A View from the Vault: Milton Bradley School Supply Catalogs

By Hillary Kativa, Department Head, Special Collections

“A View from the Vault” showcases some of the unique, notable or rare items that are a part of the Special Collections and Museums holdings at the University of Delaware. Each month, we highlight a different item and share interesting facts or intriguing histories about it. If you are interested in seeing any of the materials featured in person or want to learn more about anything showcased in the series, please contact Special Collections and Museums at AskSpec or AskMuseums.

A View from the Vault: Milton Bradley School Supply Catalogs

‘Tis the season for back-to-school shopping, when store shelves are stocked to the brim with everything from pencils and backpacks to notebooks and lunch boxes. Are embroidery cards on your shopping list? How about a cabinet of weights and measures? Or perhaps you’re in the market for some educational toy money. Peruse catalogs of school supplies and kindergarten material from the Milton Bradley Company and you’ll find all these items and more.

Housed within Special Collections are three catalogs dating from 1889, 1892, and 1910, all of which offer a window into the kindergarten curriculum and educational trends of the era. While some supplies like colored pencils, protractors, and nickel-plated scissors are familiar, others like weaving needles and parquetry blocks seem strange to the modern eye. In general, such items reflect the spirit of the “kindergarten movement” popularized by German reformer and educator Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) in the mid nineteenth century. In contrast to more rigid schooling structures, Froebel and other reformers including Margarethe Schurz (1833-1876) and Elizabeth Peabody (1804-1894) encouraged learning through play, stories, music, and carefully chosen toys that emphasized children’s natural curiosity. Influenced by the advocacy of Peabody and others, game pioneer and publisher Milton Bradley (1836-1911) became interested in the kindergarten movement and developed a range of school supplies with an eye towards creativity, imagination, and spontaneous play.

Examples of Bradley’s supply and curriculum catalogs.

Notably, these Milton Bradley catalogs are just a small sample of Special Collections’ extensive collection of trade catalogs and advertising ephemera produced in the United States from the middle of the eighteenth century until the present day. In general, these trade catalogs and advertisements align with our collecting strengths, including the history of horticulture, science and technology, printing and publishing, and the book arts. For research and teaching, the collection is a rich resource for the study of business, industry, marketing, and material culture, as well as a fun opportunity to “window shop” the wares of another era.

Links to items mentioned in this post:

Bradley’s catalogue of school aids and material…
Milton Bradley Company.; Thomas Charles Co., 1889?
Trade Catalog Collection

Bradley’s kindergarten material and school aids
Milton Bradley Company.; Thomas Charles Co., 1892
Trade Catalog Collection

Catalogue of Bradley’s kindergarten material and school supplies
Milton Bradley Company, 1910
Trade Catalog Collection