Mollie's Staircase
By A.I. Rentoul and I.S. Rentoul (Annie and Ida)
Published by M.L. Hutchinson: Melbourne 1906
Includes 12 Black & White Plates by Ida S. Rentoul - All Present As Called For
"
Mollie's Staircase is an important and notably scarce early Australian illustrated children's book, published in Melbourne by M. L. Hutchinson in 1906. Issued in an unusual oblong format with textured paper wrappers and ribbon ties, the work comprises a sequence of twelve verses accompanied by twelve full-page black-and-white plates. It belongs to the formative period of Australian fantasy illustration and is particularly significant as one of the earliest books illustrated by Ida S. Rentoul, later Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, who was only eighteen years old at the time of publication. Bibliographical sources record the book as Muir 6333, and surviving copies are now decidedly scarce.
The book follows the earlier Mollie's Bunyip and presents episodes in a young girl's life through a combination of verse and illustration. The staircase becomes the central imaginative setting, carrying Mollie from childhood games and dreams through the changing stages of life. Subjects include looking through the staircase window at night, the exuberant childhood game of "Shooting the Chute," encounters with fairy-like "Little Dream Sisters," and ultimately the sentimental transition to adulthood in "Her Wedding Day." The verses and pictures combine the domestic world of Edwardian childhood with fantasy, reverie and gentle humour.
Of particular importance are Ida Rentoul's twelve full-page pen-and-ink illustrations, all of which are present in this copy as called for. They show the young artist already developing elements that would become characteristic of her mature work: finely controlled line, elaborate decorative detail, dramatic contrasts of black and white, and an imaginative fairy world populated by ethereal female figures. Contemporary scholarship places Mollie's Staircase among the very early works in which Rentoul's distinctive illustrative style was emerging, preceding such celebrated productions as The Lady of the Blue Beads and Elves and Fairies.
A scarce and important piece of early Australian children's publishing and illustration, Mollie's Staircase has established bibliographical and collecting significance. Auction records demonstrate the title's desirability: a copy sold for $280 at Leski Auctions, while another example sold for $750 at Noble Numismatics; another antiquarian catalogue described a similarly tattered but complete example as "Very Scarce." The present copy retains the complete suite of twelve plates and portions of the original ribbon ties; although the fragile wrappers exhibit substantial age-related edge loss, chipping and wear, its completeness makes it a particularly appealing survivor of one of the earliest illustrated works associated with Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, one of Australia's most celebrated fantasy illustrators."
General wear, edge curling etc to original soft wrap covers. No loose pages. No inscriptions. All 12 plates present. Some age staining/light foxing present. Binding is decent with no loose pages. A nice copy of this scarce and desirable book in good condition overall. Please study photos to further understand condition.
