The House that Jack Built.

First line
This is the House that Jack built.

London : Ward, Lock, & Tyler, [1865].

[London] : Edmund Evans.

Ward, Lock, & Tyler's New Shilling Series of Painted Toy-Books : 1

1s.

Crane, Walter (illustrator)
Evans, Edmund (engraver and printer)
Ward, Lock, & Tyler (publisher)

Toy book

Size
25x20 cm
Format and pagination
4° : 12 ll. : [6] ll. text, [6] ll. pls : col. ill.
Signatures
A/C⁴ in 12s
Signatures note
1 gathering, sewn (binding thread between C2.3), unpaginated
Illustrations
6 ll. pls, monogd on pls 2–5, col. ptd on one side of the sheet (red, yellow, brown, pink, green, blue)
Text and decorative head-pieces, ptd (blue) on one side of the sheet, face ills
Source for attribution
Monogram
Drawings
Documents
Source for date
Advts
List of titles on low. and ins. wpr
BL accession stamp

Title and publication information are from up. wpr, which serves as tp, and from publishers' advts on low. wpr

Chromo-relief
Resin-grain

Bookseller (30 Sep. 1865), 637: 'Ward, Lock, & Tyler's list of new books for October. [...] Ward, Lock, & Tyler's New Shilling Series of Painted Toy-Books, embellished with large spirited engravings, printed in colours by Edmund Evans, post 4to, fancy wrappers. Now ready: The House that Jack Built. | Death and Burial of Cock Robin. | The Comical Cat. | Old Mother Hubbard. | The Affecting Story of Jenny Wren. | Mamma's New Picture Alphabet. | Nursery Rhymes and Rigmaroles.'
Publishers' Circular (2 Oct. 1865), 536

Variant (1) (a)
[1865]; up. wpr, unsigned, reproducing pl. 1, col. ptd (red, blue, ochre, black) on brown paper; on up. wpr: 'ONE SHILLING. | THE | HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT | … | WARD, LOCK, AND TYLER.'; low. wpr, col. ptd (ochre, black); on low. wpr, inside a frame, publishers' advts: 'WARD, LOCK, & TYLER'S | NEW SHILLING SERIES | OF | PAINTED TOY-BOOKS, | EMBELLISHED WITH LARGE SPIRITED ENGRAVINGS, | Printed in Colours by EDMUND EVANS. | Post 4to, Fancy Wrappers. | NOW READY: | THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT. | DEATH AND BURIAL OF COCK ROBIN. | THE COMICAL CAT. | OLD MOTHER HUBBARD. | THE AFFECTING STORY OF JENNY WREN. | MAMMA'S NEW PICTURE ALPHABET. | NURSERY RHYMES AND RIGMAROLES. | LONDON: | WARD, LOCK, & TYLER, 158, FLEET STREET; | AND 107, DORSET STREET, SALISBURY SQUARE. | EDMUND EVANS, ENGRAVER AND PRINTER, RAQUET COURT, FLEET STREET.'; blank ins. wpr; registering marks on pls 2 (3 red dots, upper left side) and 3 (3 red dots, lower left side)
Variant (1) (b)
[1865]; same wpr as variant (1) (a); on ins. wpr, advts for 'Ward, Lock and Tyler's Juvenile Illustrated Gift Books. ... Ward, Lock and Tyler's Pretty Picture Books for All Good Children.'; pl. 1 conj. with l. 6, l. 1 conj. with pl. 6: unlike the usual custom, on the same conj. ll. A1.4 and A2.3 are ptd both text and ills; same registering marks as variant (1) (a)
Variant (2)
[1865]; same wpr as variant (1) (a) but, on up. wpr: 'One Shilling, Coloured. – Indestructible Edition, on Strong Cloth, 2s. | ...'; on ins. wpr, same advts as variant (1) (b); different text on ll. 1 (+2 lines) and 2 (+5 lines); headings on ll. 2 and 3 are upside down; different tailpiece on l. 2; registering marks on pls 5 (5 red dots, lower right side) and 6 (5 red dots, upper right side)

1898a Crane, 3
1902 Konody, 32, 34, 38, 141
1907a Crane, 76
1913 Crane, 82
1975 Spencer, 47–9, 201
2006 Masaki, I.174, II.183
2016b Tancini, 171–204
2019 Cotsen, I.162, cat. 1470
2025 Tancini, I.216–7 (T1 (1), T1 (2))

BL: RB.23.b.4274 (variant (1) (a): [1865]; accession stamp dated 10OC65; BL copy has been rebound with l. 1 (A1v) erroneously mounted so that conj. ll. A1.4 do not match: A1r has text instead of being blank as A4v; Digital copy)
HUHL-CMP: Typ 8304.70.10 (variant (2): [1865]; inscribed and dated on l. 1 in Crane's handwriting: 'WC 1865. The house is determinedly Gothic & may be the result of a study of Ruskin & also J.H. Parker.'; inscribed on low. wpr in Crane's handwriting with Crane's monogram next to some of the titles he illustrated; Digital copy)
PUL-CCL: 9951 (variant (1) (b): [1865]; pl. 1 conj. with l. 6 (text), l. 1 (text) conj. with pl. 6)
UTMC-McL: McLean T 0026 (variant (1) (a): [1865]; n.p.a.)

