Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Gold-Bug” (1843)
Poe’s story of a treasure hunt, revealing the fantastical writer’s hyper-rational penchant for cracking codes….more
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States and the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections. Since 1994 it has made digitized versions of collection materials available online, concentrating on its most rare collections and those unavailable anywhere else - all available under an open license.
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OUR CONTENT FROM THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Schneider Von Groot’s Christmas Dream (1885)
Born of the temperance movement, this poem dramatises the ills of drinking schnapps, through one man’s bloody battle with thousands of intoxicated demons….more
Hokusai’s Ghost Stories (ca. 1830)
Hokusai’s five ghoulish prints for the series Hyaku Monogatari [One Hundred Ghost Stories]….more
Allegorical Maps of Love, Courtship, and Matrimony
Collection of allegorical maps (17th–19th century) charting that heady territory of love, courtship, and marriage….more
Ernst Haeckel’s Jellyfish
Haeckel’s stunning illustrations of medusae, in whose ethereal forms he glimpsed a reflection of his first wife, who died tragically at the age of 29….more
E. T. A. Hoffmann’s Strange Stories
English translation of E. T. A. Hoffmann’s Nachtstücke published in 1816, a collection of supernatural horror short stories including his classic The Sandman….more
Maps Showing California as an Island
California used to be thought of as an island. This stunning collection of 17th- and 18th-century maps illustrates how….more
The Egg Dance: From Peasant Village to Political Caricature
The egg dance was a traditional Easter game involving the laying down of eggs on the ground or floor and dancing among them whilst trying to break as few as possibl…more
The Diverting History of John Gilpin: Shewing how he Went Further than he Intended, and Came Safe Home Again (1782)
A 1906 edition of William Cowper’s famous ballad, illustrated with brilliantly comic woodcuts from Robert Seaver….more
A Collection of Fashionable English Words (1887)
Japanese woodcuts from a series by Kamekichi Tsunajima titled “Ryūkō eigo zukushi”, showing images of animals, activities and objects each with their Japanese…more
The Civil War Sketches of Adolph Metzner (1861–64)
Remarkable collection of sketches, drawings and watercolours left to us by Adolph Metzner, during his three years of service with the 1st German, 32nd Regiment Indi…more
Geographical Fun: Being Humourous Outlines of Various Countries (1868)
Series of fantastic anthropomorphic maps of European countries, each footnoted by a witty quatrain, was produced by London publisher Hodder and Stoughton in the 186…more
