Susana S-G
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thetl2.bsky.social
Susana S-G
@thetl2.bsky.social
160 followers 410 following 32 posts
Interested in the history of children's books illustration but you can talk to me about books and libraries in general too! Special Collections Reading Room Coordinator @thejohnrylands and Dr in Museology (book exhibitions).
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Delighted that the keynote during my week @calrbs.bsky.social is about the wonderful, kick-ass librarian Belle da Costa Green, by Phillip S. Palmer, Curator of Literary and Historical ms at the Morgan Library.
Or precisely because he *had* seen one!😁
I’ve been a bit lax with social media lately, but I’m planning to post plenty of images and thoughts from the course over the next few weeks. Come along for the ride—and let me know if you agree (or disagree!) with the ideas above.
To my knowledge, children’s book illustration is yet to be explored through an art-historical lens, so I’m hoping this talk is the start of a bigger research project, watch this space! 👀
I argue that the kind of playful, rebellious visual invention found in these books mirrors, and sometimes even anticipates, the spirit of avant-garde: Surrealism, Dada, Futurism, Cubism.

Children’s illustration wasn’t behind the curve—it was part of the curve.

#ArtHistory #AvantGarde #Surrealism
The artists I’ll talk about—Lear, Burgess, Duval, W.H. Robinson, to name a few—weren’t just illustrating nonsense texts. They helped build a visual language that would shape the experimental picturebooks of the postmodern era.

#IllustrationHistory #ChildrensBooks
My talk is called:
“Illustrating Nonsense: A Journey from Grandville to Newell — and Beyond.”

It explores how children’s book illustration has long been a space for radical visual invention—not just whimsy, but satire, critique, and experimentation.

#ChildrensLit #Illustration
Just a couple of weeks until my specialist course on the History of Children’s Literature @calrbs.bsky.social begins! As part of this course, we have been invited to give a short talk on a topic of our choice, in my case, nonsense illustration. (A thread 🧵)

#CALRBSC #RareBooks #Nonsense
But this one is credited to “Max” — and I can’t find any info on who he really was.

Does anyone know who Max was? Or where I might look to find out more?
#FiabeSonore #bookillustration #ItalianIllustrators #MaxFabbri #ChildrensBooks #illustrationhistory
I’ve since found out it comes from Fiabe Sonore, a 1960s Italian fairy tale series published by Gruppo Editoriale Fabbri, often sold with vinyl records. Many of the illustrators used pseudonyms, like Michele (misspelt in the picture) = Angelo Bioletto, Pikka = Piero Cattaneo, Una=Ugo Fontana...
This is an illustration from the first book I remember reading on my own. The translated text was awful, but the artwork stayed with me for decades.
🧵
Mmm...Petro Cuniculo doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it? (Less so for Spaniards like me 😅)

#childrensbooks
#illustration
#bookhistory
...The one tidying the shelves at the back whilst trying to see what they are reading 😅
One of the most comprehensive studies that I can find on this topic... Any other similar suggestions?
#childrensbookillustration
#bookhistory
#illustrationhistory
#childrensliterature
#picturebooks
📢Over the moon to have received a full scholarship to attend Jackie Stallcup's course on the History of Children's Literature @calrbs.bsky.social this Summer!!! Anyone else here planning to attend? I'd love to connect!👋
#rarebooks
#childrensbooks
#childrensliterature
#bookhistory
#grateful
#happy
Reposted by Susana S-G
Join us, Thursday, May 1 at 7:00 EST for the Julian L. Lapides Lecture "Seventy Years a Bibliophile" with Justin G. Schiller. Register at www.americanantiquarian.org/node/12912
Coincidentally, I read your post whilst George Michael's Praying for time came up on my playlist...Who wants to think, indeed...
Oh, just got to that part in the biography. Now I know what you meant! Andersen visit to Dickens is the funniest thing! Someone should take it to the screen!😄
Wonderful!
José Carlos de Brito e Cunha, known as J. Carlos (1884-1950) Brazilian cartoonist, illustrator, and graphic designer, introduced by Pete Beard
#illustrationhistory

youtu.be/uEpIFRm-TSg?...
THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF JOSÉ CARLOS HD
YouTube video by pete beard
youtu.be
Ukranian children's book illutrator Vyacheslav Legkobit (1941-197?) #illustration #picturebooks #history