Evening star., 1938-04-03

centuries of bondage, and if they are
now willing to live and let live.
The Library of Congress
Receives Grant.
One of the pet hobbies of Mr..
Parma. curator of the Rare Book
Division of the Library of Congress,
is children's books. He simply BEAM
ed with delight when he was told that
generous person whose identity
shall remain secret, had given the
Library five-year grant in which to
make research and add to the Ameri-
can juvenilia of which the division is
the proud possessor of the rarest COL
lection in this country.
The sex of the donor, whether it be
he or she is not known. but they
evidently have fond memories of their
childhood days when in a cozy corner,
maybe in comfortable old book room,
they eloated over tales of romantic
charm or some gripping story of ad-
venture: travels in many lands and
heroes such as Oliver Optic, Alger,
Henry. Abbott and others of their
favorites wrote about. For the girls
there were Louisa May Alcott and
numerous other women writer's who
turned out periodically stories for
young girls and children. OF course
| there were foreign writer's, too but
this is to be research entirely in
American juvenilia.
After the terms of the donation
were settled, Mr. Parma says his
problem was to find an experienced
! person who could devote his time to
the work of research and cataloguing
OF childrens literature. Some one
who was familiar with photography;
SO he went forth TO interview those
distinguished photographers of juvenile
literature. as the work is pioneer work,
and requires the combined ability of
research student and natural
bibliophile. His quest was rewarded
when he procured the services of
Mr.. Gustav Davidson, the Well-knoWn
editor. writer and poet. who is an
alumnus of Columbia University, and
who has done research work in the
British Museum, the New York Public
Library and the Librarav of Congress.
He has contributed critical articles III
prose and poetry to the North Amerl-
can Review, Asia. Poetry, the New
Yorker. and has written extensively
for both the New York Times and the
Npu- Vnrly RI 1Hrih
the New York Sun and the Chicago
Tribune
MIR. Davidson Invites
Donations of Juveniles.
Mr.. Davidson is known to thousands
Of children in this country through
his series Of dramatic radio sketches
Gntegrated with the music of the
composers) on the lives of the worlds
great composers arranged in de-
lightful way for children When he
was seen few days ago. tucked away
in quiet corner of the beautiful
reading room of the rare book di-
vision, he was simply enthused over
the wide interest which the project
had caused and the heavy fan mail
received daily from interested persons
making inquiries. Sometimes the let
ters are a riot of sentimental men,
ories of the books read in childhood
days. OF treasures found in dusty
attics and old packing chests and
trunks While it is the purpose of the
donor of. the grant to have produced
handbook of first American editions
so that publisher, editor and collector
may be benefited, Mr.. Davidson also
hopes that some of the early childrens
literature hidden away for years may
find it's way as donate to the COL
lection in the Library of Congress-
1t was about the middle of the 10Th
century that series of books for boys
and girls began to flow from the
presses of Philadelphia, Boston, New
York and other places. DR.. A. S. w.
Rosenbach, the world famous bib
liographer and collector, in his book.
Early American Children's Books"
in writing of the books for children
in the Puritan and early Colonial
times says the Hell and damnation
school of the Puritans continued into
the early 10th century" He says that
children's books reflect the minds of
the generation that produced them,
hence no better guidance to the his
tory and development of any country