A whale in a top hat and spats, balancing on the delicate lines of a musical staff—this is the kind of visual surprise that greets the viewer of There Was a Whale, an image that delights in the absurd. The whale’s arching form, rendered in bold black with a single red accent, dominates the center, while its dainty white legs and shoes transform the creature into a figure both comical and oddly dignified. Along the left, a parade of identical, stylized faces—perhaps meant to echo the repetitive structure of a nursery rhyme—marches down the staves, reinforcing the musical theme.

The swirling red motifs in the corners add a flourish of energy, as if the whole page might burst into song at any moment. This illustration comes from the world of early twentieth-century American children’s publishing, a period when artists like William Wallace Denslow and writers such as L. Frank Baum were reinventing what a children’s book could be. Printed as a supplement for the St.

Louis Post-Dispatch in September 1900, this work is a testament to the era’s hunger for whimsy and invention, as well as the growing popularity of sheet music and illustrated verse in the home. While little is recorded about the specific journey of this page, its playful spirit and bold design speak of a time when art, music, and nonsense verse mingled freely—inviting readers to linger over every unlikely detail.