A guest post by Liv Winnicki, a rare books and archives reference student assistant in Special Collections. She is a second year anthropology major with a specialization in archaeology and a member of Watauga Residential College.
Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but when you inevitably do: These are 5 of the most beautiful books from the Special Collections Research Center at Appalachian State University.
1. Holidays Among The Mountains by M. Betham Edwards. App Coll Closed DA 730 .B48
A small book with a quaint title tells stories and paints scenes with illustrations inside. The hard cover is a beautiful coffee color with gold and silver embellishment and is decorated with floral print that wraps around the binding of the book, like ivy. The book was published by EP. Dutton and Co. in 1880 and is part of the Appalachian Collection. The William Leonard Eury Appalachian Collection has a vast array of books, videos, DVDs, and music related to the region. This book stood out to me as one of the most beautiful of the rare books in this collection. On the shelves surrounding this book are countless other books based on the region and history.
2. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and illustrated by Hugh Thomson. Rare PS 1868 .A1 1984
This particular edition of the book was published in 1984 by Arlington House. The spine of the book has thick black and red stripes with gold adornment throughout. The lettering on the cover stands out in beautiful contrast with red. The marble swirls on the cover continue into the first few pages of the novel. The pages have a beautiful gold reflection making it stand out among the other 140 The Scarlet Letter volumes that are within the collection. These books are part of the Idol Hawthorne Collection, which contains over 650 rare and annotated publications by and about Nathaniel Hawthorne, collected by former Clemson University English professor John L. Idol, Jr., for his teaching and research. The collection has first editions, illustrated editions, nontraditional publications, and translations.
3. The Most Wonderful Animals that Never Were by Joseph Wood Krutch and illustrated by Pauline Baynes. Rare Children’s QL 791 .K73
This children’s book title and cover say it all. The book jacket illustrates many imaginary creatures from folklore and fairy tales. In bright colors, a mermaid, a dragon, a unicorn, and sea monsters fly together throughout the beautiful blue cover. The illustration highlights with bright colors and realistic imagery the imagination of a child. This is a first edition of the book published in 1969 and it is part of the Historical Children’s Literature Collection. It consists of published 19th through 21st century books for children, original artwork for illustrations in children’s picture books. This collection is full of beautiful covers and stories, so it was hard for me to pick just one.
4. Daredevil Comic Book, July 1946, volume 1, no. 37 Rare Children’s PZ 1 .A3 D36 no. 37
The cover of this comic book illustrates Daredevil saving a man tied to the hands of clock tower. The title is in large bubble letters with the main characters standing underneath. If you open to the first page, behind the cover is a series of ads. These are intriguing to look at and see the prices and types of products at the time that the comic was published. The entire comic book is filled with beautiful illustrations, preserved from the 1940s. This is not even our oldest comic book. Special Collections has a collection of Golden Age Comics from 1938 to 1946. The largest concentrations of comics include DC Comics and Fawcett. These include Superman, Batman, and Captain Marvel. The collection also has Women and Girls’ comics, including Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, and Archie’s Girls. These comics are incredible to look at, with compelling covers and several are in great condition given their age.
5. Divi Britannica: Being a Remark upon the Lives of All the Kings of This Isle, from the Year of the World 2855 unto the Year of Grace 1660, By Winston Churchill. Rhinehart DA 130 .C56 1675
This beautiful book is bound in a striking red cover with a coat of arms painted on the front and back cover. The book’s dedication to King Charles II is captivating. In the first couple of pages of the book are two bookplates that show the coats of arms of the people who owned it. Winston Churchill ( bap. 1620, d. 1688) wrote it as a history of the Kings of England. If what the book says does not entirely intrigue you, the style of the writing and the cover of this history will. It is in my opinion one of the most impressive books in Special Collections. The book was printed by Tho. Roycroft and sold by Francis Eglesfield in 1675. It is part of the Bill and Maureen Rhinehart Collection on British History. This collection has over 1,000 rare books related to British Studies, and the collection ranges from the 1500s to the early 20th century.
To access any of these books, please contact spcoll@appstate.edu or 828–262–4041.
Holidays Among the Mountains by M. Betham Edwards
