The Baby’s Opera by Walter Crane c1917 Frederick Warne Illustrated Vintage Book
 
THE BABY’S OPERA – A Book of Old Rhymes With New Dresses
By Walter Crane | Music by the Earliest Masters
Illustrated & Colour-Printed by Edmund Evans
Vintage Illustrated Hardback (c. post-1917)
Published by Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd, London & New York
 
Overview
 
A charming post-1917 Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd edition of Walter Crane’s classic ‘The Baby’s Opera’, featuring Crane’s iconic, richly coloured illustrations and musical notation engraved and printed by Edmund Evans, the celebrated Victorian colour printer.

This edition showcases Crane’s imaginative “miniature opera” format, where each nursery rhyme is presented as its own scene or act, complete with vivid, theatrical full-colour artwork. A beautifully preserved example of early 20th-century children’s illustration, with Crane’s pioneering aesthetic and Evans’ masterful colour work.
 
“Note: Many online listings misdate this title. This edition is printed by Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., confirming a post-1917 publication.”
 
Bibliographic Details
 
Title: The Baby’s Opera – A Book of Old Rhymes With New Dresses
Author / Illustrator: Walter Crane
Music: By the Earliest Masters
Illustrations: Colour illustrations and sheet music printed by Edmund Evans
Publisher: Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., London & New York
Format: Illustrated paper-covered boards with cloth spine
Pagination: 56 pages
Edition: Undated; must be post-1917 (after the company became “Ltd.”)
Dimensions: approx. 18.2 × 18.2 × 1 cm
Weight: approx. 238g
 
Dating Notes
 
This copy is undated, but the presence of “Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd.” confirms a publication date after 1917, when the company became a limited company.
The printing quality, vivid colour palette, and Evans’ continued use of woodblock chromoxylography place this in the later Warne reprint period of Crane’s children’s titles.
 
Exterior Condition
 
The pictorial paper-covered boards and cloth spine remain intact, firm, and attractive, especially considering the age of the book.
Lovely full-colour Crane illustrations to both front and back boards
Some expected vintage wear: small rips, light creases, faint scratches
Cloth spine shows fading and minor marking
Board corners gently rubbed
No dust jacket
 
A handsome, characterful vintage copy displaying Crane’s timeless illustrative style.
 
Interior Condition
 
The interior is in a clean, bright, and well-preserved state:
Light, even tanning to pages
Occasional small marks or faint creases
Pink page-edge tint visible and in places lightly “bled” onto the margins
Very small rips to a few page edges (not affecting text or illustrations)
Slight rip between front pastedown and free endpaper (as photographed)
Minor inner-edge rubbing between pp. 54–55
Small rip at inner edge of p.41 and verso
A slight, very small gutter crack between pp. 38–39 – minimal and secure
All 56 pages present; no loose or missing pages
All illustrations remain vivid and unfaded
 
Overall, a solid, clean example with only minor signs of age.
 
About Walter Crane
 
Walter Crane (1845–1915) was one of the most influential English children's book illustrators of the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Alongside Kate Greenaway and Randolph Caldecott, he helped define the “Golden Age of Illustration”.
 
Crane’s artistic trademarks, strong outlines, rich colours, decorative motifs, and medievalist influences, pair beautifully with the fine colour engraving of Edmund Evans.
 
About The Baby’s Opera
 
First published in 1877, The Baby’s Opera became one of Crane’s best-loved works. Designed as a playful “miniature opera”, the book groups classic nursery rhymes into theatrical scenes, with:
elaborate full-page colour illustrations
musical notation
Crane’s distinctively decorative borders
rich typographic design
 
This later Warne edition continues to preserve the charm and visual philosophy of the original.
 
Summary
 
An enchanting and visually rich post-1917 edition of The Baby’s Opera, a children’s classic combining Walter Crane’s artistry with Edmund Evans’ renowned printing craftsmanship. The book remains in very good condition for its age, with strong boards, clean artwork, and only gentle vintage wear.