E.W. Cole began a small publishing and second-hand book selling business in 1865. By 1873 he had opened the first incarnation of his book arcade, with the recognisable rainbow arch facade. The Cole’s Book Arcade became one of the great iconic stores of Melbourne in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Cole’s Funny Picture Book was first published in 1879, being sold from the Book Arcade for 1/- and selling a thousand copies that Christmas. The book is divided into fanciful magical ‘Lands’; Girl Land, Picture Puzzle Land, Santa Claus Land etc. It  also  features the Cole’s Patent Whipping Machine for Flogging Naughty Boys (wildly politically incorrect now!) Re-printed and re-edited many times and often with new content added, the book was in its 48th edition with 230 pages and over 400,000 copies had been printed by November 1918.  All Australian kids looked for their Cole’s Funny Picture Book every Christmas. As well as all the different ‘Lands’ to explore, there’s puzzles, games, riddles, little moral tales on not being selfish, information about other countries and all manner of Victoriana. With fabulous black and white fine line illustrations and some color pages.