During December and January the Redland Museum will have on display its large collection of children's annuals and favourite novels such as Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol together with nostalgic Christmas cards and postcards sent from France by soldiers in the First World War.
Create a free account to read this article
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Publishers of magazines and periodicals introduced Annuals during the first decades of the 19th century.
By the late 1800s, the genre of children's annuals developed rapidly with publishers competing for the emerging and increasingly-literate market.
The Boy's Own Annual and the Girl's Own Annual engrossed young readers with adventure stories for boys and educational articles for girls.
Recall the stories of Enid Blyton's Famous Five and of W.E. Johns' pilot and adventurer Biggles.
Many of our favourite children's books by Australian authors will bring back memories of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, The Magic Pudding and Blinky Bill.
Popular with the soldiers fighting in the First World War, embroidered silk postcards were sent home, usually mailed with letters.
Their designs were patriotic or sentimental, showing the bright colours of the threads to best effect.
Flags, butterfly wings, bird plumage and rainbows feature strongly together with a few words embroidered often with a Christmas message.
Celebrate the holiday season with a visit to the "Room for Reading" exhibition at Redland Museum, journeying into the past and sharing memories.
The exhibition runs from Monday December 9 to Friday January 31.
