books

244d

#OTD in 1818.

Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "Ozymandias" appears in Leigh Hunt's weekly The Examiner (London; p. 24) under the pen name "Glirastes". Horace Smith's contribution to the same informal sonnet-writing competition, "On a Stupendous Leg of Granite, Discovered Standing by Itself in the Deserts of Egypt, with the Inscription Inserted Below" is published on February 1 under his initials.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozymandias

#books #literature #poetry

"Ozymandias" by Glirastes in The Examiner, London, Sunday, January 11, 1818, No. 524, page 24.

Percy Bysshe Shelley. - First publication in The Examiner, No. 524, page 24.

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246d

#OTD in 1868.

John William De Forest, writing for The Nation, calls for a more specifically American literature; the essay's title, "The Great American Novel", is the first known use of the term. In 1880, writer Henry James simplified the term with the initialism "GAN".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Novel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Novel#Notable_candidates

Books by John William De Forest at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/4323

#books #literature

Portrait of John William De Forest.

A middle-aged or older man with a strong, thoughtful expression, likely with neatly combed dark or graying hair and a short, well-groomed mustache.

Wearing formal 19th-century clothing, such as a dark suit, waistcoat, and a white shirt, typical of the era's intellectuals or gentlemen.

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243d

American novelist, journalist and activist Jack London was born #OTD in 1876.

London wrote several works dealing with animal welfare, workers' rights and socialism, such as his dystopian novel The Iron Heel, his non-fiction exposé The People of the Abyss, War of the Classes, and Before Adam. His most famous works include The Call of the Wild and White Fang.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_London

Books By Jack London at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/120

#books #literature

Portrait photograph of Jack London (1876-1916) Contributor Names Genthe, Arnold, 1869-1942, photographer Created / Published between 1906 and 1942; from a negative taken between 1906 and 1916.

London, known for his rugged individualism, is portrayed with a thoughtful expression, emphasizing his literary and adventurous spirit.

His attire is simple yet sturdy, perhaps a jacket or a collared shirt, indicative of his practical, outdoorsy lifestyle.

The photograph's composition is intimate, with a soft focus on London's face, drawing attention to his determined eyes and expressive features.

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261d

#OTD in 1826.

Edgar Allan Poe is forced to renounce his studies at the University of Virginia when his foster parent John Allan refuses to pay for his tuition. In 1827, having enlisted in the United States Army under the assumed name of Edgar A. Perry, he published his first collection, Tamerlane and Other Poems, which was credited only to "a Bostonian".

Books by Edgar Allan Poe at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/481

#books #literature

Poe depicted in a modern retouched version of a daguerreotype

Mathew Benjamin Brady - U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

Scope and content: Drawing made from the “Ultima Thule” daguerreotype.

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261d

"We thought we believed in trial marriage. Nothing of the sort—trial separation! What marriage put asunder divorce has joined together."

#OTD in 1917.

Jesse Lynch Williams' Why Marry?, the first drama to win a Pulitzer Prize, opens at the Astor Theatre (New York).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Marry%3F

Why Marry? at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35389

#books #literature #theatre #drama

Nat Goodwin, an unidentified actress and Leonard Mudie in the 1917 play Why Marry. Date stamped Sept. 28, 1918.

The play was a comedic exploration of the institution of marriage, written by Jesse Lynch Williams. The actors are likely dressed in early 20th-century attire, fitting the time period of the play's production. The image was stamped with the date September 28, 1918, indicating either the date of publication or archival cataloging. The scene captures a moment of dramatic or comedic interaction between the characters.

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241d

#OTD in 1893.

Kate Chopin's short stories "Désirée's Baby" and "A Visit to Avoyelles" appear in Vogue magazine in the United States. It first appeared under the title "The Father of Désirée's Baby" in a section called "Character Studies".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A9sir%C3%A9e%27s_Baby

Désirée's Baby at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/160

#books #literature

"Désirée's Baby" by Kate Chopin as it appeared in Bayou Folk, 1894.

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241d

See Charles Dickens' Rare Manuscripts, Teenage Love Letters and a Copy of 'David Copperfield' That Traveled to Antarctica

To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the Charles Dickens Museum in London is staging an exhibition of historic objects that shed light on the writer’s life and legacy

By Julia Binswanger

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-charles-dickens-rare-manuscripts-teenage-love-letters-and-a-copy-of-david-copperfield-that-traveled-to-antarctica-180985811/

Books by Charles Dickens at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/37

#books #literature #manuscripts

Dickens at his desk, 1858

By George Herbert Watkins, born 1828.