Heritage Auctions: Sale 6234: Rare Children's Literature from Justin G. Schiller, Ltd, 16/12/2020, lot no. 45410 (variant (2): [1865]; n.a.)
PBA Galleries: Sale 354: Pamela Harer Collection, Part II, 19/02/2015, lot no. 222 (variant (2): [1865]; n.a.)
Schubertiade Music & Arts: 21305 (variant (1) (b): [1865]; n.p.a.)

Drawings
BM: 1933,0411.24 (ink, watercolour and graphite on paper drawing for pl. 1; on v, graphite sketch; dated 'May 3 1865')
BM: 1933,0411.25 (ink, wash and graphite on paper drawing for pl. 2; on v, graphite drawing; inscribed and dated on v 'Deliv. May 22 1865')
BM: 1933,0411.29 (ink, wash and graphite on paper drawing for pl. 3; on v, graphite drawing; inscribed and dated on v 'Deliv. May 22 1865')
BM: 1933,0411.26 (ink, wash and graphite on paper drawing for pl. 4; on v, graphite drawing; inscribed and dated on v 'Deliv. May 22 1865. 9 a')
BM: 1933,0411.27 (ink, wash and graphite on paper drawing for pl. 5; on v, graphite and ink drawing; dated 'May 26 1865'; on v '9 c')
BM: 1933,0411.28 (ink, wash and graphite on paper drawing for pl. 6; on v, graphite and ink drawing; dated 'May 26 1865'; on v '9 d')
BM: 1933,0411.30 (not used)
HUHL-CMP: MS Eng 1145 (not used)
HUHL-CMP: MS Typ 1130 (not used)
WAG: WCA.1.1.1.1.1.1 (graphite on tracing paper drawing for pl. 1; inscribed and dated 'Deliv.d May 23 1865. No. 57')
WAG: WCA.1.1.1.1.1.2 (graphite on tracing paper drawing for pl. 2; inscribed and dated 'Deliv.d May 22 1865. No. 56. 3rd not traced (of same set)')
WAG: WCA.1.1.1.1.1.3 (graphite on tracing paper drawing for pl. 6; inscribed and dated 'House that Jack Built. No. 6. No. 50. No. 60–61. 2 blocks. The cock that crowed in the morn. Deliv.d May 25 1865')
Documents
JRUL: WCA/2/2/2/1 (Crane's journal for 1864–7 with refs to The House that Jack Built: f. 2r, 12 Jan.: 'House that Jack Built.'; 14 Jan.: 'H.e J. b.'; f. 3v–4r, 14 Feb.: 'House that Jack Built.'; f. 8r, 24 Apr.: 'Order for […] 6 designs to the House that Jack Built to be drawn on wood in same style [as Dame Trot & her Comical Cat]'; f. 8v, 28–30 Apr.: 'House that Jack Built'; f. 10r, 19–20 May: 'House that Jack Built'; f. 10v, 22 May: 'Rec.d a note from Evans. The publishers wish House Jack Built & Comical Cat brought out at the same time with Jenny Wren'; 23 May: 'Finished & returned (No. 1) of House that Jack Built. (The House)'; f. 11r, 24 May: 'House Jack Built'; 25 May: 'House that Jack Built. Nos. 5&6. Cock that crowned in the morn & Fox (being the last of the set).'; f. 11v, 1 Jun.: 'Evans sent proofs to colour (House that Jack Built) (6) to be printed in dark blue instead of black. Coloured one. (There may be 6 printings)'; 2 Jun.: 'Colouring H.e J.k B.t'; 3 Jun.: 'Colouring H.e J.k B.t & delivered the same')
JRUL: WCA/2/2/2/1/13 (loose sheet formerly inserted in WCA/2/2/2/1 between ff. 13–14 with refs to The House that Jack Built: 'July 11 1865. Edmund Evans, Esq.re to Walter Crane. Designing & drawing – 6 illustrations to 'House that Jack Built.' May 25. 1. House £2 - 2. Cat & dog 2 - 3. Cow 2 - 4. Man & maiden 2 - 5. Cock that crowed 2 - 6. Fox 2 –')

Included in
The Holiday Picture Book : With Pretty Verses and Merry Rhymes, Cleverly and Comically Illustrated with Large Pictures in Colours. - London : Ward, Lock, & Tyler, [1866]
Has version/s
The House that Jack Built. - London : Ward, Lock, & Tyler, [before 1870]
Has version/s
The House that Jack Built Alphabet. - London : Ward, Lock, & Co., [1878–81]
Has version/s
The 'House that Jack Built' Alphabet : with Large Outline Pictures and Copies for Children to Paint. - London : Ward, Lock, & Co., [1881–3]
Has version/s
House that Jack Built Alphabet. - London : Ward, Lock, & Co., [1884]

78449998

Accumulative rhyme

https://www.picoboo.eu/catalogue/pcb307

Francesca Tancini, "The House that Jack Built". In PiCoBoo, accessed June 14, 2025, https://www.picoboo.eu/catalogue/pcb307