The old story – Historic Reproduction
![The old story, 1884 Jan. 26 [publication date] — antique engraving](https://images.jameslantos.com/img/6a/6a4c7700450a-L.webp)
(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)
Description
Step back in time with The old story, an antique engraving rich in period detail. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.
The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. A conversation-starting piece for home, office, or as a meaningful gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.
The old story
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Here the familiar wolf dialogue is paired with a caption calling Red Riding Hood "a bread-winner," which recasts the child on an errand as a working person. The exchange, from "What large eyes you've got!" to the wolf's muttered plan to eat her, follows the wording of the Perrault and Grimm versions closely, and that closeness is what gives the joke its bite. The sheet is a wood engraving on bristol board, dated January 26, 1884, from a period when American illustrated humor papers often borrowed nursery tales to comment on social and economic anxieties. The caption seems to turn the old story into a commentary on who is most at risk from those who prey on the vulnerable.
| Created / published | 1884 Jan. 26 [publication date] |
|---|---|
| Medium | 1 print : wood engraving on bristol board ; 30 x 23 cm. (sheet) |
| Notes | Inscribed below title: Red Riding Hood. (a bread-winner). What large eyes you've got!" The Wolf. "All the better to see with |
| Subjects | my dear!" She. "But--what great big teeth you've got!!!" He. "N'yum! N'yum!" (To himself) "All the better to eat you |
| Source | Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division |
| Original scan | 4,582 × 5,558 px · prints to 15 × 19 in at 300 dpi |
| Reference | AMZ-SOTP-HPA-226123 |
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