Henry Lawson (1867–1922) was an Australian writer and poet born in Grenfell, NSW. His mother Louisa was a poet and newspaper proprietor, and his father was a miner. The Lawsons experienced ongoing financial difficulties throughout his childhood, and his formal education experienced numerous interruptions.

As an adult he moved around Australia and New Zealand, working various jobs and achieving some success selling his writing, both poetry and journalism. In 1892, he was commissioned to travel inland by JF Archibald, editor of The Bulletin. This assignment to drought affected western NSW was a key source of inspiration to his poetry, which often focused on hard times and the down-and-out of society.

Norman Lindsay (1879–1969) was an Australian artist, etcher, sculptor, writer and cartoonist born in Creswick, Victoria. Primarily known as a multi-talented artist, he also wrote novels, essays, literary criticism and reminiscences, but is probably best known for his children’s book The Magic Pudding (1918). He lived and worked in Melbourne, Sydney and London, moving in 1920 to Springwood in the Blue Mountains, NSW where he lived for the rest of his life.

Lindsay was a significant contributor to The Bulletin, where his drawings visually represented the journal’s nationalistic and often racist editorial policy. Lindsay and Lawson moved in the same circles – both were members of the Dawn and Dusk Club, a society of bohemian artists and writers, and both contributed to The Bulletin.

Lawson was also a visitor to Lindsay’s home in Springwood. Through their work at The Bulletin, both were connected to J.F. Archibald, the journal’s founder (and namesake of the portrait prize). Archibald was an influential supporter of both, and Lawson dedicated this book to him.

In the days when the world was wide and other verses was Lawson’s first collection of poems. This particular copy features about 12 pencil and 20 pen and ink drawings by Norman Lindsay, illustrating the poems.

It is also possible that Lindsay simply intended the additional illustrations as decoration for this particular copy. The Library also holds copy 27 of this edition, which has been illustrated in pencil throughout by Walter Syer (this volume can be found in the Dixson Library 89/571). These drawings also complement the text in a way that suggests preparation for publication. However, the letter from Syer to William Dixson which has been pasted into the book indicates that Syer was commissioned by Dixson to illustrate this copy, for personal enjoyment rather than publication.

Whatever the reason for Lindsay’s drawings, the illustrations appear up to page 142 only (of a 234 page book), and not all have been rendered in pen and ink, indicating that Lindsay was unable to complete this project.