children's history | The British Newspaper Archive Blog

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Hot Off The Press – New Titles This Week

This week at The Archive we have added 99,778 brand new pages, with seven brand new special interest titles joining our collection over the past seven days, which provide an incredible snapshot of early twentieth century culture. From cars to yachts, from movies to the modern man, our new titles this week furnish an exciting panorama of what life was like over one hundred years ago. Meanwhile, we have extensive updates to some of our existing titles, with over 50,000 pages being added to

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An Exploration of the History and Importance of Play

Through all the changes of time the games and amusements of children have remained curiously unaltered. Child nature is the same the world over, and in all centuries, and little boys and little girls to-day play much as they did when William the Norman landed in England. So writes M.L. Stollard for the The Scotsman on 21 August 1936. But what games did the children of the past play, and when was such play deemed important by the adults around them? ‘Children’s

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‘A Heavy Premium on Childhood’ – Exploring Attitudes Towards Factory Half-Timers

In October 1823, the Public Ledger and Daily Advertiser asserted: The charge and duty of Government are not merely to increase the numbers of men, but to promote and increase their happiness. Industry is the most powerful engine of this happiness, because it is the spring of all their riches. Government, then, should encourage labour, and by due reward, endeavour to avail of, and augment its useful products… The article, entitled ‘Political Economy,’ goes on to recommend how ‘the power of labour

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‘For the Amusement and Instruction of the Young’ – The Birth of the Children’s Corner in Victorian Newspapers

With an increase in literacy rates and a growing emphasis on the importance of family, by the mid Victorian era the concept of the children’s corner in newspapers was born. Leeds Mercury | 18 June 1898 Often placed amongst the densely packed columns of the daily or weekly local and national newspapers, the children’s corner represented a new development for Victorian editors of the day, and a new market to which they could appeal. And in this special blog, as we

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