Category Archives: History

Behind The Scenes

Posted on May 19, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

The exterior of the Thomas Fisher Library offers little clue to the extraordinary treasures inside. Now we can take a ten-minute, behind-the-scenes tour through the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library in Toronto, Canada, where we can discover a First Folio, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Books, Canada, History, Libraries | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century

Posted on May 15, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

The 1827 novel, The Mummy: A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century,  by Jane Webb, was reissued last month as part of the Haunted Library of Horror Classics series. Originally issued as a three-volume pocket-sized novel, the book concerns the Egyptian mummy … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, ebooks, Europe, Film, History | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

“Where they burn books, they will also ultimately burn people.”

Posted on May 7, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Sadly, book banning and even book burning continues to be in the news here in the USA. Just this week, I saw a video of members of a State legislature demanding the books that they found objectionable be removed from … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Freedom of Speech, History, Libraries, USA | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Forgotten Books, Forgotten Stories

Posted on May 6, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Last month, I found a very interesting piece in Smithsonian Magazine titled “How Much Medieval Literature Has Been Lost Over the Centuries,” which linked to six-minute video from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the journal Science … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, History, Libraries, Tech | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Do Not Pee Towards Russia

Posted on May 5, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

The brutal and unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to serious discussions about expanding NATO and frequent examinations of existing European borders. Russia has land borders with fourteen countries, but just five of them are currently NATO members. Ironically, … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, History, Maps, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Haunted Library

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Who doesn’t love an old fashioned haunted library. I recently learned about the library at Felbrigg Hall, a 17th-century country house in Norfolk, England that is home to a genuine bibliophile ghost. Set in a grand National Trust country home, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Books, Europe, History, Libraries, Museums, Tourism | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Museums About Everything

Posted on April 30, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

If you visit TBTP regularly, you are probably aware that I have a bit of a museum obsession. In fact, it’s been said that I never miss the opportunity to visit a museum no matter how small or obscure. Now, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Books, History, Museums, Tourism | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Book of Kells

Posted on April 25, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

One of the highlights of a trip to Dublin for any bibliophile is a visit to the magnificent Trinity College Library. And the most popular attraction in the library is the amazing 9th century Book of Kells. The devotional text … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, History, Libraries, Tourism | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

“LIBRARIAN – HAPPY EASTER X”

Posted on April 17, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

“LIBRARIAN – HAPPY EASTER X”, just  three words and a signature X was all it took to once again open one of Britain’s most intriguing literary mysteries of the 21st century. In November 2000, a pair of notebooks belonging to … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, History, Libraries, Museums, Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

NYC Coffee Culture

Posted on April 15, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

There have been coffee houses in New York City since the Dutch “bought” Manhattan from the local Algonquins. One of the first successfull coffeeshop chains actually predated Starbucks by half a century and surprisingly had an intimate connection to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, History, Restaurants, South America, USA | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment