See Artwork From Historical Children’s Books That Are Now Free To Use

Books are wonderful time capsules that capture the culture and values from when they were written. And a lot can change from era to era; after all, it wasn’t until a few years ago that the enduring story of Snow White was deemed as sexist.

As first spotted by Open Culture, the University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature is inviting readers to revisit the chapters of before through the pages of kids’ literature in the 19th and 20th centuries. The library has digitized more than 7,000 historical books from Britain and the US, and has released them online to be perused for free.

Fun fact: Did you know Aladdin was originally based in China? Here’s him in 1847’s Aladdin, Or, The Wonderful Lamp.

Aladdin, Or, The Wonderful Lamp (1847) by George B. Zieber, illustrated by Felix Octavius Carr Darley. Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

All the titles from the collection look to be in the public domain, so feel free to incorporate them into your projects in any way. Glance through illustrations from some of your favorite childhood tales and a few other obscure reads below, and check here to leaf through 7,000 more children’s books.

ABC of Nature (c1884)

ABC of Nature (c1884) by McLoughlin Bros. Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

ABC of Nature (c1884) by McLoughlin Bros. Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

Fairy Tales from Grimm (1933)

Fairy Tales from Grimm (1933) by Jacob Grimm. Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

Fairy Tales from Grimm (1933) by Jacob Grimm. Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

Our Little Doll’s Town (1900)

Our Little Doll’s Town (1900). Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

Our Little Doll’s Town (1900). Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

Our Little Doll’s Town (1900). Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

5 Little Pigs (c1890)

5 Little Pigs (c1890) by McLoughlin Bros. Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

5 Little Pigs (c1890) by McLoughlin Bros. Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

5 Little Pigs (c1890) by McLoughlin Bros. Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

Red Riding Hood (c1895)

Red Riding Hood (c1895), published by Raphael Tuck & Sons. Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

Red Riding Hood (c1895), published by Raphael Tuck & Sons. Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

Little Cinderella (c1858)

Little Cinderella (c1858), published by Brown, Taggard & Chase. Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

ABC of Objects (c1880)

ABC of Objects (c1880) by McLoughlin Bros. Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

ABC of Objects (c1880) by McLoughlin Bros. Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

3 Little Kittens (c1890)

3 Little Kittens (c1890) by McLoughlin Bros. Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

3 Little Kittens (c1890) by McLoughlin Bros. Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

Last but not least: Fairy Tales from Andersen (c1880)

Fairy Tales from Andersen (c1880) by Hans Christian Andersen. Image via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)

[via Open Culture and University of Florida, images via University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (public domain)]