Printable Vintage Illustration: Escaping the Wildfire, 1883

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.
― e.e. cummings

Heroes are ordinary people who make themselves extraordinary.
― Gerard Way

We all have heard about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations. They act courageously or responsibly, and their efforts are described as if they opted to act that way on the spur of the moment... I believe many people in those situations actually have made descisions years before.
― Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters

Antique illustration of four children escaping from a raging wildfire, 1883. From my own collection. 5" x 7" @ 300 ppi JPEG without a watermark here. Larger size image available for licensing. Please inquire.


For personal use only. Not for resale. All digitized work by The Real Victorian is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Please cite RealVictorian.com as your source when sharing or publishing.

Printable Vintage Illustration: The Snow, 1902

The snow doesn't give a soft white damn whom it touches.
― e.e. cummings

Snow was falling,
so much like stars
filling the dark trees
that one could easily imagine
its reason for being was nothing more
than prettiness.
― Mary Oliver

Originally a vintage ad from 1902 for Crème Simon lotion. You can see a large bottle of the face cream in the foreground on the coffee table. It is supposed to provide the best protection against snow and wind, hence the coquette standing in front of the open window.

You can download the high-res illustration as a 4.25" x 5.5" @ 300 ppi JPEG here. Larger image size available for licensing. Please inquire.


For personal use only. Not for resale. All digitized work by The Real Victorian is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Please cite RealVictorian.com as your source when sharing or publishing.

Printable Vintage Illustration for Graphic Design, Junk Journaling, Papercrafts or Wall Art: Buying Chrysanthemums, 1893

Victorian Ladies Buying Chrysanthemums, 1893
11" x 8" @ 300 ppi JPEG without a watermark here.

For personal use only. Not for resale. All digitized work by The Real Victorian is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Please cite RealVictorian.com as your source when sharing or publishing.

Free Printable Vintage Illustration for Mixed-Media Collage, Journaling, Papercrafts or Wall Art: Before Bed, 1893

I think insomnia is a sign that a person is interesting.
― Avery Sawyer, Notes to Self

Moments before sleep are when she feels most alive,
leaping across fragments of the day, bringing each moment into the bed with her
like a child with schoolbooks and pencils.
The day seems to have no order until these times,
which are like a ledger for her, her body full of stories and situations.
― Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient

Victorian illustration from 1893 showing a young Victorian lady pouring a cup of milk before bedtime. Free to download for use in mixed-media collage, journaling, and various papercrafts projects or simply print and frame as wall art. You can find the high-res 8" x 10" @ 300 ppi JPEG without a watermark here.


For personal use only. Not for resale. All digitized work by The Real Victorian is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Please cite RealVictorian.com as your source when sharing or publishing.

Free Printable Vintage Illustration for Cardmaking, Journaling, Scrapbooking or Wall Art: Two Portraits of Victorian Women in Ruffles

Life is full of challenges, seen and unseen,
so to look and feel great, you must hold your head up each day
and project your inner confidence.
― Cindy Ann Peterson, My Style, My Way: Top Experts Reveal How to Create Yours Today

Starlight beats when heart twinkles
Youthful sky beyond cloudy wrinkles
Muse of glory to flame the night
Verse inscribed as written light
― Munia Khan
TWO antique illustrations of Victorian young ladies wearing ruffled outfits from c1890. The first portrait is of a young lady with glossy chestnut brown hair and clear, beautiful brown eyes that look out into the world serenely, lending her an air of easy, calm confidence.

The second portrait is also of a brunette. She is wearing a cluster of tiny, pink flowers pinned to her bodice and her crystal blue eyes gaze dreamily out into the world.

Free to download for use in cardmaking, journaling and scrapbooking projects or simply print and frame as wall art. You can find the high-res 8" x 10" @ 300 ppi JPEGs without a watermark here and here.


For personal use only. Not for resale. All digitized work by The Real Victorian is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Please cite RealVictorian.com as your source when sharing or publishing.

Free Printable Vintage Illustration for Mixed-Media Collage, Journaling, Papercrafts or Wall Art: Conversation in a Café, 1893

Each friend represents a world in us,
a world possibly not born until they arrive,
and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.
― Anais Nin

How many slams in an old screen door? Depends how loud you shut it.
How many slices in a bread? Depends how thin you cut it.
How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live 'em.
How much love inside a friend? Depends how much you give 'em.
― Shel Silverstein

Antique illustration of two Victorian ladies enjoying a meal and warm conversation in a Parisian café. Image was originally published in 1893 and was captioned "Entre Amies" (With Friends).

Free to download for use in mixed-media collage, journaling, and various papercrafts projects or simply print and frame as wall art. You can find the high-res 8" x 10" @ 300 ppi JPEG without a watermark here.


For personal use only. Not for resale. All digitized work by The Real Victorian is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Please cite RealVictorian.com as your source when sharing or publishing.

Free Printable Vintage Illustration for Mixed-Media Collage, Journaling, Papercrafts or Wall Art: A Stitch in Time Saves Nine, 1866

If you choose to not deal with an issue,
then you give up your right of control over the issue
and it will select the path of least resistance.
― Susan Del Gatto

The sooner a problem is recognized and acted upon
– the less damage there is.
― Mozammel Khan

Antique engraving from an 1866 issue of Peterson's Magazine. This vintage illustration shows a Victorian mother tenderly coaching her daughter in repairing a torn skirt.The original caption that appeared with the picture was "A Stitch in Time Saves Nine."

Free to download for use in mixed-media collage, journaling, and various papercrafts projects or simply print and frame as wall art. You can find the high-res 6" x 8" @ 300 ppi JPEG without a watermark here.


For personal use only. Not for resale. All digitized work by The Real Victorian is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Please cite RealVictorian.com as your source when sharing or publishing.

Free Printable Vintage Illustration for Mixed-Media Collage, Journaling, Papercrafts or Wall Art: The First Step, 1866

If you are loath to take the first step, you will never get anywhere.
― Tomáš Gavlas, Karlaz: The Way of Freedom

To move forward, one must take the first step.
― Chase S.M. Neill
A black and white engraving from an 1866 issue of Peterson's Magazine. This antique illustration shows a Victorian toddler taking his first step, arms outstretched towards his mother, with a little push from his grandmother (or nurse?).The original caption that appeared with the picture was "The First Step."

Free to download for use in mixed-media collage, journaling, and various papercrafts projects or simply print and frame as wall art. You can find the high-res 10" x 8" @ 300 ppi JPEG without a watermark here.


All digitized work by The Real Victorian is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Please link back to RealVictorian.com as your source when sharing or publishing.