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The Juvenile Historical Collection

The Juvenile Historical Collection contains some 1,500 items representing the history of publishing for children from the early nineteenth century to the middle twentieth century. It is notable for its collection of McGuffey Readers and Spellers, the books that taught American children how to read and write through most of the nineteenth century; for complete and nearly complete runs of the periodicals “Chatterbox” and “St. Nicholas”; for early editions of the works of major nineteenth century writers, such as Louisa May Alcott, Ana Sewell, and Robert Louis Stevenson; and for a substantial collection of fairy tales. Most items are available for supervised viewing in the Children’s Library.