The Peter Pan Picture Book (1907), adapted by Daniel O’Connor and illustrated by Alice B. Woodward, stands as the first visual interpretation of J.M. Barrie’s immortal character to reach a wide audience—predating even Arthur Rackham‘s famous 1906 illustrations. Published by George Bell & Sons in London, this charming volume captures the play’s magic through Woodward’s lively line drawings and vibrant color plates that blend Edwardian elegance with childlike wonder. Her Peter Pan—a mischievous, pointy-eared boy in autumn-hued leaves rather than the later familiar green—bounds across the pages with infectious energy, while her Captain Hook strikes a perfect balance between comic villainy and genuine menace. Woodward’s Neverland shimmers with inventive details: fairy dust sparkles in dotted patterns across the margins, the crocodile’s ticking belly glows like a lantern, and the Lost Boys’ underground home bursts with cozy clutter. The artist’s background in scientific illustration lends authenticity to her fantastical creations, from the anatomy of Tinker Bell’s wings to the textures of pirate weaponry. Particularly delightful is her treatment of the Darling nursery, where shadows seem to breathe with potential adventure, and her double-page spread of the pirate ship battle, which overflows with swashbuckling action.
About Alice Bolingbroke Woodward (1862-1951):
This trailblazing British artist brought both scientific precision and whimsical imagination to her groundbreaking Peter Pan illustrations. Trained at the South Kensington Schools and the Westminster School of Art, Woodward was already renowned for her paleontological drawings when Barrie personally approved her for this project. Unlike later illustrators who romanticized Neverland, Woodward emphasized its wildness—her Peter sports ragged edges and a feral grin, while her mermaids have unsettlingly sharp teeth. Her innovative use of cross-hatching to create depth predated comic book techniques, and her action sequences (like Peter and Hook’s climactic duel) demonstrated an almost cinematic sensibility. Though overshadowed by Rackham’s contemporaneous Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, Woodward’s designs directly influenced the 1904 play’s earliest stage visuals. After this triumph, she became one of Britain’s first female art editors at The Strand Magazine, mentoring a generation of women illustrators. Original watercolors from this edition—especially her luminous “Fairy Dance” scene—now reside in the Great Ormond Street Hospital’s Barrie collection, a testament to their enduring charm.
For collectors of this edition, these related works may enchant:
• Peter Pan and Wendy (1911) illustrated by F.D. Bedford – the first novel edition
• The Peter Pan Alphabet (1907) illustrated by Woodward – her companion primer
• Peter Pan in Kensington Garden (1906) illustrated by Arthur Rackham – contemporary interpretation
Art Gallery: Alice B. Woodward – Peter Pan 1907
