In this episode, we read Beauty and the Beast through four centuries of storytelling.

Rare Book specialist Jane Wild describes the look and feel of the different stories in their time, how the style of writing and illustrative formats changed, and unfolds some exquisite paper engineering.

Children’s librarian Clare Cudmore-Neame adds to the story by sharing her insights and experience of the role of fairytales for children today.

See a list of references for this episode below or get in touch with us by emailing [email protected] and we’ll make sure you can find the collection items of your interest.

This podcast is part of a wider series of short films Ngako: The Collections Talk, available to view via aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/Ngako

This episode was written and produced by Sue Berman, was recorded and produced by Benjamin Brooking and edited and engineered by Juliana Machado.

Music credit: Piano performance by Marilyn Portman played from the score in the book Julia Corner. Beauty and the beast: an entertainment for young people. London: Dean and Son, 1854.

This has been Ngako: The Collections Podcast - Beauty and the Beast

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REFERENCES

Beauty and the beast, or the magic rose. With eight coloured engravings. London, 1825. Record ID b1940431.

https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/rarebooks/id/12649

https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=288cf24d-14ea-5bf5-ba75-00e4cf0d49cc&entityType=FormatGroup

Le cabinet des fées, ou, Collection choisie des contes des fées, et autres contes merveilleux, ornés de figures. Amsterdam: Rue et hôtel Serpente, 1785-1789.

https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=b34713c6-b8ae-5472-9ea9-2b0595d0b6c0&entityType=FormatGroup

Julia Corner. Beauty and the beast: an entertainment for young people. London: Dean and Son, 1854.

https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=4aa745a8-63f0-54d8-8849-8a813a73a10e&entityType=FormatGroup

Charles Lamb. Beauty and the beast. London: Field & Tuer, The Leadenhall Press, 1887.

https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=5e2d2750-923b-5d88-8656-39f22fd9437c&entityType=FormatGroup

Constance Wilde. A long time ago: favourite stories. London: Ernest Nister, 1891.

https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=cadffb99-dd62-5c90-a9d3-4ef9d9d3f155&entityType=FormatGroup

Charles Perrault. Old- time stories. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1921.

https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=6441163f-1476-5ec6-959d-0a6376608b73&entityType=FormatGroup

Beauty and the beast. From: Peepshow books. London: Chatto & Windus, 1950.

https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=860123fe-2f77-52b4-a3ad-33e924711bf5&entityType=FormatGroup

Philippa Pearce. Beauty and the beast. London: Longman Young books, 1972.

https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=7aab6a2b-ca79-5b20-b090-569fdd9b2533&entityType=FormatGroup

Robert Sabuda. Beauty and the beast: a pop-up book of the classic fairytale. New York: Little Simon, 2010s.

https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=92d90121-205a-5d59-b75b-507de6d968fc&entityType=FormatGroup

Gabrielle- Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. The beauty and the beast. New York: Harper Design, 2017.

https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=ee3aa6fc-2e19-5f73-8eb0-402e24e5feb9&entityType=FormatGroup

Image: Jane Wild unfolds Robert Sabuda's, Beauty and the Beast, 2022, Benjamin Brooking for Ngako: The Collection Podcast.