Illustrated - Art, Photography, Architecture, Rare Books
The Weird and the Wonderful: Metropolitan Opera Fine Art
Less a book than a portfolio of rare art prints, this collection of limited edition poster prints–each one of just 25–displays the innovative poster art created for the Metropolitan Opera…. Read more
Illustrated - Art, Photography, Architecture
Aubrey Beardsley’s Birth, Life, and Acts of King Arthur
I’ve mentioned more than once the influence of Aubrey Beardsley on the artists featured in this miniseries – e.g., Kay Nielsen (see “Tales from the Old North”) and Harry Clarke… Read More
Literature, Moderns
The Story Behind the First Edition of Ulysses by James Joyce
The first edition of perhaps the greatest English book of the 20th century was published by a bookstore, in Paris, which had never printed a book before, and never would… Read More
Illustrated - Art, Photography, Architecture
Ballet by Alexey Brodovitch
This is one of my favorite photobooks. It has it all – moving images, superb design and a great story. It stands as a one-of-a kind testament to the innovation of… Read More
Illustrated - Art, Photography, Architecture
Alice in Wonderland, Illustrated by Salvador Dalí
Little known fact: Lewis Carroll paid for the printing of Alice in Wonderland himself. Surprisingly, this isn’t actually all that unusual when it comes to illustrated titles published in the… Read More
19th Century, Literature
The Story: Walt Whitman’s First Edition Leaves of Grass
One of the world’s most important books of poetry may never have been published if the poet had not been a printer himself. I speak of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass,… Read More
Illustrated - Art, Photography, Architecture
Walker Evans: American Photographs
Travelling the land of the free, Walker Evans released photography in America from a cultural lockdown. By training his eye on the effects of the Depression era, he redrew the… Read More
Illustrated - Art, Photography, Architecture
E.A. Poe’s Tales of Mystery and Imagination, illustrated by Harry Clarke
I’ve always had a hazy kind of affection for Edgar Allan Poe. His stories are strange and rich; his poems are satisfyingly moody. (He was also my middle school’s namesake… Read More
Illustrated - Art, Photography, Architecture
Bill Brandt: A Night in London
Viewing the images in Bill Brandt’s A Night in London reminds me of Sherlock Holmes. As I turn the pages, I am transported to foggy nights in the capital city,… Read More
Illustrated - Art, Photography, Architecture
Gustave Doré: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
In the mid- to late-19th century, there emerged a publishing practice of “gift books.” These editions were elaborately bound and often extensively illustrated. Usually published in the fall – with… Read More
Illustrated - Art, Photography, Architecture
Delicate Nocturnal Moments
After seeing the dark mystery and intrigue to be had in Paris at night in the thirties, Brassaï took it upon himself to leave no source of light or reflection… Read More