book-aesthete

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"May blessings be upon the head of Cadmus, the Phoenicians, or whoever it was that invented books." -Thomas Carlyle

Welcome to my virtual book collection. Since collecting actual books is somewhat cost-prohibitive, I've begun to amass all of the books I would love to have if I had the means. Some are new, lots are old, all are unique or beautiful or unusual or in some other way have captured my fancy. Enjoy browsing!

Special Collections: Fine Bindings ~ Fairies and Fairy Tales ~ Terror and Madness ~ Poetry ~ Food, Drink and Apothecary ~ Science Fiction ~ Illuminations, Lettering and Hand-Coloring ~ Magic ~ Supernatural and Occult ~ Alchemy ~ Science and Technical ~ Maritime ~ Costumes ~ Humor ~ Children's books ~ Legend of King Arthur ~ Americana ~ 18th Century ~ 19th Century

Authors and illustrators: Edgar Allan Poe ~ Jules Verne ~ Edmund Dulac ~ Kay Nielsen ~ Arthur Rackham ~ Edward Gorey ~ Charles Dickens ~ H.P. Lovecraft ~ William Hope Hodgson ~ Mark Twain ~ Lewis Carroll ~ Salvador Dali ~ George Cruikshank ~ Emily Dickinson ~ Geoffrey Chaucer ~ H.G. Wells

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Stone, Herbert Stuart, ed. Essays from the Chap-Book [and] New stories from the Chap-Book being a miscellany of curious and interesting tales, histories, &c.; newly composed by many celebrated writers and very delightful to read. Chicago: Herbert S. Stone & Co., 1896 & 1898. 8vo (17.8 cm, 7”). I: vi, [2], [5]–262, [19 (adv.)] pp. II: [6], 260, [2] pp.

Bindings: Both volumes in publisher’s pinkish-tan cloth, all edges gilt. Vol. I’s spine in dark blue, each cover with A.E. Borie’s Art Nouveau design of a woman walking down the street while reading, stamped in black, green, yellow, and blue. Vol. II’s spine in red, covers each with striking black and red reproduction of Claude Bragdon’s Chap-Book poster of the “Sandwich Man”: a vignette of a bowler-hatted man in triplicate, wearing Chap-Book sandwich boards.