation for merriment during the festive season. Yet amidst all these delightful scenes lies wisdom wrapped in humor. An old man with a beard warns us with jestful certainty about life's inevitable disappointments—a reminder that poetry can hold truths even within its most comical verses. From Colmans Mustard advertisements to breathtaking landscapes like Half Dome mountain at sunset in Yosemite National Park, verse takes on many forms. It paints vivid pictures with words alone or accompanies visual masterpieces created by others—each stroke adding depth to our understanding of human expression. Just as George Chapman's anonymous portrait invites curiosity into his identity, so does poetry invite introspection into our own souls. Like an album filled with poems and watercolors from 1828 or "The Pipes Of Lucknow, " colored lithographs transporting us back in time—we discover new facets of ourselves through every line read or heard.