Roadrunner to Zebra
R is for Roadrunner
Foster, Ethel T. Little Tales of the Desert. Los Angeles: Published by the Author, 1913.
Schimmel Fiction 1713
From the Caroline F. Schimmel Fiction Collection of Women in the American Wilderness
R is for Robin
Storer family commonplace book, 1829-1883.
Ms. Coll. 794
The Storer family was a creative bunch. They were illustrators and engravers and this little commonplace book is a delight!
R is for Rooster
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. A Midsummer-Night’s Dream / with illustrations by Arthur Rackham. London: William Heinemann, 1908.
EC9 R1154 908m
Rooster announces the break of day and beholds the return of ghosts to their graves in Arthur Rackham’s illustration for A Midsummer-Night’s Dream.
S is for Silkworm
Arnold and Deanne Kaplan Collection of Americana, 1764-circa 1900.
Ms. Coll. 1094
This image (plus quite a few more in this collection) is from the Commercial Museum, an amazing (but now defunct) Philadelphia institution founded in 1899.
S is for Skunk
Pierson, Clara D. Among the Night People. New York: E.P. Dutton & Company, 1902.
Schimmel Fiction 3710
From the Caroline F. Schimmel Fiction Collection of Women in the American Wilderness
S is for Snake AND Spider
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. A Midsummer-Night’s Dream / with illustrations by Arthur Rackham. London: William Heinemann, 1908.
PR2827.A2 R33 1908
Spiders, snakes, beetles, and worms of the woods held at bay by the fairies’ song: “Come not near our fairy queen”, in Arthur Rackham’s illustration for A Midsummer-Night’s Dream.
T is for Turkey
James, Ahlee. Tewa Firelight Tales. New York: Longmans, Green and Co., 1927.
From the Caroline F. Schimmel Fiction Collection of Women in the American Wilderness
Both this and the next volume tell the Cinderella Story of “Turkey Girl.”
T is for Turkey
Velarde, Pablita. Old Father, the Story Teller. Globe, AZ: Dale Stuart King, 1960.
From the Caroline F. Schimmel Fiction Collection of Women in the American Wilderness
Both this and the volume above tell the Cinderella Story of “Turkey Girl.” These illustrations are dramatic and beautiful.
U is for Unicorn Fish
Hill, John. The History of Animals. London: Thomas Osborne, 1748-1752.
Folio QH45.H5 vol. 3
If you can imagine an animal, it is in these three volumes. Sometimes the names are not what you would expect, but the beautifully drawn animals are worth a gander!
V is for Vulture
Felix E. Schelling papers, 1856-1945.
Ms. Coll. 1118
At Penn, and at other colleges and universities, the sophomores would burn their least favorite textbooks. This clearly beloved event was accompanied by elaborate programs, poems, and songs.
W is for Whale
Whale Sound : an Anthology of Poems about Whales and Dolphins. Toronto: Dreadnaught, 1977.
From the Caroline F. Schimmel Fiction Collection of Women in the American Wilderness
W is for Wildcat AND Wolf
Hart, Ruby. In the Woods. New York: Algonquin Publishing Company, 1931.
Schimmel Fiction 2068
From the Caroline F. Schimmel Fiction Collection of Women in the American Wilderness
Y is for Yak
Steig, Jeanne. Alpha Beta Chowder. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.
Tehon PS3569.T344 A79 1999
From the Atha Tehon Thiras Collection
Z is for Zebra
Buffon, George Louis Leclerc. Histoire Naturelle. Paris: De l’Imprimerie Royale, 1749-1804.
Founders 41, Q Suppl. vol. 3