Rewards of Merit: Tokens of a Child's Progress and a Teacher's Esteem as an Enduring Aspect of American Religious and Secular Education

This magnificently produced book is the first ever published about "Rewards of Merit" printed cards, certificates and engraved medals that schoolteachers gave their students for success in scholarship and good behavior. Though a majority of the ephemera were machine-printed, many were also painstakingly illustrated and colored by hand. These pieces demonstrate the art of American printing, typefaces, graphic arts and illustration in every aspect of their production. Beautifully photographed in full color, these certificates of achievement reflect almost 500 examples from 19th century and Victorian engraving, calligraphy, printing, illustration and folk-art through turn-of-the-century graphics.

This is the first book published about the awards given to school children by their teachers, charting the appearance and evolution of various awards over the decades and revealing how American religious and secular education developed standards of and rewards for merit. The embellished survey will prove exciting for any involved in teaching. -- Midwest Book Review