Dickens is seated at a polished wooden desk, which is adorned with neatly arranged papers, a quill pen, and an inkwell, symbolizing his literary craft.

Dickens is dressed in mid-19th-century attire, including a dark frock coat and waistcoat, reflecting the fashion of his time.
His face bears a contemplative expression, with his gaze slightly diverted from the camera, suggesting introspection or creative thought.

His distinctive facial features, such as the sharp nose, expressive eyes, and thick beard, are rendered with remarkable clarity.

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241d

"Here is a golden Rule to begin with. Write legibly. The average temper of the human race would be perceptibly sweetened, if everybody obeyed this Rule! A great deal of the bad writing in the world comes simply from writing too quickly."

Eight or Nine Wise Words About Letter-Writing (1890)

~Lewis Carroll (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898)

Books by Lewis Carroll at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/7

#books #literature

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) by Oskar Gustav Rejlander (1813? - 1875) .

Lewis Carroll is portrayed in a slightly posed position, reflecting his reserved demeanor and intellectual persona.

His expression is thoughtful, exuding a quiet intensity that aligns with his identity as a mathematician, logician, and writer.

His attire includes a tailored coat, waistcoat, and cravat, which add to the air of formality and professionalism.

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233d

Simone Weil: Voluntary Worker

The weeks Weil spent working in French factories helped to develop her ideas about the meaning and value of labor.

By: Emily Zarevich

https://daily.jstor.org/simone-weil-voluntary-worker/

#books #philosophy #labor

Photo of part of the khâgne class at the Lycée Henri-IV, 1926. Simone Weil in the center, future deputy René Château on her right.

Photographer not determined.

Collection of the Association pour l'étude de la pensée de Simone Weil.

Published in Le Lycée Henri-IV, Paris, Collectif, published by Gérard Klopp, Paris, 1996.

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237d

English writer A. A. Milne was born #OTD in 1882.

He is best best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh, as well as for children's poetry. Milne was primarily a playwright before the huge success of Winnie-the-Pooh overshadowed all his previous work.

Watch our podcast on Winnie the Pooh:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWZxwuam5Iw

A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh as an accessible eBook:
https://tilde.zone/@gluejar/113749300977151258

Books by A.A. Milne at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/730

#books #literature

Photograph of A. A. Milne.

Emil Otto Hoppé - Shadowland, September 1922 (page 62).

In this photograph, A. A. Milne, best known as the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh, is likely captured in a thoughtful or distinguished pose, characteristic of Hoppé’s style.

The lighting and composition would emphasize Milne’s features, possibly with soft shadows adding depth.

Given the time period, the image is a black-and-white portrait, possibly highlighting Milne's refined yet approachable demeanor.

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238d

"If there's any illness for which people offer many remedies, you may be sure that particular illness is incurable, I think."

#OTD in 1904.

Anton Chekhov's last play, The Cherry Orchard, opens at the Moscow Art Theatre directed by Constantin Stanislavski.

Written in 1903, it was first published by Znaniye, and came out as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg, via A.F. Marks Publishers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cherry_Orchard

Cherry Orchard at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7986

#books #theatre

Scene from The Cherry Orchard, Moscow Art Theater, 1904. The MAT setting demonstrates a conscious attempt to avoid the stiffness and artificiality of the perfectly symmetrical box set. Variation of planes and glimpses into other rooms in the house continue the environment beyond the stage room and help to combat unintentional rigidity.

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238d

Perpetual Movement: Francis Picabia’s 391 Review (1917–1924).

Francis Picabia, like his close friend and collaborator Marcel Duchamp, was a man of many names. While Duchamp famously went by his feminine alter ego Rrose Sélavy and signed his 1917 Fountain with the pseudonym R. Mutt, Picabia adopted numerous aliases across his literary and artistic practice.

https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/francis-picabia-391-review/?utm_source=newsletter

https://archive.org/details/391-vol-1-19

Picabia at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=picabia&submit_search=Search

#art #books #literature #dada

“La Sainte-Vierge” from the 12th volume of 391 (1920).

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241d

Do you track your reading habits? "Like the things we eat or the ways we move our bodies, the books we consume get talked about as yet another avenue for self-improvement," writes Tajja Isen for The Walrus. Here's her story about the problem with reading lists, and a way to make them useful and even lead to more enjoyment. Tell us in the comments what you think — and if you track, why.

https://flip.it/AEiSjN

#Books #Bookstodon @bookstodon #Reading #ReadingLists #Goodreads

30% I meticulously track all the books I read
23% I somewhat track my reading
45% I don't track my reading
1% Something else — explain in the comments

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227d

What Is Infinity? A Philosophical Approach

Infinity shapes philosophy, science, and ethics, challenging our understanding of reality, existence, and the limits of human thought.

