Once upon a time, if you wanted a “certain kind of book” you had to go to a certain kind of shop or order from a catalog and wait for a package in a plain brown wrapper to arrive. With the internet, the doors have been thrown wide open and people can find any kind of book they want and have it delivered to them… for a price. And the price for vintage erotica is often VERY high for a tiny little paperback in awful condition.
book art
New lives for old books
As much as book lovers are loath to admit it, there comes a time when a book has outlived its usefulness. The cover has fallen off. Pages have gone missing. It’s so hopelessly out of date that it’s not even interesting as a historical item. There’s 200,000 of them out there and they’re all in better condition than this copy. It’s time to say goodbye… but goodbye doesn’t necessarily mean a trip to the trash heap. Artists and craftsman have done some pretty amazing things with old books.
Click any of the photos to see larger photos and photos from different angles. Most of the artists showcased here also have other works featuring altered books, so check out their websites for even more book crafts.
ABC Origami books by Rhymes With Magic
A three book set where the pages have been carefully folded to form a 3-D alphabet.
The 1970s, in cover art
The 1970s, the decade of terror! If science didn’t kill you, sex would. Take a tour tour through the “me decade” with a representative book cover from each year.