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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
MAGIC FEATS by Majikans - A Miscellany of Practical Magic
1948From my own collection
via
paperthehouse
2 years ago on July 22, 2010 at 03:51pm
White Magic Decremps, H. Paris, et se trouve à Liége, F.J. Desoer, 1789-1791. 5 vols. 8vo. Contemporary three quarter green morocco, spine with gilt ornaments and red morocco title labels, sides marbled. Three frontispieces, portrait of Descremps, with 184 woodcut illustrations in text, depicting all different conjuring tricks and solutions, numerous woodcut vignettes and 2 folding plates depicting tables of arithemics.
Rare complete set of the popular text books on white magic and the conjurer’s art by the French author Henri Decremps (1746-1826). This work is regarded as the most important work on magic after Reginald Scot’s The discoverie of Witchcraft, 1584. It was translated into the English and published by Thomas Denton in 1785 under the title “The conjurer unmasked”.
2 years ago on July 12, 2010 at 03:48pm
I Giuochi numerici fatti arcani palesati Alberti, Giuseppe Francesco Antonio. Venice, Giovanni Battista Locatelli, 1788. 8vo. Modern half vellum with red morocco title label on spine. With woodcut vignette on title, 57 figures depicting conjuring tricks on 16 engraved full-page plates bound at the end, and many printed tables and figures in the text. 156 pp.
The third edition of this handbook on mathematics and conjuring, containing puzzles, tricks with cards and dices and problems relating to the theory of numbers and sleight of hand by Antonio Giuseppe Alberti (1712 - 1768), a hydraulic architect and a road engineer.
2 years ago on June 30, 2010 at 06:41pm
Magic: Stage Illusions and Scientific Diversions including Trick Photography
Hopkins, Albert A.
Publisher: Munn & Co., 1897
3 years ago on April 03, 2010 at 05:52pm
Illustration of an apothecary mixing theriac
Hortus Sanitatis, 1491
“There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.” - Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J.K. Rowling
COOL. I’m not a rabid Harry Potter fan by any means, but this exhibition, “Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic and Medicine” looks awesomely chock full of rare books and illustrations, naturally my favorite thing. And maybe it’ll get some more young’uns interested in history and natural science.
But can someone please explain why neither Oregon nor Washington seem to be on the itinerary?
3 years ago on April 03, 2010 at 01:31am
Detail of illustration of a female mandrake root - Hortus Sanitatis, 1491
“There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.” - Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J.K. Rowling
COOL. I’m not a rabid Harry Potter fan by any means, but this exhibition, “Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic and Medicine” looks awesomely chock full of rare books and illustrations, naturally my favorite thing. And maybe it’ll get some more young’uns interested in history and natural science.
But can someone please explain why neither Oregon nor Washington seem to be on the itinerary?
3 years ago on April 02, 2010 at 03:48pm
FLIPBOOK. (AMBIGU MAGIQUE): Flipping through the world of magic. Six series of 28 engraved figures. ca.1776 8vo. Contemporary green wrappers, with title label on spine with the text: ‘Ambigu Magique’; preserved in slipcase. Six series of 28 different engraved figures, all coloured by hand: 168 plates in total. 2 lvs. with calendar mounted on the back of the front, resp. back cover, 1 somewhat smaller leaf (preface) and 96 unnumbered lvs.
…Very rare magic book, in French called an ‘Ambigu Magique’, with six series of 28 different figures of: playing cards (4 different cards), religious persons (nuns (4), monks, friars, ministers, clergymen, etc. (8) in more or less satirical positions, clowns (4), soldiers in military costumes (4) and flowers (4). The religious persons with French captions: ‘La Mere Goutte’ (a nun presenting a glass of wine), ‘La Mere Daillon’ (a nun with enema), ‘L’Abbé Ziele’ (minister with music book), ‘L’Abbé Daine’ (minister with newspaper), ‘Le pere Oquet’ (monk behind a window with bars), ‘Le Pere Manent’ (clergyman with curling beard, ‘La Mere Luche’ (nun with a basket with fish), ‘La Mere Idienne’ (sleeping nun), ‘L’Abbé Tise’ (minister looking exalted), ‘L’AbbéQuille’ (ministerreading the news with a magnifier), ‘Le pere Clus’ (monk with hood), ‘Le Pere Turbateur’ (clergyman looking worried).
Gorgeous!
3 years ago on March 12, 2010 at 03:51pm
Complete Works of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim, 1550 via Weirus.com
Published during the XVI century, the works of Agrippa are foundational to both western secular and occult thought. In his own time, although admired and feared by many as a powerful magician, he was hunted as a heretic and necromancer, his books were burned and he was condemned by the Inquisition.
Look at the SIZE of this thing!
3 years ago on January 02, 2010 at 12:58pm
