It was once known as seventh holy city of Islam. It was also called the "City of Libraries" and home to the cultural elite of West Africa. Now Chinguetti is in the process of being swallowed up in its entirety by the desert and will disappear in a few generations. Less than ten libraries and thousands of rare books remain including important Islamic manuscripts on religion, science and literature. I hope an army of conservators and preservationists are on their way. More at Messy Nessy Chic: The Lost Desert Libraries of Chinguetti
Yosemite in the 1880’s
This month marks the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's signing of the Yosemite Grant Act of 1864. The grant was one of the early seeds of our national park system. One of the pioneering photographers of the region was George Fiske who moved to Yosemite with his wife in 1879 and began shooting. On seeing Fiske's images a young Ansel Adams campaigned to have his parents take him to Yosemite! The images featured here are part of an album of 71 original photographic prints taken by Fiske in the 188o's and currently being offered by the 19th Century Rare Book and Photograph Shop. Enjoy! Full...
Why Books Smell
For many bibliophiles the smell of books has always been one of the most satisfying and mystifying components of their book love. Now, thanks to the folks at Compound Interest, we have a visual breakdown of the aroma.
Literally: The English Bookseller Captured
The series Literally by UK photographer Steve Kenward takes him inside the bookshops of England to capture the bookseller in their lair. He says of the project: Independent bookshops are great places to spend time in. These portraits are some of the lovely people who can help you find something special. You really can't beat the smell of fresh ink in a new hardback or the excitement on discovering a copy of that out of print classic. So next time you are passing a bookshop, pop in. You might be surprised what you find. I am glad he didn't call the project Endangered...
Singularity&Co: Each Book…a Portal to a New Dimension
Here is a little Twilight Zone homage to Singularity&Co, a Brooklyn-based bookshop specializing in vintage science fiction, fantasy, and pulp fiction. The shop was funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign with the goal of buying the rights to vintage titles and releasing them as CC-licensed ebooks. The spot was written and directed by a fan of the shop, Gabriel de Urioste. h/t Boing Boing Singularity&Co - Saving Vintage Pulp for a Better Future - YouTube.