Arthur Mee's "The Children's Encyclopædia" was first published by the Educational Book Company, part of the Amalgamated Press of London. Some readers would have collected it as a weekly partworks between from March 1908 and February 1910 and bound these into volumes. The first 8-volume edition, already bound, was published in 1910. Later editions used the spelling "Encyclopedia" and were expanded to 10 volumes. The last edition was published in 1964. In the USA, "The Children's Encyclopedia" was published in 1910 by Grolier under the name "The Book of Knowledge", bound into as many as 20 slim volumes. This can cause confusion because, in Britain, Waverley published a series of encyclopedias called "The Book of Knowledge" (alphabetically arranged encyclopedias) which were edited by a series of different editors including Harold FB Wheeler (The Book of Knowledge, circa 1935), Sir John Hammerton (The Book of Knowledge, 1955) and Gordon Stowell (The New Book of Knowledge, 1959).

"The Children's Encyclopedia" was not alphabetical in format, but was originally divided into sections (better suited to being issued as a partworks that could be read as magazines, collected and bound). The last volume contained an alphabetical index. The sections avoided scientific terms, but included topics such as geology, biology and astronomy in sections such as: Familiar Things; Wonder; Nature; The Child's Own Life; The Earth; All Countries; Great Lives; Golden Deeds; Bible Stories; Famous Books; Stories; Poetry; School Lessons; Things To Make and Things To Do. As the years passed, different editions had some changes to the sections. Being aimed at children, the books contained numerous illustrations, photographs, engravings, maps and diagrams. After the initial run, it was reissued in a monthly format as the "New Children's Encyclopædia" and later as "Children's Encyclopædia Magazine", "Children's Magazine" and, finally, "My Magazine" (1914). From September 1910, the magazine included a news supplement called "The Little Paper" which was the forerunner of Arthur Mee's "Children's Newspaper" launched in 1919.

"The Children's Encyclopædia" sold around 800,000 copies in 12 editions before being extensively revised in the early 1920s. It was then reissued in October 1922 as a 59-part, 7,412-page, 10-volume set "The Children's Encyclopedia" (losing the ae digraph). Arthur Mee died in 1943, but new editions of "The Children's Encyclopedia" continued to be produced. By 1946, it had gone through 14 editions under the imprint of The Educational Book Co and thee were foreign editions in French, Italian, Spanish and Chinese. The final edition was the much revised "Arthur Mee's Children's Encyclopedia" in 1964.

The earliest edition reflects a more genteel way of life around the Edwardian child. The motorcar is a rarity as can be seen in a section about the rules of the road where horse-drawn carts are depicted. Later editions recognise that many boys are fascinated by steam trains. A menagerie race where the pets include a tame fox cub, geese, cats and dogs is a pleasant outdoor diversion. the reader learns about the people and products of the British Empire. Later editions also have to tackle the world wars which were fought against "evil men" while sections about where fur coats come from are lost.

My sets reflect the major revisions:

• 1909-11 (8 vols, brown binding)
• 1923 (10 vols, blue binding)
• 1947 (ish) (10 vols, red binding)
• 1957 (ish) (10 vols, red binding)

Volume 6 of a circa 1946 set in Portobello Road's Oxfam Bookshop (£10). It's a different edition from the ones I bought today because it refers to the "Hitler War". It also has pages missing (which I can now repair by scanning the corresponding pages of my new set).

"The Book of Knowledge" and "The New Book of Knowledge"

While Arthur Mee's "The Children's Encyclopedia" was know as "The Book of Knowledge" in the US, this title applied to a completely different set of encyclopedias in Britain (as a result they were known elsewhere as "Cassell's Book of Knowledge" to avoid confusion). These were 10-volume sets arranged as alphabetical encyclopedias. They can be quite hard to date as the books themselves lack a publication date, though there are some clues in articles about historical events (such as The Great War). I have 3 different editions.

• The Book of Knowledge (circa 1935) was edited by Harold FB Wheeler (blue binding)
• The Book of Knowledge (1955) was edited by (Sir) John Hammerton (red binding)
• The New Book of Knowledge (1959) was edited by Gordon Stowell (red and light brown binding)

These turn up fairly often in charity shops for about £25 a set.

The Wonderland of Knowledge

The "Wonderland of Knowledge", edited by Ernest Ogan, was published in 1937 as a children's encyclopedia and follows a similar format to Arthur Mee's books. My set is inherited from my father who got it when he was a lad. While some online sources suggest values of up to £75, I’ve seen full sets of these, in good condition, in London charity shops for around £25.

The Golden Encyclopedia for Children

1934 reprint of the 2 volume “The Golden Encyclopedia for Children” edited by John R Crossland and JM Parrish and published by British Books Ltd, London. It cost me £40 in Oxfam and is in very good condition, but checking online the asking price is upwards of £90 for the set depending on condition and whether it's the 1933 edition or a later reprint.

Newne's Pictorial Knowledge

8 volume 1936 edition of "Newnes' Pictorial Knowledge An Educational Treasury And Children's Dictionary" edited by HA Pollock (main editor) Enid Blyton (associate editor), AC Marshall (Technical Editor) and AHJ Humphreys (art editor). There are 10 volume editions around as well with different editorial staff (RH Poole, Peter Finch, Enid Blyton). At the back of each volume is a colour fold out model or colour plate e.g. a spider's body or a steam train. Unlike Mee's "Children's Encyclopedia" the subjects are not broken up across volumes so you get a volume largely dedicated to countries and another largely dedicated to engineering topics (coal mining, electricity etc). My set is admittedly a bit tatty, but is still a fascinating read.

