This is such a fun drawing. A group of five children with a music book and a whole lot of imagination have formed their own band. While they do not have actual musical instruments they appear to be making wonderful music nonetheless. Fireplace bellows fill in for a violin, a basket and pot lid serve as a drum and cymbals, a fireplace cooker and toy do duty as a cello, a funnel makes a great trumpet and a coffee grinder serves as the percussion section in their imaginary band. Oh what fun! I wonder if the illustrator was drawing from their own memories when they worked on this fun and whimsical illustration. It even has the mother of one or more of the children peaking around the corner watching the budding marching band practicing in her dining room.
1890 Baby’s Annual Pictures and Stories for Little People supplied almost 100 wonderful images for Reusable Art. D. Lothrop Company filed the copyright in 1889 but since they did not identify an illustrator or author, the copyright held for 120 years. How lucky are we, that these vintage images are now in the public domain?
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.