Free Vintage Nature Poem: January by Frank Dempster Sherman

Here is another winter poem (also entitled "January"), written by poet, architect, genealogist, and mathematician Frank Dempster Sherman. This short work originally appeared in the January 10, 1888 issue of Harper's Young People magazine.

JANUARY
by FRANK DEMPSTER SHERMAN (1860–1916)

JANUARY, bleak and drear,
First arrival of the year,
Named for Janus ― Janus who
Fable says has faces two ―
Pray is that the reason why
Yours is such a fickle sky?
First you smile, and to us bring
Dreams of the returning spring;
Then, without a sign, you frown,
And the snow-flakes hurry down,
Making all the landscape white,
Just as if it blanched with fright.
You obey no word or law:
Now you freeze, and then you thaw,
Teasing all the brooks that run
With the hope of constant sun,
Chaining all their feet at last
Firm in icy fetters fast.
Month of all months most contrary,
Sweet and bitter January!

I have paired the poem with a vintage wallpaper texture in the preview image above. If you would like to download the high-res 7" x 5" @ 300 ppi JPEG without a watermark, you can find it here. You can also find the black and white illustrated poem without the vintage paper texture here.


For personal use only. Not for resale. Please visit The Real Victorian website to see full Terms of Use.

Vintage Art Appreciation: Portrait of O. F. Tomara by Valentin Serov

I have learned that to be with those I like is enough.
― Walt Whitman

When what you want is a relationship, and not a person, get a dog.
― Deb Caletti, The Secret Life of Prince Charming

The above public domain artwork is titled "Portrait of O. F. Tomara" and it was painted in 1892 by Valentin Serov (1865–1911). You can find the image of the original painting on Wikimedia here and you can download my digitally enhanced version of the painting as a 6" x 9" @ 300 ppi JPEG here. I thought this might be a pretty addition to a garden journal or scrapbooking project but you can also simply print and frame for tabletop or wall art.


Digitally enhanced reproductions of public domain fine art are shared under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Free Vintage Garden Illustration for Collage Art, Graphic Design, Papercrafts or Scrapbooking: Victorian Lady in the Garden 3 & 4 (Set 2)

There are two types of appointments in life!
Appointments you know and appointments you don't know!
It is this second type of appointment that makes life interesting and but also scary.
Sometimes life will arrange a meeting for you; sometimes good, sometimes bad
and sometimes even tragic meeting, but you don't know about it!
― Mehmet Murat ildan
Two antique illustrations from 1892 showing a Victorian lady in a public garden. In the first image on the left, the drawing shows a close-up of her with some tall hollyhocks or gladioli in the background. The second illustration on the right depicts her standing on the terrace, looking towards another couple who are strolling arm-in-arm in the garden.

You can download the two illustrations as a single high-res 10" x 8" @ 300 ppi JPEG without a watermark for collage art, graphic design, papercrafts or scrapbookingprojects here.


For personal use only. Not for resale. Please visit The Real Victorian website to see full Terms of Use.