Parents will find a great deal to tell their children about phenomena of nature in such articles as Earthquake (Vol. 8, p. 817), by F. W. Rudler, formerly president of the Geologists’ Association, England, and Dr. John Milne, author of Earthquakes; and Volcano (Vol. 28, p. 178), by F. W. Rudler. Glaciers and their effects are described in Glacier (Vol. 12, p. 60), by E. C. Spicer.
In teaching rudimentary things about the heavens, it is well to note that Constellation (Vol. 7, p. 11), by Charles Everitt, contains star-maps by which the positions may easily be recognized. After reading Star (Vol. 25, p. 784), by A. S. Eddington, of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, many wonders of the heavens about the number of the stars, their distances, the variable and double stars, etc., may be told the child. The same is true of the articles Planet (Vol. 21, p. 714), by Dr. Simon Newcomb, director of the American Nautical Almanac and professor of mathematics in the Navy, and of the separate accounts of all the different planets; Comet (Vol. 6, p. 759), by Dr. Newcomb; and Nebula (Vol. 19, p. 332), by A. S. Eddington, etc. These are all very fully illustrated. Ideas as to the structure of the universe, the origin of the solar system, etc., will be found in Nebular Theory (Vol. 19, p. 333), by Sir Robert S. Ball, professor of astronomy, Cambridge University.
The Training of the Hand
A great many children show a liking for the mechanical arts and are curious about processes of manufacture. Parents will find in the new Britannica complete information about the marvelous things ingenious machines do and how they do them; for example, Spinning (Vol. 25, p. 685), by T. W. Fox, professor of textiles in the University of Manchester; Cotton-Spinning Machinery (Vol. 7, p. 301), also by Professor Fox; Weaving (Vol. 28, p. 440), by Professor Fox, with illustrations; Hosiery (Vol. 13, p. 788), by Thomas Brown, of the Incorporated Weaving, Dyeing and Printing College, Glasgow; Carpet (Vol. 5, p. 392), by A. S. Cole, assistant secretary for art, Board of Education, England; Silk (Vol. 25, p. 96), by Frank Warner, president of the Silk Association of Great Britain and Ireland; Richard Snow, examiner in silk throwing and spinning for the City and Guilds of London Institute, and Arthur Mellor; Flour and Flour Manufacture (Vol. 10, p. 548), by G. F. Zimmer, author of Mechanical Handling of Material; Rope and Rope Making (Vol. 23, p. 713), by Thomas Woodhouse, head of the weaving and textile department, Technical College, Dundee; Sugar, Sugar Manufacture (Vol. 26, p. 35), by A. Chapman, designer and constructor of sugar machinery, and Valentine W. Chapman.
The Foundation of Good Taste
An important service to education is rendered by the Britannica in the way that it supplements and extends education received in the school. There, far too often children learn little or nothing of the world of art, of the beautiful creations of the human intellect by means of which, even before the dawn of history, men attempted to express in concrete form their sense of beauty. It is surely most desirable for children to have an idea, at least, of principles and styles of architecture; of ancient and modern painting and sculpture—to know the chief characteristics of schools of art; to have a little knowledge of musical forms, of what a symphony, a concerto, a sonata, an opera, are; to be able to recognize a piece of Dresden, Sèvres, Italian faience, Copenhagen, or Wedgwood ware when they see it; to know the different periods and styles of furniture; to tell Bohemian from Venetian glass; to be familiar with lovely textiles and fabrics and to appreciate their true value. Such knowledge is the foundation of good taste. It serves to arouse appreciation of, and respect for, the objects with which a child is surrounded, and leads to delightful interests, recreations and occupations in later years. There are few better and more constant uses to which the Britannica can be put than the systematic education of children in matters of general culture and refined taste.
Knowledge of the Fine Arts
A list of articles to serve this purpose would be too long to give here. They are easily found by means of other chapters in this Guide. But special mention may be made of Architecture (Vol. 2, p. 369), by R. Phené Spiers, master of the architectural school, Royal Academy, London, by John Bilson, of the University of Manchester, and others; Painting (Vol. 20, p. 459), by Prof. G. B. Brown of Edinburgh University; L. Bénédite, keeper of the Luxembourg Gallery, Paris; Richard Muther, professor of modern art, Breslau University; and John C. Van Dyke, professor of history of art, Rutgers College; Sculpture (Vol. 24 p. 488), by Marion H. Spielmann, formerly editor, Magazine of Art, P. G. Konody, art critic of the Observer, L. Bénédite, and Dr. J. H. Middleton, Slade professor of fine art, Cambridge University; Ceramics (Vol. 5, p. 703), by Hon. William Burton, chairman, Joint Committee of Pottery Manufacturers of Great Britain, R. L. Hobson of the British Museum, and other authorities; Glass (Vol. 12, p. 86), by Alexander Nesbitt, H. J. Powell, author of Glass Making, and Dr. W. Rosenhain of the National Physical Laboratory, England; Lace (Vol. 16, p. 37), by A. S. Cole, author of Embroidery and Lace; Furniture (Vol. 11, p. 363), by J. Penderel-Brodhurst. All of these articles are superbly illustrated, and this feature alone would give them a direct educational value for young people.
The Best Picture-Book in the World
In fact, the new Britannica may be said to be the greatest and most varied picture book in existence. There are 7,000 text illustrations and 450 full-page plates. This suggests at once a special use for the work in making children familiar, by purely pictorial means, with objects they should learn to recognize. When a child asks for a description of some object whose name has aroused his curiosity, it is safe to say that an accurate picture of it will be found in the new Britannica. Suppose that he has heard of a dirigible balloon and wants to know how it differs from the ordinary balloon which he has seen. The index will guide his instructor to the article Aeronautics (Vol. 1, p. 260), with two full-page plates of dirigible balloons. A child can learn to distinguish the breeds of domestic animals from the illustrations alone. Thirst for mechanical knowledge may be satisfied by such articles as Steam Engine (Vol. 25, p. 818), with about 70 illustrations, by Prof. J. A. Ewing, of Cambridge University; Watch (Vol. 28, p. 362), by Lord Grimthorpe and Sir H. H. Cunynghame; Lighthouse (Vol. 16, p. 627), by W. T. Douglass and N. G. Gedye; Telephone (Vol. 26, p. 547), by Emile Garcke; and Lock (Vol. 16, p. 841), by A. B. Chatwood—all fully illustrated.