An architect who excelled at transforming an architectural fantasy into a practical, livable home, Addison Mizner was one of the most original and influential designers America has produced. The houses, clubs, and shops he built for the clients of Palm Beach and Boca Raton, Florida, evince a brilliant grasp of how to blend a buildingContinue reading “The Florida Architecture of Addison Mizner”
Category Archives: Rare book highlights
For Rare Book Lovers, This May Be Coolest New Shop on Worth Avenue
By Barbara Marshall – Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Posted: 7:00 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016 (View the article on mypalmbeachpost.com here) Every day, Matt Raptis holds Western civilization in his hands. He can page through Captain James Cook’s illustrated account of his 18th century journeys to the South Pacific, follow Charles Darwin’s evolutionary reasoningContinue reading “For Rare Book Lovers, This May Be Coolest New Shop on Worth Avenue”
The Lives of the Sisters Brontë
Raised in the mid 19th-century in the parsonage of Haworth in a small village in the countryside of Northern England, Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë created what have come to be considered some of the greatest works of literature, despite the isolation and often devastating conditions that defined their short lives. The sisters experienced griefContinue reading “The Lives of the Sisters Brontë”
Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
19th century French novelist Jules Verne has often been referred to as the “Father of Science Fiction” as well as a ‘prophet of scientific progress’ for his uncannily predictive depictions of scientific innovations and inventions long before their time. Born the son of a prominent lawyer in the seaport of Nantes, Verne was raised withContinue reading “Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea”
The Life and Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson
Described by T.S. Eliot as “the saddest of all English poets”, Alfred Lord Tennyson is considered, to this day, to be one of Britain’s greatest poets. Heavily influenced by the strictly metered and often melancholic style of the English Romantic poets, Tennyson’s verse illustrated a mastery of rhythm and descriptive imagery drawing on both theContinue reading “The Life and Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson”
First Edition Novels by Thomas Pynchon
20th century American novelist Thomas Pynchon was known for his brilliant, yet maddeningly complex works including postmodern novel Gravity’s Rainbow, the powerful and popular The Crying of Lot 49, and V. Born in Long Island, his ancestry reached as far back in America to William Pynchon, who founded Springfield, Massachusetts in 1636. Ever since, his ancestors have accumulated wealthContinue reading “First Edition Novels by Thomas Pynchon”
The Adventurous Life and Works of Jack London
Jack London was the most successful writer in America in the early 20th century, and his books have been cherished by travelers, environmentalists, and activists for decades. Born and raised in the Bay Area, he was the first American novelist to achieve worldwide celebrity status from his fiction alone. His works surrounded radical topics at the time,Continue reading “The Adventurous Life and Works of Jack London”
The Complete Works of Jane Austen
Renowned novelist Jane Austen died in 1817, and still today her works are common course material for grade school English and writing classes around the world. Her six major novels, including Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, and Emma, serve as both social commentary and romantic entertainment for her readers. Her ability to pinpoint the unseenContinue reading “The Complete Works of Jane Austen”
H. G. Wells and the War of the Worlds
Herbert George or H. G. Wells, best known for his books The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds, had enormous influence on our thinking of the future and the science fiction genre in general as his career took off during the turn of the 20th century. He is often referred to as the “Father of ScienceContinue reading “H. G. Wells and the War of the Worlds”
Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway
English author Virginia Woolf was considered one of the greatest modernists of the 20th century. Woolf was born in London as Adeline Virginia Stephen by parents Julia and Leslie Stephen, a notable author, historian, and mountaineer. Her parents home-schooled her in a household of three children from three marriages total, as both parents had been previously married and widowed. Leslie’s prominenceContinue reading “Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway”