Hornbook
Date1670-1720
Mediumpaper, ink, oak, brass, horn, iron
ClassificationsInformation Artifacts
Credit LineGift of Albert C. Bates
Object number1953.9.0
DescriptionHornbook consisting of a paper label with the alphabet and the Lord's Prayer covered with horn, which is held by a brass strip and iron nails. All of this is on an oak plaque with a small handle or bottom.
NotesSubject Note: Hornbooks and battledores were two early literacy teaching aids. A hornbook was a primer for children, used from the 15th to the 18th century, consisting of a sheet of paper (or parchment) mounted on a thin wooden paddle, usually with a handle that was perforated so that the hornbook could be hung at the child’s girdle, or belt. The sheet usually had the alphabet, some pairs of letters, and a religious verse, often the Lord's Prayer. Because paper was so expensive, parents and teachers wanted to protect it. So they covered the paper with a very thin piece of cow's horn which was so thin, you could see right through it. Thus, the name, hornbook came to be used to describe this type of “book.”Status
Not on view