By Viktoriya Sus

https://www.thecollector.com/what-is-infinity-philosophical-approach/

#books #philosophy

The Celestial Map-Northern Hemisphere, Albrecht Dürer, 1515.

The constellations are illustrated as mythological figures and animals, following classical traditions.

The map is based on Ptolemaic astronomy, using data from ancient Greek and Islamic scholars. Heinfogel, an astronomer, provided the positional accuracy of the stars.

The chart is centered on the North Pole and displays major star formations visible from the northern hemisphere.

Dürer’s celestial map was published as a pair—one for the northern hemisphere and another for the southern hemisphere—creating a comprehensive sky chart.

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240d

#OTD in 1812.

Lord Byron takes his seat in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

These parlamentary experiences inspired Byron to write political poems such as Song for the Luddites (1816) and The Landlords' Interest, Canto XIV of The Age of Bronze. Examples of poems in which he attacked his political opponents include Wellington: The Best of the Cut-Throats (1819) and The Intellectual Eunuch Castlereagh (1818).

Books by Lord Byron at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1708

#books #literature

Portrait of Byron by Richard Westall, completed in 1813.

Byron is shown in a slightly turned pose, gazing to the side with a thoughtful and introspective expression.

He wears an open-collared white shirt with a rich, red cloak or drape, which enhances his aristocratic elegance.

His hair is styled in soft, dark curls, framing his face, which was considered emblematic of beauty during the period.

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240d

Norwegian folklorist, writer, and zoologist Peter Christen Asbjørnsen was born #OTD in 1812.

He and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe were collectors of Norwegian folklore. The most famous collection, "Norske Folkeeventyr" ("Norwegian Folktales"), was co-published with Moe starting in 1841. He worked as a zoologist and forestry expert, publishing writings on nature and the environment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Christen_Asbj%C3%B8rnsen

Books by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/34177

#books #literature

Portrait of norwegian author Peter Christen Asbjørnsen (1812-1885). Belongs to Kunstnerforeningen.

Asbjørnsen is portrayed in a formal, seated pose, exuding a sense of dignity and intellectual depth.

He is dressed in formal 19th-century attire, depicted in a dark suit or coat with a waistcoat, befitting his status as a respected author and intellectual.

The portrait captures Asbjørnsen’s distinctive features, such as his broad forehead, thick, wavy hair, and full beard, emphasizing his mature and wise demeanor.

Norwegian Folktales, a collection of Norwegian folktales and legends by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, published in Copenhagen 1896.

This second illustrated edition is known as the "Huldrebindet", after the picture of the Huldra on the front page.

The first illustrated edition (from 1879) is known as the "nissebindet", after the Nisse pictured on it.

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237d

Virginia Woolf poems, written for niece and nephew, have been discovered

By Andrew Limbong

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/17/nx-s1-5260964/virginia-woolf-poems-niece-nephew

Books by Virginia Woolf at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/89

#books #literature

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259d

#OTD in 1904.

J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up premières at the Duke of York's Theatre in London with Nina Boucicault in the title rôle and Gerald du Maurier as Captain Hook and Mr Darling; du Maurier is the uncle of the Llewellyn Davies boys, who inspired the story.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Pan

Peter Pan at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/16

#books #literature

Playbill for opening run in London

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259d

#OTD in 1853.

Charles Dickens gives the first of his public readings of his own works, in Birmingham Town Hall (England) to the Industrial and Literary Institute, repeated three days later to an audience of working people and including an adaptation of A Christmas Carol; these are very successful and Dickens continues public readings until the year of his death.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptations_of_A_Christmas_Carol

Christmas Carol at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/46

#books #literature

Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. With Illustrations by John Leech. London: Chapman & Hall, 1843. First edition. Title page.

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239d

Hello Fediverse! (as we've learned :) )

Thank you for your warm welcome.

In our shop there is a display-window for which we pick a topic that is important to us. There we place all kinds of books beside each other. Poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction, childrens' books and essays. There only has to be an association which connects them. We call this our "Wabe", our honey-comb.

We'll start posting on it next week. Are there and important hashtags we should use? #books #bookstodon

A photograph of the bookshop "Buchhandlung am Brühl" from the outside. You can see three large display-windows with books and handmade craft-art from the ore mountains.

