Royal Doulton | The Bedtime Story | HN2059 | Bone China | Designed by Leslie Harradine | 1950–1996

Royal Doulton | The Bedtime Story | HN2059 | Bone China | Designed by Leslie Harradine | 1950–1996

The book is open, the children are leaning in, and the mother is reading — this is a figure that was never meant to face outward.

The Bedtime Story HN2059 was designed by Leslie Harradine with a copyright date of 1949 and entered production in 1950. It remained in the Royal Doulton range until 1996. As a three-figure group it departs from the single-figure lady models for which Harradine is best known.

The model presents a seated mother reading aloud to two children, arranged in a triangular composition that draws the eye inward toward the open book. She wears a full-skirted pink dress with a white lace collar and a red shawl draped across her back, her brown hair neatly pinned. To her left, a young boy in a cobalt blue jacket leans forward, his arm resting across her lap as he follows the page. To her right, a young girl in a white dress patterned with small blue flowers sits on a low stool, turned fully toward the reader. The book itself is finely detailed, its open pages carrying a small floral illustration and lines of printed text.

The group is set on a modelled bench base in green with soft pink mottling, the underside finished in white bone china with a scalloped edge. The backstamp reads “Bedtime Story / Copr. 1949 / Doulton & Co. Limited,” accompanied by registered design numbers consistent with early production examples.

The piece is in mint condition, with no chips, cracks, crazing or restoration. The colours remain clean and well-defined throughout, with no fading.

Key Details

• Maker: Royal Doulton, Burslem, England
• Figure: The Bedtime Story
• HN Number: HN2059
• Designer: Leslie Harradine
• Issued: 1950–1996
• Material: Bone china
• Height: 12.5 cm
• Weight: 385 g
• Condition: Mint — no chips, cracks, crazing or restoration

Collector Appeal

The Bedtime Story brings three figures together around an open book. On this example, the delicate details of the book, fingers and faces remain intact.