Pictorial Webster's: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities | 
| Author: John M. Carrera
Publisher: Chronicle Books
List Price: $35.00
Buy New: $21.30
as of 11/25/2009 00:57 CST details
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Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 1714
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 512
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 7.2 x 5.9 x 1.8
ISBN: 0811867188
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.973
EAN: 9780811867184
ASIN: 0811867188
Publication Date: July 29, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Featuring over 1,500 engravings that originally graced the pages of Webster's dictionaries in the 19th century, this chunky volume is an irresistible treasure trove for art lovers, designers, and anyone with an interest in visual history. Meticulously cleaned and restored by fine-press bookmaker Johnny Carrera, the engravings in Pictorial Webster's have been compiled into an alluring and unusual visual reference guide for the modern day. Images range from the entirely mysterious to the classically iconic. From Acorns to Zebras, Bell Jars to Velocipedes, these alphabetically arranged archetypes and curiosities create enigmatic juxtapositions and illustrate the items deemed important to the Victorian mind. Sure to inspire and delight, Pictorial Webster's is at once a fascinating historical record and a stunning jewel of a book.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 8
 Childhood Dream Come true October 16, 2009
vladb (Brighton, MA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I remember leafing through an inches-thick dictionary years ago, and wishing there was some kind of extract with just the animal pictures. Lo and behold, here it comes! This book contains not just the animals, of course, but most of the illustrated entries (just picture and caption) of the original Webster's. You can even compare how certain visual concepts changed over the years, as sometimes the illustration for the same entry from different editions are included. Sure to delight all ages, especially those drawn to older graphic arts - try a guessing game where the caption is covered up and the subject of the picture needs to be identified.
Enjoy more than the engravings October 14, 2009
Katharine Waldmann (Maryland)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The heart of the book is the engrvings, all carefully arranged on each page with scholarly notation of source, type, etc. The range of pictures, the details, make this a truly great book to look through,
However, don't just look at the engravings. Major joys of this book are the preface and the artist's introduction--some of his thoughts about how to enjoy the book. In the Pancreas (others might have called this the appendix) there is a wealth of information about how the wood blocks are made, the history of publication of the various editions of the dictionaary with pictures, the role of G. and C. Merriam, and the author's thoughts about creativity, thought, the brain, and what one can enjoy in looking and thinking about the wonderful pictures in this extraordnary book.
Katharine Waldmann
 Mediocre reproduction quality October 14, 2009
Senex (Massachusetts)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
The reproductions of these fine old illustrations are neither crisp nor sharp. Original drawings in the old dictionaries were both. I would not have ordered this book had I known the reproductions were muddy.
Genius October 3, 2009
Jeffrey Altepeter (Somerville, MA United States)
This is an amazing project from an artistic genius. I suggest getting a copy of the letterpress edition in a leather binding for your collection as well!
An exquisite dictionary September 10, 2009
N. Hawke
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a beautifully put together book, with entertaining and fascinating images. I greatly enjoy it -- even my children are asking for the "curious dictionary" before bed time.
I found this great link that gives a bit of an overview of the project: [...]
Showing reviews 1-5 of 8
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