Old Books, part 1

I've got enough cool old books that I thought I'd break them up into three show-and-tell posts, today and the next two Saturdays.

The area that's probably my favorite, and that I've set my mind to actually collecting, is Vintage Gardening, Landscape and Natural History books.

This first beauty, from 1909, was written by John McLaren.  If you're not familiar with McLaren, he was a Scottish horticulturalist who designed, developed, and for 53 years was superintendent of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.  I bought this book in a local used book shop.

Being a California native, this book has special interest for me, besides which I lived in San Francisco for five years.

This book, The Book of Garden Magic, is from 1940.  I especially love the illustrations in this one.  I also bought this one in a local used book shop.

This one, All About House Plants, is from 1948.  A gift from blogging and mail art pal Pamela Gerard of Cappuccino and Art Journal, to help me get my collection started.

This Field Guide to Western Birds is a first edition from 1941.  Includes annotations by the original owner of birds he or she had seen.  Got this at a local thrift shop.

These two were found at a rummage sale, both had been library books at one of the elementary schools in Fortuna.

Exploring Tidal Life, was published in 1966 in Berkeley.  The pages are simple reductions of a typed manuscript with tiny hand drawings.

Plants and Their Children is from 1940, has beautiful color plates and a gorgeous title page.

This Field Guide to Western Wildflowers is from 1915.  Beautiful illustrations and color plates.  I found this at a rummage sale.

Next week I'll show you my small collection of old children's books.