Detail face image from the Copper engraving from the expanded second edition of Hanmer's illustrated Works of Shakespeare
Illustrated - Art, Photography, Architecture, Rare Books

The Illustrative Processes: Etching

Etching falls under the intaglio and engraving category of printmaking, where the printing press applies great force to push ink into lines. Though an etching is an engraving, not all… Read more

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silver and ivory hornbook

Rare Books

The Weird and The Wonderful:
The Silver and Ivory Hornbook

This week, “The Weird and the Wonderful” is taking a look at one of my favorite Bauman items: our ivory and silver hornbook. While most hornbooks were educational devices–functional, utilitarian–this… Read More

cowles atlas

Rare Books

Preserving Rare Books: Paper Repair and Reinforcement

As we’ve discussed in previous blog posts, books have it rough. The price of reading–no matter how careful you are–is a certain amount of wear and tear. It’s no wonder… Read More

image of syzyk and war orphans feature

Illustrated - Art, Photography, Architecture

The Weird and The Wonderful:
Arthur Szyk’s War Orphans

This week, I want to take a look at one of my favorite pieces: Arthur Szyk’s War Orphans. Read More

A rebacked copy of Locke's Works with bright gilt

Rare Books

Preserving Rare Books: Rebacking and Respining

To paraphrase The Velveteen Rabbit, “[Rare] isn’t how you are made… It’s a thing that happens to you.” Before rare books become rare, they’re just books. Books are left haphazardly… Read More

Detail from the Funeral Procession Plate

Rare Books

The Weird and the Wonderful:
Isaac Titsingh’s Illustrations of Japan

Today, it’s hard to imagine an inaccessible land–a place entirely removed from trade, travel, illustration, photography, and film. In the early 1800s, it was easy to imagine such a place…. Read More

Orpheus Mosaic at Woodchester

Rare Books

The Weird and the Wonderful:
Lysons’ An Account Of Roman Antiquities Discovered At Woodchester In The County Of Gloucester

Samuel Lysons’ An Account of Roman Antiquities Discovered at Woodchester in the County of Gloucester suffers from an unusual problem: excessive specificity of title. The excitement of Roman antiquities gets… Read More

Romeyn Hough's American Woods samples

Rare Books

The Weird and The Wonderful:
Romeyn Hough’s American Woods

Romeyn Hough’s plan was ambitious: a 15-volume set featuring veneers from every American tree (or, as even his prospectus admitted, “at least the most important”)… Read More

page from winnie the pooh book

Children's Lit

The Story Behind A.A. Milne’s Pooh Books

  “Isn’t it funny how a bear loves honey?” One of the most familiar storybook bears is Winnie-the-Pooh created by A.A. Milne. How did he come to be? Milne was… Read More

mood of the moment book cover

Illustrated - Art, Photography, Architecture

The Knave of Hearts Illustrated by Maxfield Parrish

Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to hear the truth of an old legend that has persisted wrongly through the ages; Read More

1698 first edition of Sidney’s Discourses Concerning Government

American Revolution

Books the Founders Read: Sidney’s Discourses Concerning Government

In this new series, I’ll highlight books that the Founding Fathers read, owned, wrote about, and were influenced by— works that were important in the creation of the United States… Read More