Little Folks: A Magazine for the Young

Thank you, Pardagast! This discovery is very interesting. I have carried out a brief search and found some intriguing information. In the January 1903 issue (pages 12 and 13), an art competition was launched (Figure 1-2).

TAKE GREAT CARE OF THIS, FOR YOUR OWN OR YOUR NEIGHBOUR'S CHILDREN.
Mellin's Painting Competition
NINE PRIZES are offered for the best Coloured Page specified below. These Prizes will consist of handsomely illustrated Volumes of the value of Half-a-Guinea each, selected from the catalogue of Messrs. CASSELL & COMPANY, Limited, La Belle Sauvage, Ludgate Hill, London, E.C.
ADDITIONAL PRIZES, also of Volumes, will be awarded at the discretion of the Editor of " Little Folks."
The PRIZES will be divided amongst three Classes -
1. Competitors under 10 years .
2. Competitors over to and under 14 .
3. Competitors over 14 and under 18.
Similar Prizes will be awarded in each Division.
INSTRUCTIONS.-Moisten a Camel hair brush in water, and paint the Picture upon the opposite page in your very best style, making your own choice of colours from either of the tablets given in this book or a combination of them, just as you would use the colours in an ordinary box of paints . When finished, forward the complete book ( with your name, age, and address, written in the spaces provided) by post, addressed to- THE EDITOR OF " LITTLE FOLKS, " Mellin's ArtCompetition,
C/O CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED,
LUDGATE HILL, LONDON, E.C. ,
who has undertaken to adjudicate in this Competition, and whose decision is to be considered final
The dates by which Books must reach the Editor are as follows1. From residents in Great Britain and Ireland, not later than January 28th, 1903.
2. From residents on the Continent, not later than February 11th, 1903.
3. From residents in Australasia, India, Cape of Good Hope, Canada, United States, &.c ,
not later than March 25th, 1903, after which date no Books will be received.

In the May 1903 issue (page 400), the various winners were listed in their respective Classes. In the Third Division, we read that “Hilary Tolkien (9), 26 Olive Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham” won an XTRA PRIZE (Five-Shilling Volumes).

But it doesn’t end there. I found your idea that Ronald’s brother also read the magazine confirmed in the 1906 issue. Once again, in January 1906 the competition was promoted (Figure 3-4).

TAKE GREAT CARE OF THIS, FOR YOUR OWN OR YOUR NEIGHBOUR'S CHILDREN.
Mellin's Painting Competition
NINE PRIZES are offered for the best Coloured Page specified below. These prizes will consist of handsomely illustrated Volumes of the value of Half- a-Guinea each, selected from the catalogue of Messrs. CASSELL & COMPANY, Limited, La Belle Sauvage, Ludgate Hill, London, E.C.
ADDITIONAL PRIZES, also of Volumes, will be awarded at the discretion of the Editor of " Little Folks."
The PRIZES will be divided amongst three Classes.
1. Competitors under 10 years.
2. Competitors over to and under 14.
3. Competitors over 14 and under 18.
Similar Prizes will be awarded in each Division.

INSTRUCTIONS.-Moisten a camel-hair brush in water, and paint the picture upon the opposite page in your very best style, making your own choice of colours from either of the tablets given in this book or a combination of them, just as you would use the colours in an ordinary box of paints. When finished, forward the complete book (with your name, age, and address written in the spaces provided) by post, addressed toTHE EDITOR OF " LITTLE FOLKS, " Mellin's Art Competition, C/ O CASSELL & Company, LIMITED, LUDGATE HILL, LONDON, E.C. , who has undertaken to adjudicate in this Competition, and whose decision is to be considered final.
The dates by which Books must reach the Editor are as follows
1. From residents in Great Britain and Ireland, not later than January 30th, 1906.
2. From residents on the Continent, not later than February 13th, 1906.
3. From residents in Australasia, India, Cape of Good Hope, Canada, United States, &c. , not later than March 27th, 1906, after which date no Books will be received.

In this case, in the June 1906 issue the winners are listed, and among them we read that Ronald Tolkien received two prizes. In the Second Division (Mellin's Art Competition), “Ronald Tolkien (13), 25 Stirling Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham” was awarded a Third Prize (Half-Guinea Volume), and again, in "Paintng Book Competition", “Ronald Tolkien (13), 25 Stirling Road, Edgbaston, B’ham” appears in another Second Division, where he obtained a Third Prize (Handsome Volume).

I will add something interesting. For the “Painting Book Competition”, in which Tolkien obtained a third prize, the regulations are as follows:

The following are the detailed REGULATIONS .
I. No other paints than those supplied in this book may be used.
II . The Competitors in the Three Divisions must be of the ages stated on p. 6.
III. In Division I. pages 3, 4, 7 , 8, 9, 10, and 14 are to be coloured.
IV. In Division II. pages 3, 4, 7, 8 , 9 , and to are to be coloured.
V. In Division III . pages 3 , 4 , 9, and 10 are to be coloured .
VI . Each book must be certified by a parent, guardian, magistrate, minister , or teacher , or other responsible person, as the competitor's unaided work. A form to be filled up is given below ; this should be cut out and attached to the book when sent in.
VII . The dates by which books must reach the Editor are as follow : (1) From residents in Great Britain and Ireland, not later than January 29th, 1906. (2) From residents on the Continent, not later than February 9th, 1906. (3) From residents in Australia, India, Cape of Good Hope, Canada, United States, etc., not later than March 27th, 1906 , after which no books will be received.
VIII. All books must be plainly marked with the Competitor's name, age , address , and certificate, and sent , carriage paid , addressed to " The Editor of LITTLE FOLKS , La Belle Sauvage, London, E.C. "
" L.F. " Painting Book Competition Certificate.
I hereby declare the painting of these pictures is my own unaided work , aud that I have used no other paints than those supplied in connection with this Competition.

In 1906 Ronald and Hilary had lost their mother two years earlier, so it is likely that for point “VI. Each book must be certified by a parent, guardian, magistrate, minister, or teacher, or other responsible person, as the competitor’s unaided work. A form to be filled up is given below; this should be cut out and attached to the book when sent in”, the one who signed was Father Francis Xavier Morgan.

This confirms that the two brothers, at least between 1903 and 1906, were reading the magazine.

Thank you again for the information.

Postscript.
I am continuing my research, and I must say that these are not the only two discoveries. I will probably write an article on my TolkienArchive.