1906 Brer Rabbit Illustrations by Harry Rountree
Lately I’ve been having a hard time deciding which Brer Rabbit illustrations are my favorite. These illustrations from Harry Rountree are certainly giving Fritz Eichenberg a run for his money, mostly because of Brer Rabbit’s impressive commitment to smoking.
Look at that cigar! And those pants! Did M.C Hammer grow up on Brer Rabbit or what?
Lauren, designer of our website and fashionable friend, calls the pin/single suspender combo “a genius sartorial decision!” I agree!
This picture combines two things I love – little rabbits performing manual labor for nefarious purposes and matching red jumpsuits.
Brer Rabbit and the dark night of the soul. I really like this one’s composition.
I can’t help but laugh at this little rab crying over spilt milk, with Mrs. Rabbit rushing to the rescue.
Brer Rabbit has never looked so noble and proud as after enlisting his children to steal milk from Sis Cow, who is stuck in a tree. Hooray raping and pillaging family outings!
Brer Bear is dressed perfectly for a picnic. A+.
This last illustration is on the cover of our 1913 French copy of L’oncle Remus.
Ugh, I just don’t know — do you like these illustrations best? Or A.B. Frost’s? Or Eichenberg’s? Or Don Daily’s? Or Barry Moser’s?
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Amelia Trace Lerner
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Lain Shakespeare
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9 Comments to 1906 Brer Rabbit Illustrations by Harry Rountree
I can’t decide. I thoroughly enjoyed them all, and also the blogger’s wry comments. Is that a bee hive Brer Bear is toting to the picnic?
Fabulous!!! I can’t decide either but if I had to pick one it would be the TARBABY….absolutely creatively creepy….Thanks for posting these pictures!!!!
I like all the ones I have seen, I love the colors in this set, while I don’t like the smoking, it is just a part of the history and needs to be preserved.
Yeah I dunno… those are all pretty awesome.
I love their tiny hobo clothes!!!
I’m an A.B. Frost man myself, but the rabbit chain gain Harry Rountree put together is mighty impressive.
These illustrations are wonderful! Is it just me though, or does anyone else see a possible Beatrix Potter influence?
I own a coloured garden figure of Brer Rabbit from the Rountree illustrations. He has never been put out in the garden. He lives by my bedroom fireplace, where he gets a regular dust and polish! My favourite illustrations are the ones by A B Frost.
I love the expressions and colors in this set of wonderful illustrations.