(May 25, 2017) The Julia A. Purnell Museum is hoping to publish a recently uncovered handmade children’s book produced by its first archivist, Julia Hartman Shockley, for her daughter, Rebecca Mae Shockley, in 1932.
Purnell Museum Executive Director Dr. Cindy Byrd said the 85-year-old manuscript, “In Make-Believe Land,” was donated in April after a resident at Shockley’s former home, the circa-1840 Hartman-Shockley House at 209 West Market Street, discovered it.
“This is one copy of this custom-made book,” she said. “She tried to see if there was a family member to talk to and she didn’t find anybody, so she brought it to the museum.”
Julia Hartman Shockley (1896-1962) was inspired to create the small, hand-illustrated volume after being entertained by her daughter’s tales involving three imaginary friends, Dodo, Lala and Gink.
“She turned her daughter’s stories into poems and pictures and made a little book for her,” Byrd said. “It’s so charming.”
Shockley shares the book’s genesis in her opening dedication.
“This little story is written from the imagination of my little daughter, who since she first began to talk and play, imagined these little friends were ever at her side,” she wrote.
In the obviously heartfelt work, Byrd said Shockley attempted to illustrate her daughter’s trio of imaginary characters, while writing prose likely inspired by fairytales and nursery rhymes from her own era.
“You can see influences of other children’s books the mother would have been familiar with from her childhood,” she said.
Recognizing a golden opportunity to benefit her institution, while engaging the public with a historical work of local interest, Byrd enlisted the assistance of Purnell Museum Assistant Director Lind Duyer to create a draft version of the original manuscript. If all goes as planned the museum plans to publish a small run of the book later this year.
“Linda … carefully scanned all the pictures, typed all the text and brought it together so that we could retain her illustrations, but make the text more readable,” she said.
Byrd said despite utilizing social media, thus far attempts to uncover the whereabouts of Rebecca Mae Shockley, who would be nearly 90 years of age, have yet to materialize.
Now, the Snow Hill museum is preparing to approach potential sponsors seeking funding to help finance the literary project, Byrd said.
“We’re looking for a sponsor to publish it as a children’s book,” she said. “All proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit children’s programming at the Purnell Museum.”
During the summer the museum hosts a weekly Heritage Arts Program that provides an interactive, creative experience for both children and parents, Byrd said. She called it was the most successful and popular program of the museum.
“The Heritage Arts Program is inspired by things in the collection, so not only are they having fun making a craft, but it’s educational and they learn something about our history and the collection,” she said.
Byrd said the summertime program offers a new theme each week to engage participants with the museums collection.
“The parents will sometimes sit down and do the activities with their kids,” she said. “I think that the parents learn as much as the kids.”
Although still in the planning stages, Byrd hopes to unveil the published volume in time for the museum’s annual Victorian Christmas Celebration on Dec. 3.
“I would like to have the book available as a Christmas book for children,” she said. “It’s for the young and the young at heart.
“We have people who we know are going to like this,” Byrd continued. “They’re going to like it because not only is it something fun for kids, but also a local person made it.”
Purnell Museum Executive Director Dr. Cindy Byrd said the 85-year-old manuscript, “In Make-Believe Land,” was donated in April after a resident at Shockley’s former home, the circa-1840 Hartman-Shockley House at 209 West Market Street, discovered it.
“This is one copy of this custom-made book,” she said. “She tried to see if there was a family member to talk to and she didn’t find anybody, so she brought it to the museum.”
Julia Hartman Shockley (1896-1962) was inspired to create the small, hand-illustrated volume after being entertained by her daughter’s tales involving three imaginary friends, Dodo, Lala and Gink.
“She turned her daughter’s stories into poems and pictures and made a little book for her,” Byrd said. “It’s so charming.”
Shockley shares the book’s genesis in her opening dedication.
“This little story is written from the imagination of my little daughter, who since she first began to talk and play, imagined these little friends were ever at her side,” she wrote.
In the obviously heartfelt work, Byrd said Shockley attempted to illustrate her daughter’s trio of imaginary characters, while writing prose likely inspired by fairytales and nursery rhymes from her own era.
“You can see influences of other children’s books the mother would have been familiar with from her childhood,” she said.
Recognizing a golden opportunity to benefit her institution, while engaging the public with a historical work of local interest, Byrd enlisted the assistance of Purnell Museum Assistant Director Lind Duyer to create a draft version of the original manuscript. If all goes as planned the museum plans to publish a small run of the book later this year.
“Linda … carefully scanned all the pictures, typed all the text and brought it together so that we could retain her illustrations, but make the text more readable,” she said.
Byrd said despite utilizing social media, thus far attempts to uncover the whereabouts of Rebecca Mae Shockley, who would be nearly 90 years of age, have yet to materialize.
Now, the Snow Hill museum is preparing to approach potential sponsors seeking funding to help finance the literary project, Byrd said.
“We’re looking for a sponsor to publish it as a children’s book,” she said. “All proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit children’s programming at the Purnell Museum.”
During the summer the museum hosts a weekly Heritage Arts Program that provides an interactive, creative experience for both children and parents, Byrd said. She called it was the most successful and popular program of the museum.
“The Heritage Arts Program is inspired by things in the collection, so not only are they having fun making a craft, but it’s educational and they learn something about our history and the collection,” she said.
Byrd said the summertime program offers a new theme each week to engage participants with the museums collection.
“The parents will sometimes sit down and do the activities with their kids,” she said. “I think that the parents learn as much as the kids.”
Although still in the planning stages, Byrd hopes to unveil the published volume in time for the museum’s annual Victorian Christmas Celebration on Dec. 3.
“I would like to have the book available as a Christmas book for children,” she said. “It’s for the young and the young at heart.
“We have people who we know are going to like this,” Byrd continued. “They’re going to like it because not only is it something fun for kids, but also a local person made it.”