Nursery Rhyme Illustration Appraisal

Ruth E. Newton 'Goosey, Goosey, Gander' Nursery Rhyme Illustration

This item is a vintage nursery rhyme lithograph or printed panel featuring the 'Goosey, Goosey, Gander' rhyme. The piece depicts two young children in stylized Dutch-inspired or Victorian-era attire—a boy in a tall blue hat and red trousers, and a girl in a white bonnet and floral dress—examining a white goose. The artwork is signed 'Ruth E. Newton' in the lower right corner of the image field. Ruth Newton was a prolific mid-20th-century illustrator known for her 'chubby-cheeked' children and baby animals, particularly popular in the 1930s and 1940s. The printing displays a vibrant color palette of teal, orange, blue, and yellow with high-contrast drop-cap lettering for the rhyme below the main image. Physically, the item appears to be a flat rectangular print, possibly mounted on a stiff board or part of a wooden plaque set. The condition appears excellent for its age, with sharp edges and minimal fading, though some slight surface wear might be present upon close physical inspection. The style is characteristic of Golden Age children\'s book illustration, emphasizing innocent, rounded figures and whimsical subjects. This type of piece was commonly sold as decorative wall art for children's nurseries during the mid-century period.