Encyclopaedia Britannica Collection of Children’s Literature

The Encyclopaedia Britannica Collection of Books for Children, was presented to the University of Chicago Library by Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., in 1945. The core of the collection was originally gathered by Chicago businessman Henry C. Friedman who began collecting children’s books just after World War I. While the 10,000 titles reflect some of Mr. Friedman's special interests such a juvenile books about Abraham Lincoln, the collection is a deliberately broad assemblage of American and English books printed during the nineteenth century. Within this wide range are included fiction, poetry, toy-books, chapbooks, miniature books, travel books, primers, readers, and spellers; books illustrated by Walter Crane, Randolph Caldecott, Kate Greenaway; the numerous works of such prolific writers as Jacob Abbott and Horatio Alger; and boys books of the latter part of the century.

Children’s books published after 1917 or acquired by the Library since 1945 can be found in the Historical Children’s Book Collection, which is currently over 15,000 volumes. Works in this collection range from the 18th century to the modern day.

Browse books from the Encyclopaedia Britannica Collection of Children's Literature in the Library Catalog.