Tag Archives: book illustration

The rockets came like locusts.

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Like many antiquarian book collectors, I tend to focus on old first editions and elaborately bound illustrated books. Doing so can result in overlooking wonderfully illustrated paperbacks and re-issues such as this terrific 1979 edition of Ray Bradbury’s science fiction … Continue reading →

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La Guerre des Mondes

Posted on May 16, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

During the past week, I stumbled on three different references to H. G. Wells’ iconic science fiction novel  The War of the Worlds, including a new French-British television  series (which was mediocre at best). The early sci-fi classic was originally … Continue reading →

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An Unknown Hobbit

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Slovak illustrator Peter Klúcik was commissioned to illustrate a new version of J R R Tolkien’s The Hobbit in 1988. For the project he created 40 illustrations that were rich in detail and quite different from previous works for Tolkien … Continue reading →

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Conquest of Mars

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

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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Alice Redux

Posted on November 26, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Lewis Carroll – illustration by Sir John Tenniel London Macmillan and Co., Limited 1927

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Time for Caturday

Posted on November 23, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Leon Underwood (1890-1975), The Siamese Cat (New York: Brentanos, 1928). Woodcut illustrations by the author. Underwood was a British born sculptor, engraver, painter and author who moved to New York City in the 1920s.  

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Go Ask Alice

Posted on October 19, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Those of you who visit TBTP on a regular basis know of my life-long affection for Lewis Carroll’s classic book. I have had many different editions since I was  a child, but I have long found Ralph Steadman’s drawings for … Continue reading →

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Classically Alice

Posted on October 18, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

This is one of the first non-Tenniel illustrated Alices issued when British copyright expired in 1907. Pictured in a white pinafore decorated with pale pink roses and grey tights, Rackham’s Alice appears both thinner and taller than Tenniel’s heroine. Muted colors, … Continue reading →

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Another Metamorphosis

Posted on September 19, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I am embarrassed to admit that I had never heard of Argentine artist and book illustrator Luis Scafati until recently. His take on Franz Kafka’s classic The Metamorphosis is creepy, but spot on. I have since discovered that Scafati has illustrated many … Continue reading →

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Tilting At Windmills

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Don Quixote of the Mancha re-told by Judge Parry Illustrated by Walter Crane London Blackie & Son Limited 1900 First Edition thus  

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