The Story of Blue-Beard - Illustrated by Joseph E. Southall

By Charles Perrault and Joseph E. Southall

The Story of Bluebeard is taken from the Perrault original, and illustrated with pictures and ornaments by Joseph Southall. Perrault (1628 – 1703) was among the first writers to bring magical children’s stories into the literary mainstream, proving to his original seventeenth century readers that such works were important, enjoyable, as well as thought-provoking. The tale of ‘Bluebeard’ has stood the test of time; enchanting readers with its other-worldly combination of horror and fairy-tale-endings.

The text is accompanied and surrounded by the wonderful black-and-white illustrations of Joseph Southall (1861 – 1944) who was heavily associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement; one of the last outposts of romanticism in the visual arts. Southall’s masterful creations serve to further refine and enhance Perrault’s magical storytelling – making this a book to be enjoyed and appreciated, by both young and old alike.

Pook Press celebrates the great ‘Golden Age of Illustration‘ in children’s literature – a period of unparalleled excellence in book illustration from the 1880s to the 1930s. Our collection showcases classic fairy tales, children’s stories, and the work of some of the most celebrated artists, illustrators and authors.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Jan 27, 2016
• ISBN: 9781473365261

Book preview

List of Illustrations

The Story of BlueBeard

His beard seemed not so very blue.

Departure of Bluebeard.

Her friends did not wait to be invited.

She paused before unlocking the door.

There were no means of cleaning it.

You do not know! I very well know!

I see only the sun and dust.

Death of BlueBeard.

The History of Bluebeard

The tale of Bluebeard has an incredibly long and fascinating history. Unlike most fairy-tales, its origins can be traced to real events and people – horrific tales of murdering noblemen and insecure husbands, dating back to fifteenth century France and beyond. Some argue that its origins can be found even earlier, in the Roman myth of Cupid and Psyche or even the biblical story of Eve and her fatal curiosity. The story of Bluebeard is one full of deceit, death, murder, blood and forbidden chambers, and as with all great narrative traditions, it has been appropriated and adapted across generations and geographical location. With each re-telling, the cautionary legend is kept alive.

The version of the story that most modern readers will be familiar with, is that of the great French folklorist Charles Perrault, which tells the tale of a violent aristocrat in the habit of murdering his wives – and the attempts of one wife to avoid the fate of her predecessors. Published in 1697, in