Author Description

"Christine Stampe, the daughter of a Danish baron, was three years old on October 30, 1859. As a special birthday present her grandfather, Adolph Drewsen, made for her the book of pictures that is reproduced here. Using many sources - French picture-sheets, German magazines, and Danish newspapers - he assembled more than a thousand scraps which he grouped in varied profusion through the 123 leaves of this book. Adolph Drewsen was not alone in his labour. Beside him as he put together the pages sat his good friend Hans Christian Andersen, a fellow contributor to the enterprise. As well as being a remarkable contributor storyteller, Andersen was a gifted graphic artist, especially skilled in scissor-cuts, and, together with Grandfather Drewsen, he composed the pages of Christine's birthday present, wrote funny, intimate verses here and there throughout the book, and added five elaborate paper-cuts of his own. The scrapbook they created has been reproduced as exactly as possible, with the addition of an English translation of the verses, and with a background essay and notes by the Danish scholar, Dr Erik Dal. The skills of the modern paper-maker, photographer and colour printer have been combined to bring to life a beautiful family treasure from the nineteenth century for the delight of families in the twentieth".--Front inside flap of dust jacket.