Home » 2011 » November

The Law in Books

Law books make some of the prettiest bookshelves with their repeating colors and sometimes interesting titles. As a child I wanted to be a lawyer but somewhere in college I chose a different path. I still love legal libraries even if I don’t practice law.

Victoria Parliament law books. Image: Pawel Loj

The prettiest legal books yet. Image: Tom Woodward

Patent cases. Image: Mr. T in DC

Interesting titles from a bookshelf in a bar, of all places. Image: wrestlingentropy

A law book from 1572. Image: Time Portal

A few months ago, I wrote about a gallery owner who made a table out of law books if you’re interested in a creative use for the large tomes.

Enjoy,

Posted on November 30, 2011 by aprettybook, Reply

The Lone Star Library

The Lone Star Library is a large private collection of Texas material housed on the upper floor of The Literary Lion bookshop in Stephenville, TX. It gets its name from the popular nickname for Texas, The Lone Star State, which is a reference to the single star on the flag that has flown over Texas since it was an independent republic.

By an arrangement with the owner of the collection, the books and material are open to the public and available for research.

When you live in a large city like Dallas, you never see cowboy boots or cowboy hats and the image of a cowboy on his horse seems like a stereotype from a different era. But when you venture into the countryside, boots, hats, and horses are still a way of life.

Cowboy tales exist all across the Western U.S. but those on this shelf focus on Texas.

Charles Goodnight was a famous cattle rancher who lived near my home in the 1850s and 60s. He partnered with Oliver Loving and they drove longhorn cattle along a trail that became known as the Goodnight-Loving Trail. Later he moved to the Panhandle of Texas and was part owner in 1.3 million acres of land in and around the Palo Duro Canyon, the second largest canyon in the U.S.

Just looking at these books gives me the creeps. I hate rattlesnakes. We have cats at our house under the theory that they will eliminate the mouse population that attracts the rattlesnakes.

The Texana in the library includes anything related to Texas from popular fiction to academic research.

Along those lines, Stephenville made the headlines with a UFO sighting in 2008 and the library is collecting the various accounts of the event.

The Lone Star Library occasionally has buses of history and genealogy researchers visit to take advantage of its resources. If you’re near Dallas or Ft. Worth, the library is just another reason to stop by The Literary Lion bookshop.

Enjoy,

Posted on November 29, 2011 by aprettybook, Reply

Selexyz Dominicanen Bookstore

I suppose that if a cathedral can’t be a cathedral, a bookstore is the next best use. Selexyz Dominicanen in Maastricht, Netherlands is housed in a former Dominican monastery that has not been used as a church since Napoleon’s troops evicted the friars in 1794. Over the years it has served as a warehouse, a boxing rink, and the venue for various festivals.

The large Dutch bookstore chain, Selexyz, hired architects Merkx + Girod to design a store that retained the key elements and character of the cathedral. The renovations, including the cleaning of the ceiling frescos, took four years to complete. Image: Kevin Gessner

The bank of books rises three stories utilizing a free standing steel structure so that the walls of the cathedral are not impacted. Image: MnGyver

Shoppers have a beautiful and unique view of the space from the upper floors of the book structure. Image: Bert Kaufmann

The shelving in the children’s section follows the walls of the transept. Image: Alexandre Delbos

This massive light fixture can be seen from the entrance as it illuminates the coffee shop below. Image: Lukas Koster

The massive wooden doors carved with words are reminiscent of their medieval counterparts. Image: Alexander Mooi

Merkx + Girod won the 2007 Lensvelt de Architect Award for the Selexzy design. More stunning pictures can be found on their site. Image: Teemu Mäntynen

While I have mixed feelings about this bookstore, I admire the combination of books with the spectacular architecture. I can see why it routinely makes the Top Ten Beautiful Bookstore lists by The Guardian and Lonely Planet.

Enjoy,

Posted on November 28, 2011 by aprettybook, Reply

Weekend Treat: I’d Rather It Snow

If it’s going to be too cold to enjoy the outdoors, I’d rather it snow.

I could easily spend an afternoon here. Image: Skokie Public Library

Enjoy the weekend,

Posted on November 27, 2011 by aprettybook, Reply

Vasari Vite de Pittori

These five volumes of Vite de Pittori sat in the stall of the street bookseller near the San Lorenzo market in Florence.

The title translates to Lives of Painters by Giorgio Vasari and was originally published in the 1500s. In addition to writing biographies of artists, Vasari was the architect who designed what is known today as the Vasari Corridor.

This famous passage was commissioned by the Grand Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici so that he could walk between his palace and his office, which were on opposite sides of the Arno River, out of the public eye. The corridor rested atop the existing stores lining the Ponte Vecchio, but since they were smelly meat shops, the Grand Duke banished the butchers and replaced them with goldsmiths, who remain today.

