
Books allow you to see the world through the eyes of others. Reading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone else’s shoes for a while.
— Malorie Blackman, writer and former Children’s Laureate
The Appreciation of Art
Neuhaus wrote of this book, “Primarily this book aims to be of service to students who feel the need for a reasoned presentation of the fundamental principles that underlie the theory and the practice of all the arts.”
Easy Lessons in the Art of Practical Wood Carving: Suited to the Wants Of Carpenters, Joiners, Amateurs and Professional Wood Carvers
Frederick Thomas Hodgson (1836-1919) was a gifted builder, and wrote numerous books offering insight on home building, carpentry, stonemasonry, and architectural drawing. Hodgson aimed his books to be affordable and accessible to all levels of readers and carpenters, including aspiring ones. Many of…
Handbook of Furniture Styles
This work, Handbook of Furniture Styles, focuses on the history of European and American furniture styles, offering a broad view of furniture from the Italian Renaissance, Louis XV, Jacobean, Georgian and American styles for example.
A Text-Book on the History of Painting
John Charles Van Dyke is primarily known for being an art critic and historian, but he had many interests, as he was also a nature writer and intrigued by the law. Van Dyke was admitted to the bar in New York in 1877,…
Art in Buffalo
Lars Gustaf Sellstedt was born in Sundsvall, Sweden, and then immigrated to the United States, working on the Great Lakes. He became a prominent Buffalo painter.
Resistance: Reflections on Survival, Hope and Love
Resistance is a book of poems with photographs or a book of photographs with poems depending on your perspective.
Historic Styles in Furniture
by Virginia Huntington Robie Purchase Virginia Huntington Robie was born on October 18, 1868 in Salmon Falls, New Hampshire. She enjoyed the immense benefits of education throughout her childhood, and she went on to attend the School of Decorative Design at the Boston…
Ancient Stained and Painted Glass
by Frederick Sydney Eden Purchase Frederick Sydney Eden (1859-1950) became well known for his significant writings on the subject of stained glass. Previously, he was a lawyer, but had gotten caught up in some fraud regarding an estate, which landed him in jail…
The Art of England: Lectures Given in Oxford
by John Ruskin Purchase John Ruskin (February 8, 1819 – January 20, 1900) was a brilliant English writer, artist, thinker and philanthropist. He was born into a family of means, which afforded him an excellent education. His parents were very encouraging of him,…
Sir David Wilkie
by Lord Ronald Sutherland Gower Purchase Sir David Wilkie RA was born on November 18, 1785 in Scotland. Although he family was not terribly pleased with his devotion to the arts, they supported his choice to become a painter, and he went on to…
The Genesis of Art-Form
by George Lansing Raymond Purchase When on July 12, 1929, George Raymond died of pneumonia at the age of 89 he had enjoyed a crowded life as a professor and popular author of esthetics. He was born into fortunate circumstances, having a father…
History and Mystery of Precious Stones
by William Jones FSA Purchase William Jones takes on the difficult tasks of collecting and categorizing the many ways that precious gems have taken on value in different cultures. For example, he studies pearls and the appeal that they have had in different…
The Art of the Vatican: A Brief History of the Palace, and an Account of the Principal Works of Art Within Its Walls
by Mary Knight Potter Purchase Mary Knight Potter was born in Boston into a family of artists. While she initially studied art herself, she preferred writing. Unfortunately, she battled health ailments. In September of 1915, she had married longtime friend and musician, Thomas…
An Outline History of Sculpture for Beginners and Students: with Complete Indexes and Numerous Illustrations
by Clara Erskine Clement Purchase through Amazon Clara Erskine Clement was born on August 28, 1834 to John and Harriet Bethiah Erskine in St. Louis, Missouri. She was able to get an education through private tutors. After her first marriage, she relocated to…
The Art of the Exposition: Personal Impressions of the Architecture, Sculpture, Mural Decorations, Color Scheme & Other Aesthetic Aspects of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition
by Eugen Neuhaus Purchase through Amazon Eugen Neuhaus was born on August 18, 1879, in Germany. He moved to the United States in 1904, ultimately becoming a US citizen in 1911. He began teaching various art and design classes at colleges in northern…
A Manual of Ancient Sculpture, Egyptian, Assyrian, Greek, Roman: With One Hundred and Sixty Illustrations
by George Redford FRCS Purchase through Amazon Free download for National Sculpture Society members On October 26, 1895, George Redford passed away after an illness. He had lived 80 years, his life spanning very different callings. He was remembered as one being well…
Wood Sculpture: From Ancient Egypt to the End of the Gothic Period
