Category Archives: Europe

See Naples and sleep with the books

Posted on June 20, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

The Mondadori Bookstore in Naples’ Vomero District has made it possible to spend the night surrounded by thousands of books. Under the name Mooks Bed & Books, the bookshop has installed two beautiful suites, each furnished with antiques and thousands of books … Continue reading →

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Little Free Bogskab

Posted on June 16, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Leave to the Danes to create a wonderful little free library and situated it on the waterfront in a popular public park. The Bryggens Bogskab (bogskab means book case) is the brainchild of two book -loving residents of the Islands … Continue reading →

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Never Underestimate The Hanseatic League

Posted on June 14, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

This recently discovered map of London from 1572 was created by the engraver Frans Hogenburg. Commissioned by the free-wheeling capitalists of the Hanseatic League,it provides a fascinating aerial view of the rapidly growing capital city. It shows that there was … Continue reading →

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Island Reading

Posted on June 11, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Residents of the tiny Greek island of Kimolos, located in the southwest of the Cyclades island group, have installed free lending libraries at all the major beaches of the island to make tourists’ visits even more enjoyable. The little free … Continue reading →

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Words and Music

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts has evolved from the humble  Worthy Farm Pop Festival in 1970 headlined by T-Rex and attended by around 1,500 people, to a renowned cultural phenomena—one of the biggest festivals in the world. Over the … Continue reading →

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La Sagesse

Posted on June 9, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

La Sagesse (1940-1941). Tamara de Lempicka (Polish, 1898-1980). Oil on panel. La Sagesse, or “Wisdom,” takes its inspiration from the Old Masters, all the while exuding Lempicka’s signature style. The layout and type of figure in this painting bring to … Continue reading →

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In Bruges

Posted on June 4, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit Bruges before it became completely Disney-fied by over tourism. Still, I never got to see the Belgian gem as viewed in these amazing Photochrom prints from the 1890s. This … Continue reading →

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All animals are equal…

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

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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Alternative Literary Mapping

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

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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Banksy pranks Venice

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

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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