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
Polar, Travel
John Franklin: The Man Who Ate His Boots, Part I
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, it’s sometimes difficult not to romanticize explorers. Never mind the specifics of terrain or method of transport; never mind the fact that many of us wouldn’t… Read More
19th Century, Literature
The Story Behind A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
…how he wept over it, and laughed and wept again…how he walked thinking of it fifteen and twenty miles about the black streets of London, and many a night after… Read More
American Revolution, History
Forgotten Founders: John Dickinson, Part 2
In Part 1, I explained why John Dickinson, the “Penman of the Revolution,” became a Forgotten Founder. In Parts 2 and 3, I’ll show you some of Dickinson’s most important… Read More
Great Leaders, Literature
5 Books and Their Presidents
The popularity of Ian Fleming’s books in America rose dramatically in 1961 after President John F. Kennedy was reported to have named From Russia, With Love as one of his… Read More
Travel
Blood and Thunder: Collecting the Wild West
Americans love a dustup. But it’s not until the smoke clears that we realize what we’ve done and how much our civilization has changed. The Wild West lasted but a… Read More
Rare Books 101
Books are the Best Gifts. Here’s Why.
When an occasion arises that requires a gift, naturally my thoughts turn first toward books. They are highly personal. They have the capacity to change your life. This is why… Read More
Polar, Travel
Ernest Shackleton: Mr. Popularity, Part III
By most reasonable standards, the actions of Ernest Shackleton and his crew during the Endurance expedition (1914-1917) can only be categorized as heroic. Indeed, given the string of calamities that… Read More
Religion
Bibles Don’t Get Any Bigger Than This: The Macklin Bible of 1800
If you’ve ever visited our Las Vegas gallery, you’ve probably noticed that we have a sort of inner sanctum built in. Just behind that huge wall of books is the… Read More
American Revolution, History
Forgotten Founders: John Dickinson, Part 1
John Dickinson, the “Penman of the Revolution,” was the most prolific and influential political writer of the period and a famous defender of American rights and liberties. Thomas Jefferson wrote… Read More
Illustrated - Art, Photography, Architecture
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Destruction of The Box
Genius bordering on maniacal attention to detail defines the seventy-year career of the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. A master of all of the tools at his disposal, Wright frequently… Read More