Books and Manuscripts

The Infants Delight
London: Printed and Sold by John Marshall, (plates dated 1801). 32mo. (76) pp. Rear blank wanting. Illustrated with frontispiece and 35 plates. Bound upside down in publisher's paper-covered boards (presumably the result of an early spine repair), worn, title label affixed to front board, publisher's label to rear; previous owner's signature on front endpapers, verso of title-page, and verso of first plate, all dated 1836-7. Enclosed in a full red niger slip case, and chemise, by James Macdonald Co.

Together with:

Papa’s Present
London: Printed and Sold by John Marshall, (plates dated 1801). 32mo. (76) pp. Front blank wanting. Illustrated with frontispiece and 35 plates. Publisher's paper-covered boards, title label affixed to front board, publisher's label to rear. Enclosed in a full red niger slip case, and chemise, by James Macdonald Co.

John Marshall (1783-1828) began publishing miniature children's books in 1800, including The Juvenile; or, Child's Library, The Infant's Library, and The Doll's Library. In the following years he published other miniatures, including The Book-Case of Instruction and Delight (1802), German, Latin, and French editions of The Infant's Library, numerous variations of his other titles, as well as stand-alone titles. His work, printed in brightly colored boards with numerous illustrations and often housed in doll-house-like bookcases, became incredibly popular and spawned dozens of imitators.

Rare. The above titles are presumed to have been issued singularly as they don't appear to be from any of Marshall's miniature libraries for children. We can locate only one copy of either title (Papa’s Present) to ever come to auction. OCLC locates only five institutions holding The Infants Delight: Princeton University Library; Toronto Public Library; Indiana University; Arizona State University Library; University of Oxford, and only a microform edition of Papa's Present.