by Audrey Sage

Within a recent donation to the Special Collections, we received a copy of “The Night Before Christmas”, published in 1936 by the Saalfield Publishing Company of Aakron, Ohio. This wonderful edition was illustrated by Fern Bisel Peat, a very talented and popular illustrator in the early 20th century.

“Fern Bisel was born in 1893 in Erie, Pennsylvania. She attended Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, graduating with a degree in fine arts. She married Frank Peat in 1917 before he went off to serve in the armed forces during World War I. After the war the Peats and their growing family settled in northern Ohio. In the 1920s Fern began painting children’s murals in public and private sites. While Fern was doing a mural in Akron, an editor from the Saalfield Publishing Co. introduced herself and asked Fern if she had done any book illustrations. That was the beginning of the Saalfield years of Fern’s career. Her first book, Mother Goose, was created from a set of reading cards that Fern designed to teach her first-grade son how to recognize letters.”

“From there she went on to illustrate over 60 books. From 1933 to 1955 she was editor and chief illustrator for Children’s Play Mate magazine, published in Cleveland. She produced the cover work for the publications through the years.”

“In 1933 the Peats moved to the Bisel family homestead on Woodberry Road near Bellville. It was from there, at Beech Hollow Farm, that most of her work originated.The second floor of the house was her painting studio, and other artists and designers shared space with her in the home and in the surrounding outbuildings.  It came to be known in its day as Richland County’s ‘Art Colony.’

As breadwinner for the Bisel Peat family, Fern found every way possible to market her work to publishers, advertising firms and toy makers during the lean years of the American Depression and World War II. Consequently, you can find her distinctive illustrations in any number of publications from those years.

Her most popular books came out in many editions, and each new printing had a new cover.

The stylish children’s illustrations can be found on everything from holiday decorations, paper fans and playing cards to rag dolls and tin toys…not to mention coloring books, paper doll books, and greeting cards.The Ohio Art Company of Bryan, Ohio, produced her designs on toys of all descriptions, including no fewer than 7 tea sets, 5 watering cans, 17 buckets and sand pails of all sizes, 3 drums, 9 tops, 4 miniature tea sets, banks, washing tubs and washboards, and snow shovels.

Her easily recognizable style can be found on furniture as well, from a New York firm that manufactured toy chests and room dividers for nurseries in the 1930s.”

-Richland County History

To preserve and restore our copy of “The Night Before Christmas”, some detailed treatments needed to occur.

The copy had been well loved and read. The corners were worn and the paper layers were separating. The pages had all been reinforced with masking tape. Tape unfortunately does nearly irreparable damage to paper, leaving behind residue that has saturated the paper fibers. Removing the dried and destructive tape was the first order of business.

The cover of the book was carefully mended and the worn corners were rebuilt. Part of the value of such an historic volume is becoming aware of and recognizing the evidence of its long journey through unknown hands of readers. It is a pleasure to be charmed by its wonderful illustrations, read a well loved story, and relish in the spark of beautiful dreams and thoughts.

After cleaning and mending tears, the center folds of each page were rebuilt with japanese paper which is adhered with rice paste. The worn and separating corners were rebuilt and mended with paste and papers.

Once these actions were complete, the newly restored and repaired book could then be sewn through the fold. It is now ready to be handled and enjoyed for the years ahead.