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Children's
books flourished during the nineteenth century; writers, artists
and publishers were all eager to encourage, and profit from,
an ever-growing market for lively, attractively illustrated
reading material.
As the
nineteenth century progressed, levels of literacy in the British
population steadily increased. The gradual movement towards
universal education, helped by the spread of Sunday schools
and charity schools, culminated in the Elementary Education
Act of 1870, which provided schools and educational legislation,
and in the 1876 Act, which made attendance compulsory.
Religious
groups were amongst the earliest and most important suppliers
of children's books. The evangelical Religious Tract Society,
founded in 1799, published first religious tales, then wholesome
adventure stories, and in 1879 launched its famous weekly
magazine, the Boy's own paper. By the middle of the
century many mainstream publishers had recognised the commercial
potential of a strong children's list, and were encouraging
talented writers and artists to create an astonishing variety
of entertaining reading material. The growth of the middle
classes, with the means to indulge their children, fuelled
the luxury end of the market, while technical advances, particularly
in the printing of colour illustrations, made it possible
to produce large numbers of books at lower prices. Several
publishers issued sixpenny coloured picture books, known as
toy books, designed by distinguished artists such as Walter
Crane and Randolph Caldecott and skilfully printed by Edmund
Evans.
At the
beginning of the 19th century most children's literature had
a strong moral message, but during the 1820s and 1830s books
began to be written for children to enjoy, and laugh over.
Fairy stories grew in popularity: the works of Perrault and
his female contemporaries were endlessly retold; the Grimm
brothers' tales appeared in English in 1823, and Hans Andersen
in 1846. Lewis Carroll's Alice's adventures in Wonderland
dominated the list of fantasy books, but Thackeray and Charles
Kingsley preceded him, and Jean Ingelow and George Macdonald
followed his lead. By the 1880s there was a wide range of
juvenile magazines, and fiction, in the form of action-packed
tales of adventure and irreverent school stories, was becoming
part of every child's experience.
Morna
Daniels
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