The Children's Encyclopedia, originally titled The Children's Encyclopædia, was an encyclopedia originated by Arthur Mee, and published by the Educational Book Company Ltd., a subsidiary of the Amalgamated Press of London. It was published from 1908 through to 1964, and was found in many family homes throughout the British Empire.
The encyclopedia was published by Grolier in the U.S. under the title The Book of Knowledge (1910).
The format of the Encyclopedia was unusual: because it was originally published in fortnightly parts between March 1908 and February 1910. Some readers could have bound their own collections, but the first eight-volume sets were published in 1910.
Each section contained a variety of articles, developing its various topics as it progressed. The work could be used as a conventional reference library (the last volume contained a very extensive alphabetical index), or each section could perhaps be read from start to finish. Articles could also be dipped into at random to provide entertainment and reading matter whenever required.
The Encyclopedia was originally organised into the following sections (there were some changes in subsequent editions). (Some of these titles in fact cover scientific subjects such as geology, biology, astronomy, etc. but such scientific terms were generally avoided.)
Mee himself wrote a "Greeting" and a "Farewell". It is clear that he also took a strong interest in the "Book of Wonder", in which the "Wise Man" - probably himself and several other contributors depending on the subject - answered questions submitted by children.
The illustrations were mostly anonymous but some famous illustrators appeared: Susan Beatrice Pearse, C. E. Brock, Thomas Maybank, George F. Morrell, Dudley Heath, Charles Folkard, H. R. Millar, Alexander Francis Lydon, Arthur A. Dixon, Arthur Rackham and others. The books also made extensive use of photographs (by Frank Hinkins), engravings, maps and graphics[1].
The Encyclopædia broke new ground in the approach to education, aiming to make learning interesting and enjoyable. Its articles were clearly written. Some - in particular the scientific series - would have been challenging even to intelligent teenagers. It aimed above all to develop character and sense of duty.
Articles reflected the often strong and occasionally controversial views of its authors: in particular patriotism - they were proud of Britain and the British Empire; religion - Christianity was held to be the only true religion; racism - the white race was superior, and there were hints of the eugenic ideas of Dr Saleeby. Offsetting this was a moderate and liberal standpoint in many areas: other races might be inferior, but they should be treated with respect, and imperialism was justified only if it improved the lot of its subjects. At a time when the relation between science and religion was highly controversial, the Encyclopædia was firmly in support of evolution, but did not admit any contradiction between the two.[2]
The Encyclopedia was sold door-to-door, and many families bought it wishing to better themselves and their children. It was also used extensively by schools and for teacher training. As such the book is widely recognised as being very influential for several generations of British and Commonwealth children. It gives a great insight into the social values of the society that created it, and which in turn was influenced by it.
Walter M. Jackson's company Grolier acquired the rights to publish The Children's Encyclopædia in the U.S. under the name The Book of Knowledge (1910).
As the initial run of The Children's Encyclopædia came to an end, it was reissued as the monthly New Children's Encyclopædia. The title changed over the period of its publication, becoming Children's Encyclopædia Magazine, Children's Magazine and, finally, My Magazine in 1914. From September 1910, the magazine included a supplement of news entitled The Little Paper, the forerunner of Arthur Mee's famous Children's Newspaper, launched in 1919.
The Children's Encyclopædia sold over 800,000 copies in twelve editions before being extensively revised in the early 1920s. The new 59-part, 7,412-page, 10 volume series debuted in October 1922 (as The Children's Encyclopedia, the digraph having been dropped) and went through fourteen editions by 1946 under the imprint of The Educational Book Co.. Translations appeared in France, Italy, Spain and China.
New editions of the Encyclopedia continued to appear even after Mee's death in 1943; the final, much revised, edition, still entitled Arthur Mee's Children's Encyclopedia, appeared in 1964.
  | Online Complete Digital Copy of Volume 1 - The Children's Encyclopedia |
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