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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
This collection consists of early to mid-20th century Australian and New Zealand children's books, pamphlets, music, songs, games and ephemera.
'Ken Pound began collecting during the 1970s at fairs and markets, and by 1994 had amassed 25,000 children’s books.
'He collected all forms of literature for a child readership, independent of perceptions of worthiness. This collection contains many children's books not usually held by libraries or even listed in national bibliographies, including:
- ephemeral material and advertising booklets, which often humorously reflect aspects of social history
- variant editions of books such as Dot and the Kangaroo, which reveal the comprehensive nature of this collection and changing perceptions of readership
- John Mystery books; John Mystery was the pseudonym of Lester Sinclair (1894–1974), who published children's books between the late 1930s and early 1950s'
Source: SLV.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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John Mystery and the Australian Book Trade
2012
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Papers : Explorations into Children's Literature , vol. 22 no. 1 2012; (p. 68-80) The John Mystery books are a collection of Australian children's books and ephemera produced by a little known publishing dynamo, Lester Sinclair, in the middle of the twentieth century. I identify factors which operated to position these items as forgotten elements of Australian literary history. After contextualizing the John Mystery brand of children's books, I suggest how children's literature scholars may find potential resources in the Children's Literature Collection and other heritage collections of the State Library of Victoria (Author abstract). -
Anthony Arrowroot and Nutty Nutella: Advertising in Children's Literature
2012
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Papers : Explorations into Children's Literature , vol. 22 no. 1 2012; (p. 42-55) Advertising often occurs in 19th and 20th century children’s literature, however as a theme it has long been overlooked as an area of historical and analytical value. This article examines a range of booklets, books and encyclopedias which contain advertising material and can be found in the Children’s Literature Collection at the State Library of Victoria (Author abstract). -
Two Penn'orth of the Pound Collection State Library of Victoria
1995
single work
column
— Appears in: The Lu Rees Archives Notes, Books and Authors , no. 17 1995; (p. 8-13)
-
Anthony Arrowroot and Nutty Nutella: Advertising in Children's Literature
2012
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Papers : Explorations into Children's Literature , vol. 22 no. 1 2012; (p. 42-55) Advertising often occurs in 19th and 20th century children’s literature, however as a theme it has long been overlooked as an area of historical and analytical value. This article examines a range of booklets, books and encyclopedias which contain advertising material and can be found in the Children’s Literature Collection at the State Library of Victoria (Author abstract). -
John Mystery and the Australian Book Trade
2012
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Papers : Explorations into Children's Literature , vol. 22 no. 1 2012; (p. 68-80) The John Mystery books are a collection of Australian children's books and ephemera produced by a little known publishing dynamo, Lester Sinclair, in the middle of the twentieth century. I identify factors which operated to position these items as forgotten elements of Australian literary history. After contextualizing the John Mystery brand of children's books, I suggest how children's literature scholars may find potential resources in the Children's Literature Collection and other heritage collections of the State Library of Victoria (Author abstract). -
Two Penn'orth of the Pound Collection State Library of Victoria
1995
single work
column
— Appears in: The Lu Rees Archives Notes, Books and Authors , no. 17 1995; (p. 8-13)
Last amended 18 Feb 2020 14:23:37
