An Anthology Of Decorated Papers

This remarkable and beautiful book brings together a collection of decorated papers dating from the 16th to the 20th century. They were produced for a wide variety of uses: as wrappers and endpapers for books, as the backing for playing cards, and even as linings for chests and cases. Some decorated papers were used as humble pictures for display in churches and the home; some were sold as souvenirs to pilgrims; and others were used merely as wrappings for foodstuffs such as gingerbread and chocolate. What unites all the papers in the book is the richness of their ornamentation and the thin, flexible characteristics of the original sheets. They are all further united by having been collected by Olga Hirsch (1889-1968), a trained bookbinder who left her collection of some 3,500 papers to the British Library, where they remain one of the largest and most diverse collections of decorated papers in the world. This anthology brings together some of the most exquisite examples. It will delight and inspire designers, bibliophiles and anyone with a love of pattern and decoration.

Exploring the history and use of decorated papers in the book arts, this title reprints Loring's original text, along with an account of her life and work.

Ten sheets of wrapping paper with matching tear-out gift tags featuring a selection of the richly ornamented papers--many originally used by bookbinders--held at the British Library

A richly illustrated look at some of the British Library’s most beautiful books from around the world. For centuries across the world, books have been created as objects of beauty, with bookmakers lavishing great care on their paper, binding materials, illustrations, and lettering. The Book by Design, featuring an array of books from the British Library's collection, focuses on the sensory experience of holding and reading these objects. Each selection represents a specific moment in the development of what we know today as the book—from scrolls and bound illuminated manuscripts to paperbacks and formatted digital information. These range from the seventh century to the present and include examples from China, Japan, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America, in addition to a look at book traditions in Africa and Oceania. John James Audubon’s Birds of America, the works of Chaucer, Russian Futurist books, limited editions, historic copies of the Qur’an and the Bible, mass-market paperbacks, and more come together to tell the visual, tactile, artistic, and cultural history of books. Expert curators and specialists explore these books from the perspective of design and manufacturing, original art photographs offer vivid representations of their textures and materials, and graphics detail the size and specifications of each book. Offering a wide-ranging look at the creation and use of books, illustrated with hundreds of color images, this volume is itself an object of beauty.

War Is a Racket is a speech and a 1935 short book, by Smedley D. Butler, a retired United States Marine Corps Major General and two-time Medal of Honor recipient. Based on his career military experience, Butler frankly discusses how business interests commercially benefit (including war profiteering) from warfare. He had been appointed commanding officer of the Gendarmerie during the United States occupation of Haiti, which lasted from 1915 to 1934.

A ruled journal with a cover reproducing one of the richly ornamented papers held at the British Library.