The Victorian Thumb Bible as Material Object: Charles Tilt’s The Little Picture Testament (1839)
In the nineteenth century, miniature books and curiosities proliferated; in particular, thumb Bibles, miniature synopses of the Bible, experienced widespread popularity. Intended to provide children with a simplified introduction to Biblical narratives and religious instruction, thumb Bibles illustr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Presses Universitaires de la Méditerranée
2016-11-01
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| Series: | Cahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/cve/2910 |
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| Summary: | In the nineteenth century, miniature books and curiosities proliferated; in particular, thumb Bibles, miniature synopses of the Bible, experienced widespread popularity. Intended to provide children with a simplified introduction to Biblical narratives and religious instruction, thumb Bibles illustrate the mediation of religious instruction through material culture. The presence and influence of religious groups in the publishing industry, paired with publishers’ new-found capacity to cater to middle-class demand for novelty children’s books, created an environment in which thumb Bibles’ popularity soared. This article begins by tracing the thumb-Bible genre from its development in the seventeenth century to its immense popularity in the Victorian era. It considers how their physical forms, connected to ‘toy books’, integrate play and religious instruction. This essay considers one example of this popular genre, The Little Picture Testament, published by Charles Tilt in 1839. A detailed description of the book’s bibliographic elements will familiarize the reader with the work, and an outline of its production and reception will then situate its literary production within its material, cultural, and religious contexts. Ultimately, this essay considers how The Little Picture Testament confronts and condenses the intricacies of the Bible, all while captivating its child audience. |
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| ISSN: | 0220-5610 2271-6149 |