Miniature book

A miniature book
The Constitution of the United States, in miniature book.

A miniature book is a very small book, sized from .5 inches square to roughly 2 by 3 inches—no larger than 3 inches in height, width, or thickness.[1][2]

History

These books became more popular in the last few decades of the 19th century because they were portable and easy to conceal. One could carry a vast number of books in a small case for when one travelled. Many are bound in fine Moroccan leather, gilt and contain excellent examples of woodcuts, etchings, and watermarks. More popular topics at that time were dictionaries, language translators, religious stories and readings, and, occasionally, tourist guides.

Subjects range from the Bible, encyclopedias, music, stories, rhymes, famous speeches, and the miniaturization of well-known books such as The Compleat Angler, The Art of War, and Sherlock Holmes stories. Many are now collectors' items, with prices ranging from a few hundred to many thousands of US dollars.

Notable miniature books

Ambrosius Lobwasser: Die Psalme Davids: Nach fransösischer Melodeij in Teutsch Reimen gebracht. Basel, 1659 (a miniature book bound in tortoiseshell)

Notable editions of original-sized books

Originally designed to be miniature

Notable collections of miniature books

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Miniature Book Society
  2. ↑ De Walden Press

Further reading


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.