Background

Mr and Mrs J F Parker were keen collectors of social history objects. They created a folk museum at their home, Tickenhill Manor near Bewdley, and collected a wide range of items, including tools used in traditional rural crafts, books and games.

They had a particular interest in children's books published between 1830 and 1900. They worked closely with fellow collector Mildred Berkeley, who specialised in moral stories and chapbooks published before 1830. Together, they helped build each other's collections by sharing and sourcing items.

After Mrs Berkeley's death, the Parkers acquired her collection. Following the Parkers' deaths in the 1960s, the combined collection was donated to Birmingham Central Library.

The collection was later expanded with children's books from other library collections and new acquisitions. It now includes fiction, textbooks and picture books, offering an insight into how ideas about childhood and children's education have changed over the past 400 years.

Page last updated: 5 August 2026