Exhibition Hall

Welcome to the Exhibition Hall. Today, you can see a collection of illustrations from children's literature over the years – Miss Frobisher, the school archivist, has chosen some titles you may be less familiar with, which she hopes you will enjoy!

Words and Pictures – the rise of the children's book

Exhibit 1

In the seventeenth century the first children's books came into existence. Goody Two-Shoes was probably written by Oliver Goldsmith and published by John Newbery. Here's an example of another Goldsmith/Newbery book, aimed at children.

An History of the Lives, Actions, Travels, Sufferings of the Most Eminent Martyrs, and Primitive Fathers of the Church, in the first four Centuries...

Now that's a title to be reckoned with!

Exhibit 2

By the nineteenth century, stories of derring-do and adventure were all the rage. Britain had a navy to rule the world, and naturally, books about ships and pirates were big news. Here's a scene from W Clark Russell's The Wreck of the Grosvenor, which predated Treasure Island by some years. It's about a mutiny, and as such, is no stranger to casual violence.

They seized Duckling just as they had seized Coxon, and slung him overboard just as they has slung the other. Some of them ran to the cook, and it was impossible to judge whether they were in earnest or not when they shrieked out "Overboard with him too! We can't separate the friends!". The cook, at all events, believed they meant no joke, for, uttering a prolonged yell of terror, he wriggled with incredible activity out of their hands, and rushed forward like a steam-engine.

Exhibit 3

But the nineteenth century did not forget children who were not so keen on adventures. Fairy stories and folktales were ever popular too. Alice Corkran produced her Adventures of Mrs Wishing to Be in the 1880s, and it was successful enough to undergo many reprints over the years. Here's a taste. You might detect a certain Blytonesque Lewis Carrollness about it all.

Dodo and Red Riding Hood set off together, for Red Riding Hood was going home to put on a new crimson hood for the Wedding. Right in her path Dodo saw something she fancied was a daisy. She stooped to pick it up, for she feared it would be trampled on. When bending down she found it was not a daisy, but a funny little man with a wizened face. He held his cocked hat in his hand, and was smiling and bowing; his coattails were flying; a bodkin was in his belt for a sword. He jumped upon Dodo's finger, and felt as light as a little bird perching there.

Exhibit 4

Of course, a huge mainstay of children's literature is the school story, which came to prominence during the latter part of the nineteenth century, and went on well into the twentieth. Here is a character you may recognise – the famous Billy Bunter – drawn in 1913 for The Magnet, the weekly boys' magazine.

But there are many well written school stories by the less famous too. Here is Robert Goodyear's Life of the School, which has all the ingredients these stories demand. There are many who remember RAH Goodyear's stories with much pleasure today. A second rank author in terms of fame, but who wrote first rate stories. They were much of their time though – here is a passage unlikely to get past the editors into Harry Potter today! Liz, by the way, is the hero.

Liz hit Rowan repeatedly, and hurt him almost every time; Rowan struck Liz once only in three rounds – a hard blow that thudded on Liz's temple and knocked him to his hands and knees, dazing him for a time and putting him in a hopeless position if Red Rowan had had the faintest notion how to take advantage of him when he groggily arose. But Red tried a circular-saw cut at him instead of a straight flush to the jaw – one of those terrific but clumsy lunges which a skilled boxer dodges for very life, knowing that it will plunge him into the dreamy waters of forgetfulness if it gets home.

Exhibit 5

Of course, not all fictional children were by any means school bound and certainly not all were celebrating violence, sport or other remnants of Victorian muscular Christianity. One of the more enduring American series of children's books were the Bobbsey Twins, written by the non-existent Laura Lee Hope. Dozens of titles were produced for 80 years, and as such many of the stories were reused, rewritten or edited severely.

Nonetheless, there is entertainment value still to be had in these stories of two sets of twins, with their straightforward way of looking at the world and their ever cheerful dispositions. But there is adventure and what is these days amusingly called "mild peril" here too even for the younger child, as can be seen in this 1964 story.

Once more they wound their way through the maze of streets. Bert, walking with Nan behind the others, kept glancing over his shoulder. "What are you looking at?" his twin asked. "I think a man is following us," whispered Bert. He and Nan turned round. About half a block away they saw a stocky man in a heavy wool jacket. When the children stopped, he did too. "That settles it," said Bert, hurrying forward. "I'm going to talk to him."

Exhibit 6

To bring us right up to date, the art of children's illustration and story telling is by no means dead. Published in 2007, here is Walter Smith's touching and wonderfully drawn "Grandad's Ashes", a story about what to do with Grandad after he's died.

It was a windy April day and the water was choppy. Even the ducks stayed safely on the bank. Grandma and the children clambered into the boat and tried to row to the middle of the lake.

Themes such as these continue to broaden and enrich the world of children's books, and whilst the doom sayers may say the Internet will kill reading forever, there is little sign of that ever happening.

Miss Frobisher hopes you've enjoyed the exhibition. Come back again soon, as she's always changing the Hall about.