by Alfred Maskell F.S.A. Purchase through Amazon Alfred Maskell was an artist, primarily a photographer, who worked tirelessly to advance the art. He was a member of The Linked Ring, an invitation-only group that wanted to advance photography as an art form. Members…
The Rise of the Book Plate: An Exemplative of the Art
by W. G. Bowdoin, Introduction by Henry Blackwell Purchase through Amazon Bookplates were made to denote ownership and hopefully steer the volume back to the rightful shelf if borrowed. They often contained highly stylized writing, drawings, coat of arms, badges or other images…
The Etchings of Rembrandt: A Study and History
by P. G. Hamerton Purchase through Amazon Philip Gilbert Hamerton (1834-1894) was an Englishman who was devoted to the arts in numerous forms. He became an orphan at the age of ten; his mother died giving birth to him, and he ended up…
The History of Men’s Raiment
by The Edson Lewis Company Purchase through Amazon Strouse & Brothers, originating out of Baltimore, published this unique tract on the history of men’s fashion in the European world. The work begins with a very brief history of fashion, and then links the…
Peasant Art in Sweden, Lapland and Iceland
by Charles Holme Purchase through Amazon Art made by those not traditionally trained has several terms, including outsider art, folk art, raw art and peasant art. This particular work offers a carefully chosen selection of both the decorative and fine arts of Sweden,…
Los Dibujos de Heriberto Juarez / The Drawings of Heriberto Juarez
by Paul Rich Purchase through Amazon Que los dibujos sean de la vida en Mexico no es sorprendente porque Juarez esta con stante y a veces traviesamente poniendo arte en la vida y obteniendo arte de la vida. No piensa que el arte…
Washington Bookplates: Six Articles Reprinted from The Town Crier, 1925-1926
by Frederick Starr Purchase through Amazon On November 11, 1889, Washington became the 42nd state of the United States. The state worked to put together the appropriate bureaucracies and other earmarks of its new status. As it came together, Frederick Starr, who had…
Lankes, His Woodcut Bookplates
by Wilbur Macey Stone, Illustrated by J. J. Lankes Purchase through Amazon Julius John Lankes was born in Buffalo, New York in 1884, and became a prolific woodcut print artist, as well as an author and professor. As a child, he enjoyed working…
Lankes, His Woodcut Bookplates
by Wilbur Macey Stone, Illustrated by J. J. Lankes Purchase through Amazon Julius John Lankes was born in Buffalo, New York in 1884, and became a prolific woodcut print artist, as well as an author and professor. As a child, he enjoyed working…
Oration on the Unveiling of the Statue of Samuel Francis DuPont: Rear Admiral, U.S.N., at Washington, DC on December 20, 1884
by Hon. Thomas F. Bayard Purchase through Amazon Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont (1803-1865) served in the United States Navy, specifically during the Mexican- American War and the Civil War. His uncle, Eleuthere Irenee du Pont, was the founder of what is…
Old Chinatown: Turn of the Century Photographs of San Francisco’s Chinatown
by Arnold Genthe and Will Irwin Purchase through Amazon This volume is one of a number of Westphalia titles significant in the story of the not always happy and often controversial Chinese contact with Western society. In the American case, despite appreciation by…
The Basket Maker: An Illustrated Guide to 20th Century Basket Weaving
by Luther Weston Turner Purchase through Amazon Basket weaving is a long-practiced art form around the world, used in practical and decorative manners. Author Luther Weston Turner developed this illustrative manual to explain how to develop a variety of simple, melon shaped, and…
A Book of American Trade-Marks & Devices: An Illustration of Early Advertising Logos
by Joseph Sinel Purchase through Amazon The majority of American businesses fail, falling apart within the first few years of inception. Running a business is terribly difficult as the carnage reflected in A Book of American Trade-Marks illustrates, offering a graveyard tour of…
Understanding Art
Purchase on Amazon Edited and Introduced by Daniel Gutierrez-Sandoval Hendrik Willem van Loon was a Dutch-American professor, journalist, prolific writer, and illustrator. His most famous work, “The Story of Mankind” earned him the prestigious John Newbery Medal, extended by the American Library Association…
The History of Photography
Purchase through Amazon Edited and Introduced by Daniel Gutierrez-Sandoval The life of George Eastman is very much a part of the history of contemporary photography. Founder of the Eastman Kodak Company, Eastman was an enthusiastic photographer himself who became instrumental in bringing photography…
Bookplates of the Kings: Christine Price’s Catalogue of Royal Bookplates
Purchase through Amazon Possibly the formal study of book plates can be dated to the work of Lord de Tabley in the 1880s. He attempted a schema of British plates, starting with the pre-Reformation period and identifying Jacobean, Queen Anne and Georgian styles.…