Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

Poster House

New Yorkers and tourists too can now visit a new museum entirely dedicated to the art of posters.The Poster House, located in Manhattan’s Chelsea district and which features an identity designed by Pentagram’s Paula Scher, will be the first museum of its … Continue reading →

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We Sing The Body Electric

Today is Walt Whitman’s 200th birthday . This offers an important opportunity to reassess his tremendous contributions to American life and literature at a time when our country is so polarized. The University of Pennsylvania Libraries and the Pew Center … Continue reading →

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Writer’s Block

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All animals are equal…

I recently ran across the wonderful 50th anniversary edition of the first U.S. publication of George Orwell’s Animal House. Issued in 1995, Animal House: A Fairy Story features 100 mindblowing illustrations by the inimitable Ralph Steadman. Along with the addition of the brilliant illustrations, … Continue reading →

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For Readers

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Alternative Literary Mapping

Map loving bibliophiles at In The Book designed this clever alternative London Tube map, replacing actual station names with titles from novels set nearby. Covering just zones one and two, the map features book titles from authors including Zadie Smith, Arthur Conan … Continue reading →

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Some Books

Some books leave us free and some books make us free. –Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Cringeworthy but on the nose

If you stop by this humble blog on a regular basis, you are probably aware that I love good faux book cover art. I recently ran across this selection and thought that I’d share some. While they’re all amusing, they … Continue reading →

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A view of nature in ascending regions

These illustrations are from Levi Walter Yaggy’s Geograpahical Portfolio – Comprising Physical, Political, Geological, and Astronomical Geography. Published by Western Publishing House of Chicago in 1887, the book features large educational geographical charts. Using chromolithography, Yaggy created stunning colors and contrasts in his … Continue reading →

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Banksy pranks Venice

So it seems that that lovable street art scamp known as Banksy has brought his personal commentary on overtourism, commercialism, and the art world to Venice on the heels of the pretentious Biennale.

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