Enjoy Vite de Pittori,

Posted on November 26, 2011 by aprettybook, Reply

Friday Collection of Pretty Books 11.25.11

It’s been an exciting week here at A Pretty Book with Thanksgiving and the announcement of our Tuscan Book Art Workshop and Retreat. Despite the excitement, there were plenty of pretty books for the collection this week.

I’m fascinated with Carnegie Libraries so I enjoyed the article about them by The Private Library. Image: University of California

Books from an antique shop in Bempton, England. Image: Rob Ellis’

Pretty orange bird bookends. Image: Elizabeth Thomsen

Bookstore kitty at Ophelia’s Books in Seattle. Image: brewbooks

Lovely old books from the Austrian National Library. Image: Craig Elliott

Other posts on A Pretty Book this week include:

Enjoy,

Posted on November 25, 2011 by aprettybook, Reply

Thanksgiving 2011

It’s Thanksgiving Day and time for turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and family.

Image: Silly Eagle Books

Happy Thanksgiving,

Posted on November 24, 2011 by aprettybook, 2 comments

Thanksgiving Colored Books

As the big holiday approaches, I thought it would be nice to look at some Thanksgiving colored books.

I have so many books in the barn that I can make any color combination. Just ask me.

The ever classic orange Penguins et al. Image: Judy van der Velden

I wonder if I’d like the book as much as I like the key. Image: umjanedoan

Broad assortment of orange books: Dr Seuss to Programming. Image: Vicki’s Pics

Enjoy,

Posted on November 23, 2011 by aprettybook, Reply

Tuscan Book Art Workshop & Retreat

I’m really excited to announce that A Pretty Book is partnering with the amazing Travelling Bookbinder, Rachel Hazell, to create a wonderful book art workshop and retreat in Tuscany in September 2012. We’ll combine books, creativity, food, wine, and the gorgeous Tuscan countryside into a relaxing escape.

Our home for the week will be the villa at Tenuta di Spannocchia, a centuries old estate that rests high on a hilltop guarded by a twelfth century tower.

With such beautiful surroundings, we’ll step into the rustic, gentle flow of Tuscan farm life eating organic foods grown at Spannocchia prepared with traditional Italian methods. Each evening will be celebrated with a wine reception on the terrace followed by dinner on the patio.

Retreating from the usual routines means that we’ll have plenty of time to indulge our creativity with Rachel inside Spannocchia’s workshop.

Rachel is an award winning bookbinder who travels the world, inspiring students, from beginners to experts, to bind unique books. The workshop’s working title will be “Recipes”, from family delicacies handed down through generations of cooks to more philosophical concepts such as “Recipe for a Good Life”.

She will show us how to incorporate beautiful stitching, writing, and found objects into one-of-a -kind works of art. The atmosphere will be supportive and nurturing, with an emphasis on fine craft skills and individual expression. Delicious!

When not exploring book art, we’ll learn more about the food, wine, and olive oil produced at Spannocchia with tours of the farm and winery.

We’ve also set aside a day to venture into Florence to gather more inspiration for our books. From watching paper being marbled by a fifth generation Italian bookbinder to exploring the local shops and markets, we’ll return to Spannocchia with wonderful additions to our journals.

Some general information about the trip includes:

When: September 9 – 16, 2012
Where: Tenuta di Spannocchia located twelve miles southwest of Siena near Rosia
What’s included: Seven nights lodging, meals, five days of journal making instruction, field trip to Florence, round trip transportation to Spannocchia from Florence
What’s not included: Round trip travel from your home to Florence

Find out more about Rachel Hazell here or learn more about the Tuscan retreat using our Contact tab.

So come soak up the Tuscan sun on the terrace and enjoy the grand views from the medieval tower with us. It will be a retreat to remember – books, creativity, food, wine, and Tuscany.

Posted on November 22, 2011 by aprettybook, 3 comments

Reading and Writing Auction Finds

Another country auction means more treasure to squeeze into the house. As this books says, the auction this weekend held many surprises.

The illustrations inside are so sweet and reminiscent of the 50s.

My children’s experiences with ducks were never this pleasant They usually involved the ducks honking loudly while chasing them, resulting in screaming chaos.

I’ve been waiting awhile to find an old typewriter with glass keys. The auctioneer suggested someone buy it and rob it of the keys for jewelry, but I saved it from that fate. It’s now sitting on my bookshelf.

I love the way the red PAR key stands out among the black keys. This model was manufactured between 1932 and 1939 and originally cost $65. The PAR key generates a five-space tab to create a new paragraph.

These were buried in a box of old paperbacks.

I especially like the colors and worn look of these two books.

Sometimes at auctions, nobody wants a box of old household junk like potholders, random utensils, and faded dishcloths. When that happens, they throw the lot in with the next item and force whoever wins the bid to take the unwanted box too. That happened to me, but this cute little owl was in the bottom of the box.

But the piece de resistance was music for the book barn, a mid-century stereo cabinet.

And just in time for the holiday season, it came with three 1960s Christmas albums. It needs a little dusting but it blares the carols across the barn.

Enjoy,