Sprüngli,J.J.

The Youth Festivals. A gift of friends for the year 1840 for the youth, their parents, teachers and friends. Zurich, Schultheß 1840. cl.8°. With lithogr. front. and 9 folded lithogr. plates, as well as numerous typogr. music notes. VIII, 197 PP. Illustrated op. bd. (Somewhat spotted a. best.). Very rare second and last volume. Geßmann/Reuter, Kinder- u. Jugendliteratur zu Sport und Spiel, 631: "Even before the middle of the 19th century a youth festival movement got going in Switzerland, which advocated the creation of a pedagogically oriented folk festival culture suitable for children and youth. The focus of such youth festivals is on "joyful, sociable outdoor games of movement". These festivals aim to unite the town and village community, but above all the school community, and thus pursue similar purposes as the play festivals and school festivals of today". - Cf. Seebaß 1829 and Coll. Hürlimann 301 (both only vol. 1 of 1838). - Contains a report on the youth festival in Zofingen 1839 and descriptions of numerous games and songs with melodies. The plates mostly show children's games (sack race, rope fight, blind march, etc.). - Somewhat foxing.