Category archives: Books
Marbled Wallpaper
I was struck by these endpapers and decided to form a company to reproduce marbled paper as wallpaper. Has anyone ever done that? In any case, I’m going to need 5 million dollars immediately.
Beard Bracket – Teaser (4) w/ chin beard
It’s likely that neither of these will make the field, but here is a jaunty cabinet photo with signature of Charles Dana (one time editor of the Brook Farm newspaper The Harbinger among other endeavors) and a really stellar example… continue reading »
Cinco de Mayo y El Cocinera Mexicano
Having just realized that next week’s Boston Book Fair is taking place on Cinco de Mayo, I’ve put together a group of 19th and early 20th century Mexican cookbooks to bring to the fair… Cinco de Mayo celebrates a Mexican… continue reading »
Some Nice Examples of “Tree Calf”
Named for the tree-like design left behind by the treatment with acidic chemicals, tree-calf (and it’s less arboreal cousin, acid calf) were popular binding choices from the late 18th century until well into the 19th. These are particularly lovely examples… continue reading »
Les Habitants de Suriname: From the 1883 Colonial Exhibition, Amsterdam
Before the World’s Fair, there was the Colonial Exhibition; a chance for the various imperialisms of Europe to exhibit all the terrific things they’d dug up around the world in a pleasant, civilized, atmosphere. The 1883 Amsterdam exhibition (Internationale Koloniale… continue reading »
Beadle’s Frontier Pulps: Viva Turkey Foot!
A nice group of reprints of the Beadle’s Frontier Series – in all their questionable subject matter, poorly manufactured glory. I like the clever reuse of cover illustrations.
The International Exhibition of 1862
Just got copies of The London Illustrated News for 1862 which includes pages and pages on the International Exhibition which ran from May-Nov of that year in London. The exhibition highlighted the cutting edge of industrial technology — included below… continue reading »
Chillingham Castle Homer
A nice edition of An Enquiry into the Life and Writings of Homer from 1757 is an attractive period binding and the bookplate of Chillingham Castle, one of the most famous haunted castles in England. Chillingman was most famous for… continue reading »
Sporty, Dirty and Rackham: A Short Catalog of Finely Illustrated Books
All of the following books may be purchased at IOBAbooks.com (the Independent Online Bookseller’s Association) or by using the paypal links. All are guaranteed as described, are 10% off our prices elsewhere, and ship free via media mail (shipping will… continue reading »
Broadsides Irish and Dutch
A nicely printed group of broadsides from The Aardvark and other presses, most with an original woodcut and all for sale from $10-$20. There are a bunch of others, not yet catalogued, mostly in Dutch – I’ve been declaiming some… continue reading »
Occupying Pazzo
Our new window display is up — here’s a very bad picture. Can you tell that Atlas Shrugged, at the top, is pepper spraying 1984 and (clutching the edge of the platform) Bread & Wine? I’ve added a series of… continue reading »
Beard Bracket: Halfway
The play in round is complete and we have the first half of our field! Stay tuned as I put the other half together…
After Dinner Golf
A few of R. André’s charming illustrations from Hutchinson’s After Dinner Golf (from Vol I no. 1 of Country Life Illustrated, 1897). They almost make golf seem interesting.
Beard Bracket Play in Round (15,16)
This is it for the first half of Nicolay & Hay’s biography of Abraham Lincoln (extra-illustrated). I’ll pull together the second half and then the bearding really begins. Click to enlarge. Choose One.
Hans Bellmer Frontis For Justine
Attractive frontispiece by Bellmer for the Le Soleil Noir edition of Sade’s Justine ou les Malheurs de la Vertu.
Moveable Pictures in Feather & Fur
Dean & Son produced lovely moveable books starting in the 1850s – this is a nicely preserved example from around 1880. The tabs on the bottom cause two things to happen on each page (except for the owl whose wings… continue reading »
Lincoln: Spoons Butler, Burnside and Damn the Torpedoes!
Benjamin Franklin Butler, pictured in the political cartoon above directed the capture of New Orleans and was then responsible for its administration. He had issued a number of curious orders, but this cartoon refers to Butler’s General Order No. 28… continue reading »