Autobiography of a “Jeep” (1943)
A WWII propaganda film narrated as an "auto"-biography Source link
Read more »Sara Weiss’ Journeys to the Planet Mars (1903)
A forgotten bridge between Spiritualism and UFO encounters. Source link
Read more »Sekka Zusetsu: A Book of Snowflakes (1832)
Observations of “snow flowers” made by microscope in Edo-era Japan. Source link
Read more »Typing for Love or Money: The Hidden Women’s Labor behind Modern Literary Masterpieces — The Public Domain Review
As far as the archival records show, Véra took great pleasure in performing these duties, and the Nabokovs’ marriage was a happy one. Unhappy marriages, however, can also be productive…
Read more »Snail Homes, Bog Bodies, and Mechanical Flies: Robert Testard’s Illustrations for Les secretz de l’histoire naturelle (ca. 1485)
A wondrous illuminated manuscript, which gathers and illustrates the marvels of the world and beyond. Source link
Read more »Pigeons Transmogrified: Hannah Glasse’s *Art of Cookery* (1751 edition) — The Public Domain Review
For a modern-day reader, the language remains rich and succulent: she prescribes Eel Soop for those that “have a Stew-hole”; dishes are given names like “pigeons transmogrified”; the cookbook genre’s…
Read more »Unbridled Passions: The Eight Horses of King Mu, Son of Heaven (ca. 1300) — The Public Domain Review
Particularly famous for his skill at depicting horses, Zhao believed that he had the ability to capture animals’ inner essence with his brush. The practice of evaluating steeds like this…
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The Blinkered Flâneur: Walking with Franz Hessel in 1920s Berlin — The Public Domain Review
It’s curious, for a book purportedly about walking, how much Hessel enjoys whizzing around the city in fast cars and on public transport. During the book’s centrepiece, a longer section…
Read more »Wayang Kulit: Raden Soelardi’s Illustrations of Javanese Puppets (1919)
Illustrations of Javanese wayang kulit puppets with vivid colour and gilding. Source link
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Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s *Herland* (1915) — The Public Domain Review
Perhaps most surprising, however, especially given Gilman’s own romantic entanglements with women, is that before the men arrive, Herland is entirely sexless. There is no hint of lesbianism here: the…
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