Children’s Books and Book Collecting
Today is St Andrew's Day, celebrated not just in Scotland, but all over the world and very much an indication that the Festive Season is upon us. With it comes the search for the perfect gifts for our loved ones. Shapero puts it so nicely on their website: "For those looking to buy Rare Children's Books as gifts, it is hard to think of another type of book that appeals as much as a children's classic."
So it is rather fitting that our Winter issue (about to drop through your letterbox) includes not just one, but two articles on collecting Children's Books - one by the leader in the field, Brian Alderson, whose article on Children's Book Collectors from Spring 2022 is also this week's podcast, and one by our deputy editor Victoria Dailey sharing her views from sunny California.
We are also sharing news from the Children's Books History Society and announcing the winners of the recent Harvey Darton Award as well as giving Brian Alderson's excellent Occasional Paper for the Society on ‘The Purposive Collecting of Children’s Books: Their Cataloguing and Bibliography’ a mention. The issue also sees a review of Peter Harrington’s Catalogue 183, ‘Children’s Books & Original Artwork’, although we must apologies to Dr Philip Errington who was mistaken for Pom Harrington on the back cover of the catalogue in our news & comment section - he is of course very much the champion of Children's Books at Peter Harrington as the Bibliographer on J.K. Rowling.
It is good to see that rare book dealers are embracing Children's Books more and more and we always thought that most people really start off as collectors of Children's Books and hopefully grow their original collection or get interested in other aspects of book collecting.
Libraries are also putting more value on Children's Books. In the UK the British Library encourages visitors to explore centuries of children's stories, poems and illustrations. Its collection includes handwritten drafts, scribbled notebooks and sketchbooks, but also an array of movable and miniature books, comics, fairy tales and picture books.
The Library of the University of Reading claims rare Children's literature as one of its collection strengths and they have thousands of books and magazines produced for children. About two-thirds of the collection is searchable via the catalogue. The collection is particularly strong in its coverage of the 1800-1900s, with nearly 1000 pre-1851 titles. There are good collections of Mrs Hofland and Mrs Sherwood, G.A. Henty, unbroken runs of Aunt Judy’s magazine and the Monthly packet.
The origin of the collection is a gift of Victorian children’s books from Sir Frank and Lady Stenton, in the 1950s. In the 1960s the University Library established it as a separate collection and added other miscellaneous children’s books from its collections. Donations continued to play a significant role in the growth of the collection, as they do today, such as a bequest from the author Elinor Brent Dyer.
The National Art Library, based at the V&A and we believe currently still mainly stored at Blythe House, has been collecting children's publications since the mid-19th century. It now holds nearly 100,000 books dating from the 16th century to the present day. Acquired as examples of the art of the book, they show the development of children's book production and illustration.
The Renier Collection, with over 80,000 books, represents major authors and artists and most subject areas and genres. The Collection is the largest special collection of children's literature in the UK. Anne and Fernand Renier gave the collection to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1970. Other collections are particularly rich in late 18th Century and early 19th Century Imprints from Britain and north-west Europe. They are moderately rich in late 19th- and early 20th-Century British illustrated children's books. The Library also holds a fine selection of Russian (mainly Soviet) books, which had been part of The Horton Collection of Soviet Children's Books, acquired in 1981, this collection combines with the National Art Library's other holdings to make a total of over 300 Russian children's books. The library also has an extensive collection of North American, European and Japanese comics. The Library also holds major collections of material relating to Beatrix Potter, and the current exhibition about the author is on view until the 8th January 2023.
In the US, The Library of Congress in Washington is home to the Children's Literature Center and assists users in gaining access to all children's materials dispersed throughout the Library. The Library holds between 500,000 and 600,000 children's books and periodicals including maps, visual and audio media and secondary material.
The Cotsen Children's Library is a unit within the Department of Special Collections at the Princeton University Library and a recently published bibliography was entered into this year's Breslauer Prize. The Cotsen staff began compiling a multi-volume book catalogue in 1996 and first published the 20th Century Imprints in 2000 and 2003. Since then the Nineteenth Century volumes and the Pre-1801 Imprints and an Index have been published. Completed, the material comprises over 20,000 items chiefly in European languages out of a total over 100,000 items published during the fifteenth through twentieth centuries. The entries include detailed notes on illustrations, contents, bindings, and previous owners. As so many children's books appear without dates of publication on their title pages, every attempt has been made to assign an accurate date of issue based on internal evidence and authoritative reference sources in print and on-line.
Libraries like these are obviously not really accessible to young collectors, so it is good to see that there are museums designed to attract young and old to engage with books. The National Centre of Children's Books, Seven Stories, is based in Newcastle upon Tyne and collects original artwork, manuscripts and books by British writers and illustrators for children from the 1930s to the present day - from The Famous Five to We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Through its archive of over 35,000 books, Seven Stories is committed to preserving British literary heritage for generations to come. The archive includes not just the finished books, but a wealth of material revealing how the books are developed, including rough sketches and first drafts. The collection includes material by over 250 authors and illustrators, including Enid Blyton, Philip Pullman, Robert Westall, Judith Kerr, Edward Ardizzone and Kaye Webb. Seven Stories produces innovative exhibitions centred around its archive material, and also offers regular opportunities to have a closer look at special pieces in the collection.
In the USA, we found a wonderful museum focusing on Children's Book illustrations, the Mazza Museum, based at the University of Findlay campus in Ohio. It started with an idea from a professor of education after the University (College, at the time) granted $2,000 to each academic unit in honour of their Centennial celebration. Dr. Jerry Mallet suggested that the department spend its money on author and illustrator visits and original works of art created for literature. They soon needed a bigger budget and reached out to two alumni who had supported their efforts in the past: August and Aleda Mazza. The Mazzas supported the endeavour and the foundation was established in 1982. In the 30 years that followed, the foundation quickly surpassed its original goal of adding one piece to its collection per year. Currently, there are over 8,000 pieces from internationally recognized authors and illustrators making it the largest collection in the world.
Tom Wayling from Jonkers Rare Books shares some great short videos on Instagram which we love. Like this one about an inscribed copy of Wind in the Willows. Watch now >