beauty

The editorial note in this guidebook states that "The tourist library series aims at presenting concise, authoritative and unbiased information on various phases of Japanese culture, old and new."

This particular guidebook, one of a series published by the Japan Travel Bureau over several decades, invites the reader to explore the proud heritage of Japanese garden design. It reflects pride in the natural beauty of the islands, as well as the skill, sensitivity, and insight of the local gardeners.

Like many jewelry companies in Europe and America, Adolph Scott Ltd. Birmingham, jewellers of England, sold not only personal jewelry of all kinds, but many other objects made from metals and silver. They sold pocket and wristwatches, many types of bracelets, brooches, religious medals, and rings. This catalog features cigarette cases, eyeglass frames, mirrors and compacts, calling and business card cases, chain bags and purses, cigarette holders, flasks and silver baby rattles, even gold and silver safety pins.

William Finden and his younger brother, Edward, were renowned English engravers. Their smooth, neat style proved popular and soon the brothers engaged several assistants to publish volumes of engraved plates depicting aspects of English society. Views of Ports and Harbours is one such volume. As the preface describes, this work is comprised of views of most of the principal ports, naval stations, watering places, and fishing-towns on the English coast from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Plymouth.

The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Library owns over 4,000 photographs by American photographer and journalist Thérèse Bonney, (1894-1978), who documented life in Paris from 1925-35.

Africa is rising—fashion, design, wax prints redeux, eco-architecture, floating schools, hammocks in libraries, AK-47s into chairs,  popular culture, récupération, safari lodges, curated dining, LGBT haute couture, Afronauts, sapeurs—where art and design and popular culture collide. Today’s African designers share an unflinching reverence for the past and draw smartly on that heritage in the novelty of their creations. This is not your Africa of yore.

This little 19th-century gem, The World in Miniature: Africa, was written to satisfy the curiosity of the British public about unknown Africa.  Based on eye-witness accounts written by the Scottish explorer Mungo Park, who died in West Africa in 1806, the fifty-three chapters cover a wide range of topics: Geography, natural history, ethnicity, types of government, systems of justice, arts and crafts, warfare, food, women, and slavery. The most engaging features in these tiny tomes are the forty-five hand-colored engravings and two maps.

Charles Gibson (1867-1944) is one of the best known illustrators of the Gilded Age primarily due to his creation, the Gibson Girl. As an illustrator he became talented in depicting relationships between men and women and submitted illustrations to such magazines as Harper's Weekly, Life, and Harper's Monthly. In 1890 he introduced a modernized beautiful female character with upswept hair, fashionable clothes, and imbued with independence and glamor. The Gibson Girl attained nationwide celebrity and had songs and plays written about her.