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Reading, Rhyming, Remembering: Children's education from the Past

Library, St. Peters Square, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M2 5PD

  • 18 Sep 2025
  • In person
  • Pre-booking not required

Explore how children learned Pre-20th Century and Early 1900s, through images, storybooks, rhymes, and moral tales. A fun and nostalgic exhibition for schools and families—where learning met imagination!

Discover the storybook world of early childhood learning at Manchester Council’s Heritage Open Day. This special exhibition showcases a rich collection of children’s books published Pre-20th Century and Early 1900s with some older material from the previous centuries, offering a fascinating glimpse into how young minds were shaped through literature. From 17th-century spelling books and moral tales to 19th-century fairy stories and educational chapbooks, the display reveals how storytelling, rhyme, and repetition were central to teaching reading, values, and imagination. Visitors will encounter beautifully illustrated texts, religious tracts, nature guides, and playful primers that reflect the evolving techniques used in schools and homes. Whether it’s Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Aesop’s fables, or Victorian nursery rhymes, each book tells a tale of how children once learned to navigate the world. Ideal for families, educators, and literature lovers, this event invites you to explore the roots of children’s education and the enduring power of books to inspire, instruct, and delight.

Timings & Tours

Thursday 18 September:
13:30-15:00

Location & directions

Library, St. Peters Square, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M2 5PD

Directions:
Telephone Library: 0161 234 1983 Archives and special collections: 0161 234 1979 Henry Watson Music Library: 0161 234 1976 Email Library: [email protected], Archives and special collections: [email protected] Henry Watson Music Library: [email protected] Opening times for library Central Library will close temporarily from 2 to 24 August 2025. Regular opening hours are: Monday to Thursday 9am to 8pm Friday and Saturday 9am to 5pm Closed Sunday and Bank Holidays Parking: There are seven blue badge parking bays behind the library on Mount Street
Contact on day:
Aimah Naqvi
Telephone number:
+447901528750

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:
Pre-booking not required

Accessibility details

Café The café is located on the ground floor of the Manchester Central Library. It serves a selection of tea, coffee and hot chocolate. There is also a variety of hot and cold food to choose from including: breakfast rolls, pastries, sandwiches, toasties, baked potatoes, soup. Plus, delicious cakes and brownies. All available from Monday to Saturday, our opening times are: Monday to Thursday: 9am to 6.30pm Friday to Saturday: 9am to 4.30pm The café is fully accessible and baby change facilities, and a nursing room are available on site.

Additional information

For Further information about the library please visit this link: https://www.manchester.gov.uk/

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