HELEN and ALF EVERS (1905-2004) "Little Goosie-Gosling."
Nearly complete group of color proofs for the book written and illustrated by the Helen and Alf Evers, published by F. J. Ward, 1937. Ink, crayon, and yellow gouache color separation overlays on tracing paper. 280x358 mm; 11x14 inches, sheets. The archive, consisting of hand-drawn text and images, includes: cover, copyright, and dedication pages, Mother goose quote page, 25 (of 25) full text pages with borders (that did not contain illustrations), 19 (of 25) boards with color separations containing text and illustrations, list of authors' works, and one unused image. A copy of the published book, inscribed and signed by the Evers' accompanies the artwork. Alf Evers (1905-2004) met Helen Baker at the Art Students League in New York City, and they collaborated on several popular picture books. The two divorced in 1950 and he became an esteemed local historian of the Catskills, of Woodstock in particular. Based on an old nursery rhyme, Little Goosie-Gosling (1934) with its strong outline drawing and hand-lettered text owes much to Wanda Gág's classic Millions of Cats (1928).
