Collectors Guide to 20th Century Childrens" School Book Primers
Until recently, collecting children's school books and primers was an overlooked niche of collecting.
Anyone who attended public school had one and the primers were viewed as tools of learning, rather than as a collectible, an item of special significance, or worthy of being a collectible.
With advances in technology and the transmission of the written word over the internet that allows reading on a wireless device, as opposed to paper, collectors are taking a greater interest in these artifacts of the past.
A primer is a first or early reader for a child.
Primers are generally lavishly illustrated because the use of pictures help children to learn to read by associating the words with pictures.
The earliest primers were printed in black and white and used a delicate Nouveau style print.
The stories in these early primers were primarily fables that used animals as the central characters.
The "Dick and Jane" books were popular in the 1930s through the 1970s although their popularity began to decrease in the mid 1960s.
Animals continued to have a large presence in the lives of Dick and Jane through their pets, Spot, the dog and Puff, the cat.
These primers were illustrated in color and were primarily produced in hardback.
The primers were used on a daily basis by students over a period of years, so the condition is important to consider when adding to your collection.
If you are buying your childhood memories then condition may be less of a concern to you.
The primers of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s series had a complementary Catholic version.
The primer Sally, Dick, and Jane was retitled Judy, John, and Jean named after Catholic saints.
Groups of stories in each book were replaced by Catholic-oriented stories of the saints and portrayed moral choices.
Significant changes to children's' early readers were ushered in with the 1960s along with pop art illustrations and paper cutouts.
The end of the "white picket" fence lifestyle of earlier years was officially replaced by stories that included diverse characters and gender-free roles.
By 1970, Dick and Jane primer books were retired.
Primer Illustrators to Search Much of the value of the early primers depends upon the illustrations.
A few illustrators to search for include Maude and Miska Petersham, Frederick Richardson, Milo Winter, Herbert Paus, Charlotte Ware, and Guy Wiser Brown.
Primer Pricing Samples Sally Dick and Jane Books from the 1960s average $38.
00 to $58.
00 usd, depending upon condition.
Earlier versions cost upwards of $75.
00 usd.
A 1962 Teacher's Edition is valued around $30.
00 usd.
Summary There is renewed interest in collecting early children's readers/primers.
Some collectors are looking to add to an existing collection of early and/or rare children's books, others may collect only primers with illustrations by a particular artist.
Some may be seeking to recapture fond memories of school.
Regardless of the purpose of your search it is always wise to purchase what you like, in the best condition that you can afford.
Collections may gain in monetary value; in the meantime your collection ought to provide you with joy and a large smile.
Anyone who attended public school had one and the primers were viewed as tools of learning, rather than as a collectible, an item of special significance, or worthy of being a collectible.
With advances in technology and the transmission of the written word over the internet that allows reading on a wireless device, as opposed to paper, collectors are taking a greater interest in these artifacts of the past.
A primer is a first or early reader for a child.
Primers are generally lavishly illustrated because the use of pictures help children to learn to read by associating the words with pictures.
The earliest primers were printed in black and white and used a delicate Nouveau style print.
The stories in these early primers were primarily fables that used animals as the central characters.
The "Dick and Jane" books were popular in the 1930s through the 1970s although their popularity began to decrease in the mid 1960s.
Animals continued to have a large presence in the lives of Dick and Jane through their pets, Spot, the dog and Puff, the cat.
These primers were illustrated in color and were primarily produced in hardback.
The primers were used on a daily basis by students over a period of years, so the condition is important to consider when adding to your collection.
If you are buying your childhood memories then condition may be less of a concern to you.
The primers of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s series had a complementary Catholic version.
The primer Sally, Dick, and Jane was retitled Judy, John, and Jean named after Catholic saints.
Groups of stories in each book were replaced by Catholic-oriented stories of the saints and portrayed moral choices.
Significant changes to children's' early readers were ushered in with the 1960s along with pop art illustrations and paper cutouts.
The end of the "white picket" fence lifestyle of earlier years was officially replaced by stories that included diverse characters and gender-free roles.
By 1970, Dick and Jane primer books were retired.
Primer Illustrators to Search Much of the value of the early primers depends upon the illustrations.
A few illustrators to search for include Maude and Miska Petersham, Frederick Richardson, Milo Winter, Herbert Paus, Charlotte Ware, and Guy Wiser Brown.
Primer Pricing Samples Sally Dick and Jane Books from the 1960s average $38.
00 to $58.
00 usd, depending upon condition.
Earlier versions cost upwards of $75.
00 usd.
A 1962 Teacher's Edition is valued around $30.
00 usd.
Summary There is renewed interest in collecting early children's readers/primers.
Some collectors are looking to add to an existing collection of early and/or rare children's books, others may collect only primers with illustrations by a particular artist.
Some may be seeking to recapture fond memories of school.
Regardless of the purpose of your search it is always wise to purchase what you like, in the best condition that you can afford.
Collections may gain in monetary value; in the meantime your collection ought to provide you with joy and a large smile.