Figure descriptions
Illustrated poem page composed of multiple parts. The illustrated poem title, “Saint
George & the Dragon. An Ancient Myth,
Modernized”, appears at the top of the page in hand-drawn Gothic lettering. The “S”
from the word “Saint,” the “G” from the name
“George,” and the “D” from the word “Dragon” are contained within individual double-ruled
rectangular borders. Inside the borders,
these letters are set against dark backgrounds with white dots. The illustrated title
is superimposed over the shadowy outline of a
dragon, which extends across the width of the letterpress. Two small, identical illustrations
appear below the poem title on the far
left and far right sides of the page. These illustrations both feature a crown placed
above an ornate symbol. The symbol shows a
cross which is superimposed over a hexagon and then superimposed over a circle. The
main illustrated scene appears below the
aforementioned illustrated parts. In this scene, a large dragon opens its mouth and
reaches its claw towards an armoured knight. The
knight rides a horse and holds a shield above his head. He jabs a large spear into
the dragon’s chest. There are animal bones on the
ground near the dragon’s feet. A woman stands on a hill in the background. In the
distance, there is a castle, a body of water,
mountains, trees, and birds. The illustrated scene is contained within a thick triple-ruled
border; the border is arched along the
top and comes to a point at the center. The illustrated title, the two small symbols,
and the illustrated scene are all contained
within two wide-spaced, single-ruled rectangular borders.
Framed portrait of a young boy. The boy crosses one leg over the other and sits halfway
on a chair. There is a cloth draped
over the back of the chair. A statue of a man’s bust sits on a table to his right.
The boy wears a cap and formal attired and looks
directly at the viewer. The portrait is contained within an ornately decorated frame.
There is mistletoe and a banner on either side
of the border. The banner on the left reads “The Christmas Number” and the banner
on the right reads “of Once a Week”. 1/2
page.
The illustrated initial letter “W” from the poem’s first word, “What”, decorates a
shield. The letter appears in hand-drawn
Gothic lettering. A long sheath decorated with Gothic lettering descends vertically
from behind the shield. Beside the shield, there
is a sword with the body of a dragon wrapped around its blade. There is writing on
the blade. 1/6 page.
