For centuries, street literature was the main cheap reading material of the working classes: broadsides, chapbooks, songsters, prints, engravings, and other forms of print produced specifically to suit their taste and cheap enough for even the poor to buy. Starting in the sixteenth century, but at its chaotic and flamboyant peak in the nineteenth, street literature was on sale everywhere – in urban streets and alleyways, at country fairs and markets, at major sporting events and holiday gatherings, and under the gallows at public executions. For this very reason, it was often despised and denigrated by the educated classes, but remained enduringly popular with the ordinary people. Anything and everything was grist to the printers’ mill, if it would sell. A penny could buy you a celebrity scandal, a report of a gruesome murder, the last dying speech of a condemned criminal, wonder tales, riddles and conundrums, a moral tale of religious danger and redemption, a comic tale of drunken husbands and shrewish wives, a temperance tract or an ode to beer, a satire on dandies, an alphabet or “reed-a-ma-daisy” (reading made easy) to teach your children, an illustrated chapbook of nursery rhymes, or the adventures of Robin Hood and Jack the Giant Killer. Street literature long held its own by catering directly for the ordinary people, at a price they could afford, but, by the end of the Victorian era, it was in terminal decline and was rapidly being replaced by a host of new printed materials in the shape of cheap newspapers and magazines, penny dreadful novels, music hall songbooks, and so on, all aimed squarely at the burgeoning mass market. Fascinating today for the unique light it shines on the lives of the ordinary people of the age, street literature has long been neglected as a historical resource, and this collection of essays is the first general book on the trade for over forty years.

This deeply researched collection offers a comprehensive introduction to the eighteenth-century trade in street literature – ballads, chapbooks, and popular prints – in England and Scotland. Offering detailed studies of a selection of the printers, types of publication, and places of publication that constituted the cheap and popular print trade during the period, these essays delve into ballads, slip songs, story books, pictures, and more to push back against neat divisions between low and high culture, or popular and high literature. The breadth and depth of the contributions give a much fuller and more nuanced picture of what was being widely published and read during this period than has previously been available. It will be of great value to scholars and students of eighteenth-century popular culture and literature, print history and the book trade, ballad and folk studies, children’s literature, and social history.

Discover the charming and historical world of childhood literature with Rosalie Vrylina Halsey’s "Forgotten Books of the American Nursery." This fascinating exploration delves into the evolution of American children's books from the colonial era to the early days of the Republic, revealing a collection of stories and illustrations that once captivated young readers. In "Forgotten Books of the American Nursery," Halsey presents a vivid picture of the changing landscape of children's literature, from the earliest coverless chap-books to the intricately bound volumes of the early nineteenth century. These books, with their varied and colorful bindings, reflect the rich cultural heritage and evolving tastes of American society over time. Ever wondered how children's literature evolved from simple chap-books to the beautifully bound stories of early America? Halsey’s book offers a unique glimpse into these forgotten treasures, highlighting the shift from humble beginnings to the more elaborate and cherished volumes that marked the growth of American nursery literature. What stories and illustrations shaped the imaginations of children in different eras? Explore this captivating collection to uncover the history and evolution of American children's books. Halsey’s insightful examination brings to light the enduring charm and historical significance of these literary gems, offering readers a deeper appreciation for the foundations of childhood reading. Ready to explore the literary past of American nursery books? Dive into "Forgotten Books of the American Nursery" and rediscover the stories that once enchanted young minds. Don’t miss the chance to connect with the roots of children's literature. Purchase "Forgotten Books of the American Nursery" today and embark on a journey through the cherished books of America’s early years.

List of members included in each volume except v. 1.