Some time ago, for I do not have the exact date nor even a set of years, only some time before 1928 for sure, somewhere in Great Britain and probably on a wet and cold day, for it is always wet and cold in Great Britain, a book was created. It was probably one of several thousands of books created by that factory on that day, in that month of that year. The book is made of paper and a hard cover and a couple of color pictures. The hard cover is a faded blue, maybe green with a picture of the Frog Prince and his princess. It is titled
Grimm's Fairy Tales, The Brothers Grimm.
The book flops open, offering no resistance because of a thoroughly broken spine, to reveal yellowing pages. The color on the inside cover pages has spotted and faded over the passage of time. In the upper right hand corner of the first page in careful script are owner and year: MargarET KAYLEY, XMAS 1928.
As the flattened book lays on my desk, it's stained pages scream a fascinating story. When was the book really published? When did the blue book of fairy tales become a gift? Who gave it? Who was Margaret Kayley? How did her book travel from Great Britain to a flee market in Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, the southern part of the main island of Japan in 2010?
Ward, Lock & Co, Limited published the book. H.G., whoever that man is, wrote the preface detailing the task the Grimm Brothers undertook when collecting the Dutch and German fairy tales. Butler & Tanner, Ltd, Frome and London printed the book, but in what year I do not know.
The information source (the internet) tells me that Ward, Lock & Co was swallowed by Orion Publishing or Octobus Publishing sometime ago, but Ward, Lock were publishing books back in 1854 and started on Fleet Street, London.
How the lonely little book traveled from Great Britain to Japan is probably a good story. Did it come immediately to some English family living in Japan to change hands during WWII and then again after the war and eventually travel the fllee market realm? Or was it given to some family the British Isle to then travel the world at a later date? Or was it within an American family's hands until someone brought it to Japan and left the book in a box for donations.
Whatever the story, how a book travels around the world is always interesting. What does this book say?
I have a book with a very similar feel to it. It always makes me wonder. Even right now. I'm wondering where the heck I put that book . . .
ReplyDeleteI Have this exact book (I'm looking at it now), i am how ever very sad when i look at it. It's in a very bad condition and upsets me when i think how much history it has. It opens to say "From Mother to Mary" in pen, underneath in pencil rubbed out says "From Mother with lots of love." A starange thought to think what happened to this Mary and weather she still live and thinks back to the book.
ReplyDeleteHowever on the page where it says Ward, Lock & co. Underneath London and Melbourne mine has the date 1921.