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230d

"Nothing can come of nothing: speak again."

#OTD in 1838.

William Macready opens a performance of King Lear at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, London, restoring most of Shakespeare's original text, including the character of the Fool.

The restored character of the Fool was played by Priscilla Horton. And Helen Faucit's final appearance as Cordelia, dead in her father's arms, became one of the most iconic of Victorian images.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Lear

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1532

#books #theatre

Lear and Cordelia in Prison c1779 N 05189 B 53 Pen and watercolour 123×175 by William Blake.

It depicts a poignant scene from William Shakespeare’s King Lear, where the aging King Lear and his devoted daughter, Cordelia, are imprisoned together.

In this work, Blake captures the deep sorrow and tenderness between Lear and Cordelia. Lear, frail and distressed, appears to lean toward his daughter, who remains calm and resolute.

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239d

"Didn't I tell you, Don Quixote, sir, to turn back, for they were not armies you were going to attack, but flocks of sheep?"

#OTD in 1605.

The first edition of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha (Book One) by Miguel de Cervantes is published in Madrid, Spain. It was originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Quixote

Don Quixote at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/996
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/2000
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/42524
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/35181

#books #literature

Cover image of Don Quixote de la Mancha (first edition, 1605).

Don Quixote de la Mancha and Sancho Panza, 1863, by Gustave Doré.

Don Quixote, the idealistic and gaunt knight, is depicted riding his thin, weary horse, Rocinante. He appears tall, with a determined yet distant expression, embodying his chivalric delusions.

Sancho Panza, his loyal and pragmatic squire, follows beside him on his stout donkey, Dapple. His figure contrasts Quixote’s—shorter, rounder, and more grounded in reality.

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230d

In January 1864.

Anthony Trollope's Can You Forgive Her?, the first of his Palliser novels, begins to appear in monthly parts in London. Trollope completes it on April 28 and the first volume is published as a book in September by Chapman & Hall. In April, The Small House at Allington concludes publication in the Cornhill Magazine and is published in book form by George Smith.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can_You_Forgive_Her%3F

Can You Forgive Her? at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/19500

#books #literature

First edition title page.
Anthony Trollope/Chapman and Hall - Can You Forgive Her?

At the top, the title Can You Forgive Her? is prominently displayed in bold serif type, drawing immediate attention.

Below the title, the author's name, Anthony Trollope, appears in a slightly smaller but still significant font size, emphasizing his established reputation as a novelist.

The publisher’s details, Chapman and Hall, are printed near the bottom, marking the book’s London publication.

The design is minimalistic, without elaborate ornamentation, focusing on clarity and readability.

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258d

#OTD in 1817.

English painter Benjamin Haydon introduces John Keats to William Wordsworth and Charles Lamb at a dinner in London to celebrate progress on his painting Christ's Entry into Jerusalem, in which all feature.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Haydon

Book about Benjamin Hydon at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6756

#books #literature #art #painting

Ppainting titled "Christ's Entry into Jerusalem" by Benjamin Robert Haydon. The artwork depicts the biblical event of Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey, celebrated as Palm Sunday in Christian tradition.

Jesus at the center, highlighted with a serene and divine presence, seated on a donkey, symbolizing humility and peace.
A crowd surrounding Jesus, expressing a range of emotions, from reverence and awe to excitement and devotion. Some individuals are laying down cloaks and branches, an act of homage.

Dynamic composition, with figures in various poses and expressive gestures, adding drama and movement to the scene.

Rich colors and dramatic lighting, which emphasize the spiritual significance and emotional intensity of the event.

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230d

Swedish mathematician Niels Fabian Helge von Koch was born #OTD in 1870.

He gave his name to the famous fractal known as the Koch snowflake, one of the earliest fractal curves to be described. It is based on the Koch curve, which appeared in a 1904 paper titled "On a Continuous Curve Without Tangents, Constructible from Elementary Geometry."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niels_Fabian_Helge_von_Koch

#books #mathematics

Portrait of Nils Fabian Helge von Koch.

In the image, he is shown as an older gentleman, with neatly combed hair, a mustache, and a composed, intellectual expression.

His attire would be formal, typical of late 19th- and early 20th-century European academics—a suit with a high-collared shirt.

von Koch, Helge (1904). "Sur une courbe continue sans tangente, obtenue par une construction géométrique élémentaire" [On a continuous curve without tangent, obtained by an elementary geometric construction]. Arkiv för Matematik (in French). 1: 681–704. JFM 35.0387.02.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.30000100114564&view=1up&seq=691

Edited 230d ago

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