Alderson Brian, de Marez Oyens Felix, Be Merry and Wise: Origins of Children's Book Publishing in England 1650-1850, Oak Knoll Pr, London 2006, p. 318, dimensions 23.5 x 31 cm. Contents in English. Numerous illustrations in the text. Canvas cover with original wrapper. Minor rubbing of the wrapper.
The child as a recipient of books in English is the subject of this bibliographic study, which began with an exhibition held at the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York. From that point, Felix de Marez Oyens and Brian Alderson developed Be Merry and Wise and showed how certain creative talents, driven by a sense of purpose or a desire to make money, tried to appeal directly to children and how the publishing industry realized that this audience could prove to be a profitable market.
