There is a great deal of interest for youth literature in general and youth magazines in particular. Not only from readers who wish to enjoy or relive the culture of the past, but also from people specialized in the field of youth publications. These readers come from disciplines such as history, literature and pedagogy, and they need texts and images in print.

Youth magazines are a wonderful source of information because they are a part of our history. They tell us a tremendous amount about everyday life. Between the lines or often quite explicitly, they give us a glimpse into society’s norms and values. The contents provide us with a picture of people’s past conceptions of, for instance, rich and poor, foreign cultures, the world of children or the relationship between adults and children. We get this information from the type of stories and subjects, the style in which the reader is addressed and the publications’ design. In addition, we make the acquaintance of Dutch authors and illustrators, whether famous or not so well known. Since magazines are also intended to be pleasing to the eye, they are often illustrated in an attractive way.

This digital collection provides access to dozens of volumes of a total of nine special youth magazines. The oldest magazine, Voor de kinderkamer (For the playroom), dates back to 1883, the most recent one, Het kinder-kompas (The children’s compass), was first published in 1936. By digitalizing these magazines, a small portion of our literary and cultural heritage has been made available to the interested reader.