Original (unpublished) dust jacket design in color for "The Three Bears" by Helen K. and Edward Childs Carpenter

London: Hodder & Stoughton. Good. Ellen Edwards. Edward Childs Carpenter (1872-1950) was an American writer of novels and plays and a stage director in the early through mid-20th century. He began his career as a novelist, with The Chasm in 1903, and Captain Courtesy: A Take of Southern California appeared in 1906, illustrated by Elenore Plaisted Abbot. His best known play was produced in 1916, The Cinderella Man, which ran at the Hudson Theatre: 17 Jan 1916- Jul 1916 (192 performances).

The Three Bears was written as a play and produced in 1917. It ran at the Empire Theatre: 13 Nov 1917- Dec 1917 for 39 performances. Cast: J.T. Chaillee, Alice Gale, Margaret Linden [Broadway debut], Percy Marmont [Broadway debut], Rex McDougall [credited as Rex McDougal], Ann Murdock, Jerome Patrick. Produced by Charles Frohman Inc.

It was subsequently filmed by Famous Players-Lasky Corporation and released in 1919 by Paramount Pictures as Three Men and a Girl (1919).

As seen in this artwork, the Carpenters were known for The Cinderella Man, which was promoted on the spine and front cover here. However, we find no record of this book ever being produced.

The artist Ellen Edwards is also either obscure or unknown, and not to be confused with M. Ellen Edwards (b. 1838, d. 1910 or 1934). That artist signed her work "MEE" and was a prolific and popular Victorian artist, whose career began in the 1860s. But her output seems to have ceased in the early 1890s, 15-20 years before this was produced.

This is a well executed pen & ink and water color piece, with wonderful detailing on the young girl's dress and the blanket she is sitting on. There are no stats here, the title and spine lettering, even the H&S logo and the price, are all hand-drawn.

Image size 9 1/2" x 11 3/4" on heavy board, There is a 6" long indentation from top margin to right hand margin which goest through the title and art of the right hand "bear." The board has been bent about 2" from the bottom of the image, horizontally, showing as a crease on the front and a crack on the rear. The back side has glue remnants and minor stains, but no publisher notations.