Photos of Textkit's books

Jeff Tirey · Post by **Jeff Tirey** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 1:29 pm

If you're curious to know what these books actually look like and what other books we have on hand - here are several photos of the Textkit books. You'll also see on the top and bottom shelves all of the photocopies made.

This isn't all the books, some are around the house, others were returned, sold, borrowed from libraries and/or mailed in to us by photocopy.

http://www.textkit.com/books/

Clemens · Post by **Clemens** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 1:44 pm

That's really interesting, thanks...

mariek · Post by **mariek** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 8:34 pm

Neato! Thanks, Jeff. I love the look of old books on a shelf.

It looks like we should chip in to get your more shelves, and perhaps some protective covering. I always think those Barrister's Bookcases are good for keeping dirt/dust off of stuff. (The plan is to have my husband build some when we move into our new place... he doesn't know this yet.

)

Moerus · Post by **Moerus** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 12:33 am

I have some of tese books here too. But in the modern version they are almost all become paperbacks: I think it's really a big shame!
And yes, I'm jealous of your nicely looking books

mingshey · Post by **mingshey** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 12:55 am

Yummy,Snap!

Hehe, naïss booksessss!
We wantsss them. My precioussss....

I'd like to have those books as much as Smeagol wants the ring.
I'm having as many books as possible I downloaded from textkit printed.

And nice pictures, jeff. Thanks!

Post by **klewlis** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 8:02 am

those pictures are great. i am salivating.

they'd make great stock photography for (possible) future incarnations of textkit ;)

Keesa · Post by **Keesa** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 1:31 pm

Ooooh, the nice books, the pretty books, the lovely, wonderful, marvelous books!!!!!

I love an old book. I love the feel, and the smell, and the colors...I have an early copy of Washington Irving's "The Sketch Book." I like to just sit there and stare at it. It looks very nice on my shelves. I wish all my other books looked like that!

But, it's the inside of the book that counts (mostly), and they don't have to be old, hardback...linenbound...first edition...mellowing...beautiful books to be good...sniff...sniff.

I love your books, Jeff!

Episcopus · Post by **Episcopus** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 2:31 pm

mingshey wrote:Yummy,Snap!
Hehe, naïss booksessss!
We wantsss them. My precioussss....

Some of them look quite pristine and elegant, lovely.

annis · Post by **annis** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 5:09 pm

Keesa wrote:I love an old book. I love the feel, and the smell, and the colors...

I know this well. It's a shame the wonderful, dry smell I associate with old books is just a sign that they're being eaten away.

Just for fun, a random sample of my library. My Polybius from 1844 is a wonderful experience: good printing, fine cloth paper, a little foxing for character but not enough to make reading impossible, and of course the wonderful aroma. I have books printed less than 10 years ago that'll not survive another 10 at all, and this Polybius will still be useful and sturdy for another 100 years at least.

Keesa · Post by **Keesa** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 5:20 pm

Now, these pictures look like my bookshelves. Or, my whole house.

I like!

MDS · Post by **MDS** » Thu Dec 25, 2003 12:23 am

Beatiful looking books there Jeff! I have quite a few from the 1830's and 1840's myself (no Greek or Latin texts though

). I couldn't agree more with William that books printed these days fall apart insanely fast, after spending $1000 or so this term on books most of my texts have bindings already in need of repair despite my careful handling!

Kalailan · Post by **Kalailan** » Thu Dec 25, 2003 11:35 am

Annis,
i have one of your Hieroglyph books. the gray paperback one.

<in the past Kalailan was an Egyptian freak.>

benissimus · Post by **benissimus** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 9:06 pm

Oh my goodness, most of the people here seem to have some powerful romance for books. Rather than praise your fine collection, Jeff, I will express my rotten jealousy

Annis' collection also looks very interesting. I laughed when I saw the book titled "Beginner's Assyrian"... hehe

I am envious of you as well.

Carola · Post by **Carola** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 10:10 pm

annis wrote: I know this well. It's a shame the wonderful, dry smell I associate with old books is just a sign that they're being eaten away.

Just for fun, a random sample of my library. My Polybius from 1844 is a wonderful experience: good printing, fine cloth paper, a little foxing for character but not enough to make reading impossible, and of course the wonderful aroma. I have books printed less than 10 years ago that'll not survive another 10 at all, and this Polybius will still be useful and sturdy for another 100 years at least.

Your library looks a lot like mine, except my book shelves are scattered all over the house and I also have a lot of gardening books (in their own special book case) and tons of music books etc. The climate here must be kinder to books as I still own paperbacks I bought over 30 years ago and my old books are still in very good condition apart from the normal wear of using them. Some of the 2nd hand paperbacks are from the 1950's and still holding up well. I guess if we wanted to pay for books with sewn sections and properly bound they would last several hundred years, but each book would probably cost as much as a small TV set.
Paper was often a lot better, even during WW2, as I often play in a big band and the guy who runs it still has original charts from the 40's. A lot of them were quite small as paper was scarce, but despite nearly 60 years of being misused by musicians most are still OK, although we have photocopied a few sets which were getting fragile. Those old musos must have good eyesight, reading half sized charts in smokey nightclubs! On this subject, does anyone know why so many of the older books (Victorian era) used such small print?

Moerus · Post by **Moerus** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 10:34 pm

I think it's criminal to make a paperback! They should all have hard covers! I have some books from 1890 etc. But now I gave them a new cover, so they will last for a few years, ...

Maybe that's an idea: give them a hard cover.

Greetz,

Moerus.

1%homeless · Post by **1%homeless** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 11:48 pm

Hmm... I wonder if repressing book lust is a bad thing...

Keesa · Post by **Keesa** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 11:55 pm

Moerus wrote:I think it's criminal to make a paperback! They should all have hard covers!

I can't say that. I love hardbacks, of course, and I'd like to have nothing but hardcover books, but when I look at the availability and the affordability of paperbacks, and I look at all the books I've been able to read and own because they were paperbacks, I can't hate them. They're the best and worst things that have ever happened to books.

Moerus · Post by **Moerus** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 12:00 am

Keesa wrote:
Moerus wrote:I think it's criminal to make a paperback! They should all have hard covers!
I can't say that. I love hardbacks, of course, and I'd like to have nothing but hardcover books, but when I look at the availability and the affordability of paperbacks, and I look at all the books I've been able to read and own because they were paperbacks, I can't hate them. They're the best and worst things that have ever happened to books.

The thing is: they should all have hard covers. But hardbacks should be available and affordable! Hardbacks should have the availability and the affordability that paperbacks have now!

It's that simple, but who is gonna tell them? You or me?

Keesa · Post by **Keesa** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 12:41 am

If we both tell them, they'll have to listen!

But will they act on it?