THE MATERIAL CULTURE OF CHILDREN AND CHILDHOOD Understanding Childhood Objects in the Museum Context

This article examines the issues and problems surrounding the material culture of children and childhood, with the aim of making children more visible within material culture studies. It presents results from recent research examining such material culture within the accredited museum collections of mainland Britain, and compares the data from this study to expectations and statements made in the small body of existing literature in this field. Evidence is offered to both challenge and confirm ideas, and new perspectives on this area are offered, notably that 'the material culture of children' and 'the material culture of childhood' should be considered distinguishable and separate entities.