Little Women, 1934

Anyone who loves Little Women adores the original movie which starred Katherine Hepburn as Jo. She won her first Oscar for that part.

This movie was released by RKO Radio during the depths of the depression.  “The film opened on November 16, 1933 at Radio City Music Hall, where it broke attendance records and earned over $100,000 during the first week of release.”

George Cukor directed this film and here is the wonderful cast:

Joan Bennett as Amy

Frances Dee as Meg

Jean Parker as Beth

Paul Lukas as fritz

Edna May Oliver as Aunt March

Spring Byington as Marmee

Douglas Montgomery as Laurie

I found the original movie trailer

But the real surprise is that I found the book, which was printed with photographs taken from the original movie.

A Complete Authorized Edition with pictures from the 1933 movie, published in 1934 by A. L. Burt Company.

The hard cover is blue, and the inside papers at the front and back of the book, hold a charming illustration of Concord and Orchard House.  





The pages inside the book are yellow with age, but I find it only adds to the charm.

I am sure that Katherine Hepburn must have had a copy of this edition, probably sitting next to her Oscar.





I just placed the book in my etsy shop, For The Love of Old Books.  You are listening to the original clips from the 1933 movie trailer.

Little Women, 1947

Can never seem to resist a drive to Concord and a visit to Orchard House.  On my trip today, I found a beautiful volume of Little Women, published in 1947.

Everyone knows how much I adore everything that Louisa May Alcott has written.  Can't you just see Jo running up that walkway into Orchard House?



I have come across many different versions of Little Women,

but this one is the edition that I was given by my mother.  

Published in 1947, the illustrations in this book are gorgeous.



The quality in the papers that they used in this book let you know this edition was something really special. This copy is beautiful, clean and the end pages are blue.

Illustrated by Louis Jambor, this book has the most incredible illustrations,

and I was told by the shopkeeper in Orchard House that the black and white illustrations are her favorites.  There are so many black and white illustrations in this edition.  This is the edition Orchard House chose to feature in their Gift Shop, but published in 2008.



"The special contents of this edition are copyrighted, 1947 by Gorsset & Dunlap, Inc. printed by Kingsport press. Inc., Kingsport, Tennessee."

I placed it in my Etsy Shop For The Love of Old Books today.  

I just love all the black and white illustrations, there are many inside this delightful volume.

Of course I can never resist taking the book to be photographed in front of Orchard House, the home where Little Women was written and took place.

LIttle Women Bookplates

I just love creating things about Little Women.



I designed some bookplates using my digital paintbox and an Antique print by Jessie Willcox Smith dated 1923.



In each package are 20 bookplates printed on fine art paper using archival inks. The enclosure envelope is a lovely powder blue, I added a white grosgrain ribbon and a MY ROBIN stamp to wrap it. Makes a pretty gift.




Oh, but I just couldn't stop there.



I took one of my cut glass charms, added a teeny version of my print and finished it off with a lovely Antique charm,





which I found in Thoreauly Antiques in Concord, Massachusetts.



To make it look very Little Women,



I added a powder blue vintage ribbon to create the perfect coordinating bookmark.



Packaged in a lace and ribbon bag, these two designs make the perfect gift for a special someone.



I have listed both items on my etsy shop. One package contains the lovely envelope enclosure package with 20 bookplates. The other contains the envelope enclosure, charm bookmark, and lace gift bag.