It so happens my birthday is Friday. Since I happened to have today off work I met some friends for lunch, shopping, chocolate and yakking. I made the sort of a mistake of dragging my friend to the antique collective where I happen to know there is a man with a locked shelf of really good books. Good books for people like me.
What did I get, you ask me? Two books.
Brookes Gazetteer
Interestingly enough the title page says:
The General Gazetteer, or compendious Geographical Dictionary containing a Description of the Empires, Kingdoms, States, Provinces, Cities Towns Ports Seas Harbours Rivers Lakes Mountains &c In the Known World with the Government Customs Manners and Religion of the Inhabitants; the Extent, Boundaries and Natural Production of each Country; The Trade, Manufacturing and Curiosities of the Cities and Towns; their longitude, latitude, Bearings and distances in English Miles from remarkable places and the various events by which they have been distinguished. Illustrated by Eight Maps.
The remarkable thing is that all 8 maps are still in the book! They fold out.
Another remarkable thing is that both New York (USA) and San Francisco seem to have been omitted. Huh? Nevertheless, I anticipate many happy perusals.
A Picturesque Tour Of The Thames
And here’s the corker: this book contains lists of the contents of rooms in Hampton Court and Windsor Palace plus a map of the Hampton Court area, though it doesn’t fold out.
But I am very pleased with my books, and I will share more from them if I can.
Oh, wow. I’m seeing green, green, green, with envy. Thanks for sharing your treasure!
Whoa! Sounds fun, and happy birthday, Carolyn!
Wow! Happy perusing and happy upcoming birthday!!!
I’m having an attack of serious book envy!
Great birthday presents, Carolyn. May there be more birthday celebrations to come.
Happy Birthday, Carolyn! Many happy returns of the day!
I’m with the Divine One. Serious book envy here. Of course the past couple of days have been “happy dance at the mailbox” days because the research books I ordered have been coming in. They are me “found money” books. Any money that you find in a coat pocket or in an unexpected place in the house or car is called “found money” here in the South and as such you are entitled to do something completely frivolous with it. Not that I consider adding to my research library frivolous (141 catalogued on LibraryThing to date.) The only danger is that as each one arrives I want to sit down and read it instead of write!
Happy early birthday!!! I would love to hear more about those gorgeous-sounding books.
Louisa, I think I have about .73 in found money right now–what can I buy for that?? 🙂
Those sound like amazing birthday presents! Am lusting after them!
And an early Happy birthday!
Hopefully this weekend I’ll have time to do more than skim through them. They’re going to be very very useful!
Wonderful! I also collect old books. They are so very interesting. A wonderful window into another time and place. I don’t yet have one that is that old.
Enjoy them.