Title page from ‘A History of Cup of a Cup of Tea‘ (Rare Books, RB 821.8 SIX)Here’s one for you tea lovers out there…

“We meet in China’s sunny clime,
A Tea Plantation as here seen,
Where plants the sloping hill-side climb,
In straggling tufts of evergreen.
This then as you will plainly see,
Depicts the origin of Tea.”

Above transcription taken from page 1 of The Story of Cup of Tea in Rhymes and Pictures. Beautifully illustrated, this book takes you through the tea plantation, culture, gathering, drying, roasting and rolling, sorting, buying, mixing, carrying and finally drinking tea. The story ends…

“Hurrah! at length we see it here,
Upon our own Tea Table placed;
And soon our spirits it will cheer,
From out the Urn that it has graced.

Let each and all the grateful be,
And hail a welcome guest in Tea”.

If you’re interested in more like this, go on over to CollectionsCaptured to see illustrated stories in Rhymes and Pictures of the history of a cotton bale, a scuttle of coals, a golden sovereign, and a quartern loaf.