The Topsys & Turvys of Peter Newell

Upside Down 7 June 2012 0 Comments

In 1893, American illustrator Peter Newell released a novelty children’s book titled Topsys and Turvys. This book, and the follow-up volume Topsys and Turvys – Number 2 released in 1894, featured pictures and rhymes that could be viewed and read both right side up and upside down. An enchanting transformation occurs when any page of his books is inverted. An elephant becomes an ostrich, a German farmer becomes a pig, a bearded man becomes a squirrel and a shepherd becomes a goat. Each of these illustrations showcases his ingenuity and imagination as much as they do his talents as a gifted artist. As a testament to Peter Newell’s creativity, these books are still in print even though they were originally published over a century ago.