the side binding:
the front (some of the pics have come up sideways and i don't know why. arghghghggh! please try to enjoy anyway):
the inside cover - yes it is falling apart and moldy as can be. that just makes it more precious!
the inside cover page:
the copyright information - "Copyright, 1889, by S.C. Thompson."
various world maps - it is interesting to see countries that no longer exist, and new countries that do exist today but are not to be found here:
the first page. there are lots of words that start with "a" missing from here.
an index to the Holy Bible:
other contents of interest : a guide to business, odd questions and my personal favourite: receipts and dispersements of the government. it includes a table called " Population of United States by Races". the populations listed in columns are: "Total Population 1880, White 1880, Colored 1880, Chinese 1880", and last but not least, "Ind'ns civ. or taxed 1880".
i think that the reason why i like this book so much is that it so demonstrates that what we consider to be fact/learning or common knowledge, or any other kind of knowledge changes with time. for example, medical knowledge from 200 years ago has changed greatly to present day and will continue to change in the next 200 years.
i treasure this book, but in speaking about medical knowledge, check out the handwritten recipe for laudanum written in beautiful cursive (something many do not know how to write today. especially texting-types - also known as our children!):
sorry the pic came out sideways. here is the recipe:
"1 Table spoon Terpentine
3/4 of Laudanum
1 Table spoon of Ginger
1 " " Baking Soda
use Laudanum only if Pain is Sever"
i love old books. i have several and consider them treasures. and will share a few with you. over time.
Nice job....thanks, kymber.
ReplyDeletedear sweet one....huh?
DeleteI have quiet a few older electrical/construction books. Some of the print runs in the 19th century were enormous so they are still around.
ReplyDeleteI noticed very good copies of your book are available for $10 at Amazon - which is not always the best place for older books. For older books a combination of AbeBooks.com and e-bay often works well.
Russell, buddy, we have the full set of Popular Mechanics "Do It Yourself" Encyclopaedia set printed in 1955!!! we have read through all of those books 3 or 4 times each! we love them!
Deleteas for my favourite book, it is little well-known and not worth anything...but it is one of my all time faves. and i am always on the look-out for "particular" books on a variety of little-known websites. thanks buddy!
When I am in really bad pain, I take my alcohol and opium straight, don't need no stinking ginger flavor!
ReplyDeletePracticalP - there are those of us that aren't made out of rock, like yourself, that need that bit of ginger to help wash it down - bahahahah!
DeleteOh I love, love, love old books!!! Thanks for sharing this one! And you know, really old magazines are fun too! One year for Christmas I bought old magazines dated with everyone's birth month and year. It was really cool. I was able to get a Life magazine with my dad's actual birthday - the very day! What was fun was to see what the headlines were at the time. Plus I tried to use magazines that were of interest to them, such as Sports Illustrated for my brother. LOL I am not sure who had more fun with those gifts, them or me!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous Homesteader
oh AH - that is an awesome idea!!! i think i am going to borrow that idea from you if you don't mind! and i am sure i will love reading the magazines from people's birth months and year - and probably enjoy them more than the receivers - bahahahah! thanks for sharing that!
DeleteYou know, it's not all the kids' fault either. I was worried about #2 not being able to keep up with writing when he started highschool. With #1's vision problems, we had mostly printed through the years. It turned out, after talking to some of his teachers, that no one could read his writing. I didn't think it was that bad, just that he was slow at it. And then one teacher told me no one knows how to write anymore. The teachers do all their notes on computer and give photocopies constantly, so the kids never had the practice in cursive like we did when we were young. And because they can't write, the teachers now require all assignments typed, so they get even less practice. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteWendy - i have several friends who say the same thing - the kids aren't being taught to write the way that we were!!! it is not their fault at all! if all of their assignments and whatnot are photocopies and printouts - and then they have to hand in assignments that are typed - and then they text and email their friends instead of writing actual letters - how are they ever going to learn to write?
DeleteWhen it comes to writing, you do what you have to do-to get the job done. My nephew has Asperger's along with some ADD. His printing is a bit messy. If he were forced to write out his assignments longhand, he would get lost in the effort of getting the writing just so and not concentrate on the content of what he was writing. I always consider it a bit of a treat to get a handwritten note from him (usually thanking us for some birthday cash.)
ReplyDeletePa-in-law probably would have given up on reading years ago if it weren't for modern technology and the ability to choose font size &/or zoom when reading text on the computer. His vision has never been all that great, but small print gets to be a real bear the older one gets.
In the future, to keep a secret from people, all we'll have to do is write messages out longhand.
Old books are cool, but I still won't miss the 4 1/2 copy paper boxes full of World Book Encyclopedias, Year Book Updates, and Science Year Updates. Hopefully, the thrift store will be able to shift them and make some money in the process.
Mrs. S. - i have a friend who's son has ADHD and he has similar problems as your nephew - if forced to print or write longhand, he gets too caught up in trying to concentrate on the writing and loses the context and then can't think his way through the topic at hand. he has a special laptop thingy that makes it easier for him.
Deleteand that is sweet that your nephew gives you a handwritten thank you note - thank you notes being another of those things that have slowly gone away - i love thank you notes!
and ya - you are right on the money with being able to communicate in secret simply by writing messages in longhand - i hadn't thought of it like that.
oh i would kill for those 4 1/2 boxes of books!!! i wish shipping heavy things was cheaper than it is or i would gladly buy those books from you!!!
I did not find those encyclopedias very useful when I was in school and had to do reports. They actually were not as good as Encyclopeida Brittanica at the time. Since then the electronic version of E.B. has also made a turn for the worse with lots of junk science; we bought one in 2000 or so and were not impressed! The old encyclopedias date from the mid 70's. I think the final straw for me was them singing the praises of Jimmy Carter as a wiz at foreign policy; the books were obviously printed before the Iran hostage crisis.
Deleteoh heck - i guess i am glad not to have those books then. geesh, eh?
DeleteVermin I say.... Wait that was so yesterday wasn't it?
ReplyDeletebahahahahah! hey wait - are you calling my favourite book a vermin?!?!?!? those be fighting words buddy! bahahahaha!
DeleteThat is a beautiful book. Book people are so weird, lol.
ReplyDelete45er buddy - i would have to agree. and count myself in with the bunch of weirdos!
DeleteWow. How cool...Makes me want to go to Guttenberg and see if it is there!!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see all your fav's!!
xoxox
i wonder if it is there Jen? i have quite a few books most of which are faves and i hope i don't bore everyone to death with them...but i am always interested to see other people's faves, too. xoxo
DeleteThat's a lovely old book. I bet it's really interesting through out. I think I would get lost in reading the old medical things. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSue
xoxoxo
Sue - it really is an interesting book - it covers all kinds of topics and i have read it front to back several times and plan to read it front to back several more in the upcoming years. i love old books and try to imagine how many people may have owned it before me. i especially love when an old book contains hand-written messages with the date and whatnot. it makes me feel connected to people from the past.
ReplyDelete