Old books

The most recent addition to my little library of old books.
 Dating from 1895 - 1903

Someone needs to champion the cause of old books ! Vintage, antiques, found in charity shops, attics, forgotten, over-looked, judged by their foxed pages, broken spines and outdated covers. 

In a decade that is dominated by the lures of the smart phone, and wifi  access we too often find ourselves engrossed with staring at our small pocket sized screens, so much so that it has been a long time since I’ve seen an article denouncing the television as the cause of damaged vision, impaired sleep and general time waste. 

My first love will remains the classics, but once in a while just for the joy of discovery I like to read turn of the century (1880’s - 1910) novels. They were written and published by the hundreds, and while many have not ended on the list of classics, nor made their authors rich they are still an interesting look into a time period that ended with the first world war. A time when virtue and manners where the main theme of children and youth literature, and when the world was changing at a speed that scared and intrigued the grown-ups of the time. 

These are found for practically nothing at flea markets and charity shops, they may not have much value per-se, but they make interesting reading.

I haven't read it yet, but I can safely assume that 'A gay charmer - A story for girls' will be a moral story.

Not all artwork of the time was serious, this is one of many fun illustrations in 'The surprising adventures of Baron Munchausen'.

Dedication in 'The Baron Munchausen' - " To Mortimer ( ? ) who easily outdoes the Baron in long shorts " From H. W. L

Since I was small I was taught that when I read a book I should highlight or mark interesting parts then later to transfer them to a notebook for future reading. This is a habit that has stayed with me since my youth, and I have many, many notebooks full of little odds-and-ends, poems, verses, songs and book reviews to show for it. The style has changed, my handwriting not so much, but despite the fact that my taste in literature has fluctuated some, each small book is still a treasured memory capsule of a time period in my life.