Category Archives: History

Library of Exile

Posted on March 20, 2020 by

I first discovered the ceramic artist and writer Edmund de Waal through his best-selling book The Hare with the Amber Eyes. If you are not familiar with the memoir, it’s a compelling read that encompasses not only de Waal’s family history, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Books, Europe, Freedom of Speech, History, Libraries, Museums, Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Bookmobile with an Italian accent

Posted on March 19, 2020 by

UNA NUOVA INIZIATIVA PER LA DIFFUSIONE DEL LIBRO proclaims the title at the top of the photo, or, in English, A New Initiative for Distributing Books. The early 1920s bookmobile was actually publisher’s method of selling books to the public, not … Continue reading →

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Conquest of Mars

Posted on March 17, 2020 by

Here is copy number 55 of the first edition of Edison’s Conquest of Mars by Garrett P. Serviss. There were only 1,500 copies in the first edition, and only 1,450 of those were offered for general distribution. Serviss, an astronomer, wrote Conquest in 1898; … Continue reading →

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Free Books (really)

Posted on March 13, 2020 by

h/t to Stanislav and Milen for the extensive links FAMOUS AUTHORS Classic Bookshelf: This site has put classic novels online, from Charles Dickens to Charlotte Bronte. The Online Books Page: The University of Pennsylvania hosts this book search and database. … Continue reading →

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World Book Day Through History

Posted on March 3, 2020 by

 

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Happy Birthday George

Posted on February 22, 2020 by

Happy birthday, George Washington! To celebrate  the actual anniversary, check out this Atlas created in 1932 by the United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission. It is a collection of 85 maps that are associated with Washington including many maps he … Continue reading →

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Regrets, I’ve had a few

Posted on February 19, 2020 by

Here at TBTP World Headquarters we spend way too much time reminiscing about books bought, sold, and collected over the years. This inevitably leads to uncomfortable regrets about the items passed over at book sales, sold below the actual value, … Continue reading →

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Celebrate with Patience and Fortitude

Posted on February 18, 2020 by

The New York Public Library is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. An elite group of librarians from NYPL have created a list of 125 books from the last 125 years that inspire a lifelong love of reading. Even Patience … Continue reading →

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Illustrious Illustrations

Posted on February 12, 2020 by

For book geeks like me, this huge online library of thousands of old book illustrations  is a time-sucking rabbit hole. But if you are game, it offers a treasure trove of searchable images by name, artist, source, date, and which … Continue reading →

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Never Forget

Posted on January 21, 2020 by

A temporary holocaust monument titled Levenslicht (Lifelight)  created by artist Daan Roosegaarde lights up Rotterdam with 104,000 luminescent memorial stones that represent the 104,000 Dutch holocaust victims of the Nazis during WWII.  The monument, which recalls the Jewish custom of … Continue reading →

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