First Glance

Oh, just look at the glimmer in their eyes. Isn’t there something magical about that first glance between a man and a woman? There’s definitely romance in the air surrounding this vintage book illustration.

This romantic drawing was included in a 1911 book by Amy Ella Blanchard. Blanchard wrote novels for young women but is probably most well-remembered for the charming children’s books she wrote and were illustrated by her life-long friend and companion Ida Waugh. It would seem, based on the artist’s signature on this and all of the other illustrations in Talbot’s Angles that Waugh did not provide these illustrations. The book did not identify who the illustrator was, nor do I recognize the signature. (If you do, please drop me a note so I can update this post.)

Both the lady and the gentleman are wearing expensive-looking clothes including the soft leather gloves they are both wearing. Each seems to be reaching for the same newspaper. Over the newspaper, she is looking at him with a most flirtatious glare and he appears to be returning a similar look. As, the first glance at each other, it is clear that they like what they see.

There are so many ways that you could incorporate this romantic drawing into a project. It would even make a fun assignment for a student to write a story about the pair and why they seem to be both holding the same newspaper.