Samplers & childhood
Samplers are often valued for their decorative effect, but were originally a practical aid to remembering particula…
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National Art Library children's literature collections
The National Art Library has been collecting children's publications since the mid-19th century. It now holds nearl…
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The Xmas Cake Dress
The Xmas Cake Dress was purchased by the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood in 1983 as part of a huge collection of …
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Victorian sentimental prints, drawings & watercolours
Scenes of tender feeling were popular during the Victorian period. They became associated with the home as they wer…
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The Conservation of Nineteenth Century Dissected Puzzles
The purpose of the project was to examine the problems associated with this type of composite object and to provide…
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A hundred years of the teddy bear
Examining and working on a large number of teddy bears dating from 1905 to the present day provided an unequalled l…
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What the Victorians read at Christmas
The commercialisation of Christmas, which many today consider a bane of modern life, in fact has its origins in the 1840s. Henry Cole sent the first Christmas card (now in the Word & Image department of the V&A) in 1843.
Children's books
This is the subject hub for Children's books
Shopping online
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Beatrix Potter: nature's lessons
From the age of eight Beatrix Potter was studying animals and insects very carefully, sketching them in her book and recording minute details. She was a keen observer of nature and this carried across to her work. Not only were her animal illustrations accurate in their illustration, but her books also show that she was a realist when it came to nature: she knew animals kill other animals, that life was full of strong instincts and potential threat.
Beatrix Potter: the art of illustration
Beatrix Potter was inspired by artists such as Edward Lear, associated with other illustrators keen on the close observation of nature such as Cicely Mary Barker, and has inspired modern artists and writers such as Maurice Sendak.
British Design 1948–2012: Innovation in the Modern Age
31 March–12 August 2012
Showcasing over 300 British design objects, this exhibition celebrates the best of British post-war art and design from the 1948 ‘Austerity Games' to the summer of 2012.
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Museum of Childhood: A Book of Childhood Things
An introduction to the collections of the Museum of Childhood
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