My Father's Encyclopedias

While cleaning my sewing room, I came across my father's 1934 World Book encyclopedias, as well as my own 1961 Collier's edition. He was 10 years old when he got his books and I was 11. My grandmother kept his until she felt I was old enough to take good care of them. As a child, I spent many hours carefully turning the yellowed pages, studying the odd photos and drawings. Look how much bigger the 1961 stack is than the 1934! Oh, and to the left is a dictionary that was a gift from a guy I was dating in 1979, right before I met Mike. How many people you know have received dictionaries as a token of affection?

In the 1934 World Book, there is only one entry for "World War" because, of course, there had been only one prior to 1934. Here is a photo of the "Leaders of the Allied Powers" and the "Leaders of the Central Powers."

The section on Frank Lloyd Wright is one short paragraph, and begins: "Wright, Frank Lloyd (1869- )" because he was still living, as was Orville Wright (1871- ). Interesting stuff.