University of Worcester Research Collections

Historic Children’s Literature at University of Worcester Research Collections

At the core of the University of Worcester’s Research Collections are several focussed on Childhood and Children’s Authors. Chief among which, the Brown and Westerman Collections; are formed of works by and about 19th century boys’ author, G.A. Henty (1832-1902), and his 20th century successor, Percy Westerman (1876-1959). These collections are united by an overarching theme of historical adventure where exhilarating action and dashing heroes are the order of the day.

These collections, housed at the University of Worcester, provide insight and contextual understanding to the development of children’s literature over a period of 150 years. The tone of children’s literature has changed dramatically since 1871 when Henty’s first book for children, Out on the Pampas, was published. Yet adventure continues to take precedence in children’s publishing today through popular stories like the Alex Ryder series, which bring a much darker and perhaps more adult prospect to the traditional format of “derring-do”.

Many of the books in the Collection are beautifully illustrated and provide an excellent resource for social, design and art historians, and for those researching representations of children.

The Brown Collection: Works by and about G.A.Henty (1832-1902)

The jewel in the crown of the Children and Childhood group is the Brown collection of works by and about G.A. Henty, published between 1867 -1906, which has been amassed over a period of seventy years by a private collector. Following a vibrant career as a war correspondent, Henty turned to penning gripping yarns for boys in the middles of the 1860s. His heroes inhabit an expansive geographical and historical world ranging from Ancient Egypt, to New World conflicts and the colonial Empire. His heroes are strong, courageous and emotionally literate. Henty’s construction of the hero is just one example of how he established a template for future writers of children’s literature. Drawing from his own experience as a war correspondent, his stories often explore themes of conflict and colonial development.

The Percy Westerman Collection

Westerman was a prolific children’s author, writing around 174 books between the years of 1908 and 1959. Thrilling adventure stories with military and adventure themes make up the core of his work and a 1930 poll run by the Daily Sketch voted him as the most popular boys’ author at the time. When he died in 1959 he had sold in excess of 1,500,000 books. Today, despite these achievements, Westerman is largely overlooked.

Westerman was a former Admiralty Clerk at the Portsmouth Naval Dockyard, a position he swiftly retired from in 1911 after the huge success of his first three books, although he did return to the armed services to carry out coastal duties for the Navy during the First World War. Like Henty, Westerman’s former life heavily influenced his stories, and he was fond of placing his heroes in dramatic situations at sea. Westerman’s heroes are a tougher sort than Henty’s, however, showing a less empathetic appreciation for the “enemy”.

Along with many of his published works, the Collection also boasts five unpublished typescripts, seven scrapbooks containing material pertinent to his work, and a number of published editions of his books.

What are the University of Worcester Research Collections?

The University of Worcester Research Collection are formed of 15 collections that reflect the current academic research interests of the University. The University houses the International Centre for Children’s Literature, and appropriately the Research Collections encompass several historic children’s literature collections including accounts of childhood and children’s literature from the 19th to mid-20th century written by a range of European, Japanese and African authors.

In addition to children’s literature the Research Collections also house the Kays Archive, business records from the former Worcester based mail-order catalogue company, 1890-2006; the John Marks collection of 20th and 21st century literary postcards; the Worcester Archaeological Society Library; and a large collection of 18th century antiquarian books on loan from the City library.

For more information visit the University of Worcester Research Collections

Contact: researchcollections@worc.ac.uk

The Research Collections are available to view by appointment at St John’s Campus, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, Worcester, WR2 6AJ, UK

List of Children and Childhood Collections:

The Ronchetti Collection: photographic representations of childhood and dolls; and children’s literature concerning toys and play, 1879-1972.

The Severn Collection: children’s literature by David Severn (David Storr Unwin), a popular children’s author in the 1940s and 1950s.

The Williams Collection: autobiographical accounts of childhoods, predominantly British, published 1924-2000.

The Brown Collection: works by and about G. A. Henty (1832-1902), a prolific writer of historical adventure stories for children during the latter half of the 19th century. The collection includes all of his books published for children and a number of his short stories printed in magazines or as part of anthologies.

The Hawkes Collection: books for children about exploration and fictional adventures in Africa, 1800-1972

Wynne Collection: adventure stories written for boys, some based on historical events, published 1850-1900.

Westerman Collection: adventure stories for children, unpublished manuscripts and related works by Percy F. Westerman (1876-1959), 1920-1950.

Manley Collection: fiction for African children written in the 1960s and 1970s, following the political independence of 9 African countries that had formerly been British colonies. These stories are predominantly written by African authors to be read by African children by themselves or at school.

Elkin Collection: a collection of contemporary multicultural children’s literature, 1938-2006, the Elkin Collection also includes the archive of Professor Judith Elkin.