Cassell's Natural History

I have the People’s Edition Vols 1 & 2 bound into a single volume. Date is 1901 and overall editor is P Martin Duncan. Most of the species described are illustrated by engravings and there are a few full-page photographs. There are 6 volumes in the full set:

• Vol I: Apes, Monkeys, Lemurs, Bats and Insectivores
• Vol II: Land and Marine Carnivores, Cetaceans, Sirenia, Elephants, Hydracoids and Ungulates
• Vol III: Ungulates (continued), Rodents, Edentates, Marsupials and Birds
• Vol IV: Birds (continued), Reptiles, Amphibians
• Vol V: Fish and Invertebrates, including. Tunicates, Molluscs, Insects, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera
• Vol VI: Invertebrates (continued)

Lydekker's Natural History

Lydekker (1849-1915) was a British authority on mammals of the world, particularly game animals. In 1882 he took a position with the British Museum of Natural History and his “Royal Natural History” was published at a time when illustrated encyclopedias were in great demand by the general public because lithography allowed mass production of good quality print and images at an affordable price. Lydekker edited the “Royal Natural History” (preface by Philip Lutley Sclater (1829-1913)) which was published in 6 volumes by Frederick Warne and Co between 1894 and 1896. The books were also published under the titles “The New Natural History” and “Library of Natural History”; it being quite common to reprint such books in different bindings for different audiences. Although it was common at that time to reuse images (hence many books of wonder contain the same images), many of the plates in Lydekker’s Natural History were specially commissioned from leading wildlife artists. I have Volume II of this 1894 natural history encyclopedia, found as a nondescript book, with peeling spine, in an Oxfam shop for £20.

• Vols 1 and 2: Mammals
• Vol 3: Mammals, Birds
• Vol 4: Birds
• Vol 5: Reptiles and Fishes
• Vol 6: Invertebrates

The Illustrated Natural History

Rev JG Wood's "The Illustrated Natural History" published in 1871 (reprint of 1853 edn). Rev John George Wood (1827–1889), was a popular British writer and lecturer on natural history and zoology. He was a populariser, who wrote accessible books, rather than a scientific investigator so he relied on correspondents and information from other books. The 4 volume “Illustrated Natural History” went through several reprints after 1853 and seems to have been popular on both sides of the Atlantic. I have volume 1 (Mammalia)

Harmsworth Natural History: A Complete Survey of the Animal Kingdom

Edited by Richard Lydekker, with Sir Harry Johnston and JR Ainsworth Davis; published by Carmelite House. A fascinating three volume set covering animal life from 1910, found in a secondhand bookshop for about £20. This seems to be the logical follow-up to Lydekker’s “Royal Natural History”.

Outline of Science

I have a 2-volume set. It was edited by Scottish naturalist John Arthur Thomson (1861-1933). He was a popular science writer, although some of his views were controversial. Thomson’s target audience was the general public and he covered a wide range of scientific subjects in clear, concise and easily understood language. He covered topics as diverse as astronomy, biology, evolution and even the theory of relativity, which was cutting edge at the time he wrote the books.

Science of Life

This comprises nine books bound in a 3 volume set edited by HG Wells (editor), Julian Huxley and GP Wells and published by Waverley in 1929-30. The set describes all major aspects of biology as known in the 1920s. The full title is “The Science of Life: a summary of contemporary knowledge about life and its possibilities” and like many books of the time it was available as a partwork which could be bound by the subscriber (so you’ll find a variety of bindings). It was originally published in 31 fortnightly parts published by Amalgamated Press between 1929 and 1930. In 1931, Cassell published it as a single volume (reprinted 1934 and 1937, revised edition 1938) and then in separate volumes between 1934 and 1937 entitled:

• Book I The living body
• Book II Patterns of life
• Book III Evolution - fact and theory
• Book IV Reproduction, heredity and the development of sex
• Book V The history and adventure of life
• Book VI The drama of life
• Book VII How animals behave
• Book VIII Man's mind and behaviour
• Book IX Biology and the human race

Animal Life and The World of Nature

I have a single volume of this from 1902–1903. Published by Hutchinson’s. The full title is “Animal life and the world of nature : a magazine of natural history throughout the world” and it was originally a periodical.

Wonders of Land and Sea

A 2-volume set, edited by Graeme Williams and published by Cassell in 1914. I found this in a local charity shop for £10.

Wonders of Animal Life

I originally found the 4-volume set in Oxfam, Chelmsford, then a few months later found a 2-volume slightly later issue in Oxfam, Portobello Road, London being sold at £5 per volume. Both are published by Waverley during the 1930s. There are some different photos between the two editions while the editor, John Hammerton, has become Sir John Hammerton.

The Joy of Old Encyclopedias

Today, these old encyclopedias give an insight into the social values of the society at the time of publication. The articles reflect the views prevalent at the time of publication. Although "The Children's Encyclopedia" supported evolution, it also promoted Christianity and steered clear of contradicting Biblical views. At the same time as praising the British Empire, "The Children's Encyclopedia" told its readers that inferior races (i.e. non-white races) should be treated with respect and that imperialism was justified only if it improved the lot of its subjects.

In general, the earlier editions of these encyclopedias very obviously show pride in Britain and the British Empire. There is a strong emphasis on Christian values, with Christianity being considered the only true religion. The white race was held up as superior and entitled to guide the more "savage" races, while terms such as "pickaninny" were used in ways that are nowadays considered offensive. In "Cassell's Natural History" for example, a black African is depicted almost as though he is one of the catalogued creatures.

One of the more fascinating aspects for me are descriptions of ways of life that no longer exist and animals that have become extinct since the book was published. The early editions of these books described the now-extinct thylacine as a blood-thirsty, sheep-killing predator. Similarly, the Great Auk and the Quagga were described as extant rather than extinct.