The Yellow Book. Volume III. October, 1894. London: John Lane. — Source. One of the many covers for the journal executed by Aubrey Beardsley
From: The Public Domain Review, The Art of Book Covers (1820 – 1914)
I’ve had this tab open for ages because I really wanted to share this story with you, which is cool and sad atb the same time, as it shows how modern notions of society have clouded the vision on the past.
What Anita Radini noticed under the microscope was the blue—a brilliant blue that seemed so unnatural, so out of place in the 1,000-year-old dental tartar she was gently dissolving in weak acid.
It was ultramarine, she would later learn, a pigment that a millennium ago could only have come from lapis lazuli originating in a single region of Afghanistan. This blue was once worth its weight in gold. It was used, most notably, to give the Virgin Mary’s robes their striking color in centuries of artwork. And the teeth that were embedded with this blue likely belonged to a scribe or painter of medieval manuscripts.
Who was that person? A woman, first of all. According to radiocarbon dating, she lived around 997 to 1162, and she was buried at a women’s monastery in Dalheim, Germany. And so these embedded blue particles in her teeth illuminate a forgotten history of medieval manuscripts: Not just monks made them. In the medieval ages, nuns also produced the famously laborious and beautiful books. And some of these women must have been very good, if they were using pigment as precious and rare as ultramarine.
Read the whole story here.
Charles Kingsley. The Water Babies. London: Macmillan and Co., 1886 — Source.
There are a lot of small details that make this one of my favourite vintage book covers; the blue leather etched to look like water, the brightly coloured flowers that float, bubbles and birds and flowing lines all adding up to the sense of being underwater.
From: The Public Domain Review, The Art of Book Covers (1820 – 1914)
Leonard Russell, The Saturday Book no. 11, 1951. Cover by Joan Hassall – source
Because it’s Saturday, of course.
From: Pinterest.ca
The History of the Devil and the Idea of Evil; from the earliest times to the present day. Paul Carus, Chicago: The Open Court Publishing Company, 1900- Source
A devilish design today done in flame red on matte black replete with a bat-winged demon (who’s looking very contemplative) and a seductive snake.
From: Pinterest.co.UK
Whilst being sick, I came across this very peculiar video:
The creations look eerily organic and uncanny alive and I have found the creators site very interesting, or, as Caine would name it “a time sink”. It is a fascinating blend of art and engineering. I think that in a virtual PC simulation it could be combined with real evolutionary algorithms these beasts could really “evolve” into even more bizzare shapes.
It also reminded me of Caine, I think she would love it.
Evie Wild. All The Birds, Singing: Penguin Random House., 2014. Cover design by Joan Wong
A change of pace for today as we look at something modern. The cover design of this book is in such stark contrast to the cheerful title that it makes me want to pick it up.
Edward J. Goodman. Too Curious. London; Guildford: Bentley & Son, 1888 — Source.
Simple. Elegant. Effective.
From: The Public Domain Review, The Art of Book Covers (1820 – 1914)
The spring arrival of cherry blossom season is cause for celebration across Japan. There are published charts that track the progress of the blossoms from south to north and every region has festivals to bring people outside to enjoy the splendid views. I’ll never get to Japan to see the spectacle in person, but thanks to the internet I can still see the splendid views and live a bit vicariously. I’ve gathered a few of my favourite photos of cherry blossoms in Japan for you to see as well. Enjoy. [Read more…]
Lord Dunsany. The Book of Wonder. London: William Heinemann, 1912 — Source.
From: The Public Domain Review, The Art of Book Covers (1820 – 1914)
E. A. Bowles. My Garden in Spring. London: T. C. & E. C. Jack, 1914 — Source. Cover design by Katherine Cameron
I love books. Real books with real paper are a treat for the senses. I love the way they feel in my hand, the way they smell and the way they catch my eye. That last bit, the eye-catching, is what this new series is all about; the art of designing striking books that make you stop and take a closer look. My original interest in starting this series came from The Public Domain Review and I’ll be pulling from their collections and lots of other sources. Every day you’ll get a beautiful book to admire. Many will be old, but not all. There will be a lot of art nouveau because I like art nouveau, but I’ll try to change it up and keep it interesting. I’m also willing to feature any book you might want to share as long as it’s beautiful and eyecatching. Send any of your suggestions to me at affinitysubmissions@gmail.com. The address is always in the sidebar.
Our Book today is in celebration of Spring. The art nouveau design is by Katherine Cameron and together with E.A. Bowles they created a series of garden books. If you click on the link below you can also find the covers for My garden in Autumn and Winter and My garden in Summer. Together they make a beautiful set.
From: My Beautiful Book Finds
From Nightjar,
These photos were taken in the last day of winter, just before the equinox. I brought these little red tulips from my grandma’s garden after she died and I planted them in a pot to be sure I wouldn’t lose them. It turned out to be a great idea and by moving it around I was able to capture them in different light conditions.
©Nightjar, all rights reserved
©Nightjar, all rights reserved
©Nightjar, all rights reserved
©Nightjar, all rights reserved
Multiple days of work and the result is worth it.
