The Yuko Shimizu Book

All images below © Yuko Shimizu

(posted with permission)

Blow Up 3 © Yuko Shimizu (2010) [book]

DJ Slip Mat (A Nice Set) © Yuko Shimizu (2006) [book]

When I Opened My Eyes © Yuko Shimizu (2009) [book]

Heinrich Popow^ © Yuko Shimizu (2008) [book]

Fear © Yuko Shimizu (2007) [book]

The Snow Machine © Yuko Shimizu (2002/3) [book]

Now Hear This 2 © Yuko Shimizu (2007) [book]

Isis the Cat © Yuko Shimizu (2007) [book]

The Unwritten 1 © Yuko Shimizu (2004) [book]

Neil Gaman^ © Yuko Shimizu (2007) [book]

These delightful pop-graphics -- if I may so dub them -- were scanned by me from New York freelance illustrator Yuko Shimizu's first monograph, published by Gestalten in Berlin in 2011 [Amazon].

Yuko was kind enough to pass on a copy of this (very) handsome book recently. It features a comprehensive overview of her comicesque and culture-melding graphics (she's originally from Japan), produced over the last decade or so. It is a beautiful product and highly recommended.

Previously: Yuko's Progression from two years ago shows the evolution from sketch to final illustration in Yuko's work. There's also links to interviews and the like.

Beechey's Voyage

'The zoology of Captain Beechey's voyage / compiled from the collections and notes made by Captain Beechey^, the officers and naturalist of the expedition, during a voyage to the Pacific and Behring's Straits performed in His Majesty's ship Blossom, under the command of Captain F. W. Beechey ... in the years 1825, 26, 27 and 28, by J. Richardson ... [et al.] ; illustrated with upwards of fifty finely coloured plates by Sowerby' ----------> Harvard University.

• Alternatively: NYPL :: BHL :: Googlebooks :: Internet Archive :: Amazon.
• Frederick William Beechey at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online.
• Undoubtedly via @john_overholt & Houghton Library Blog

The Rocket Book

"The upward progress of a rocket,
lit in the basement by the janitor's son,
causes some strange situations as it
passes through 20 floors of apartments!"

American artist and author, Peter Newell (1862-1924), established his credentials providing humorous illustrations for famous magazines and newspapers in the last two decades of the 19th century.

Newell also illustrated popular books by other authors (Twain and Carroll, for instance) and wrote and illustrated a series of his own children's books. These latter works proved fairly influential and tended to revolve around a single theme (or perhaps, gimmick). The 'Topsys & Turvys' series could be viewed right way up or upside down; 'The Hole Book' had an actual physical hole through all its pages and 'The Rocket Book', above, features the recurring sight of a rocket flying through each illustrated scene.

• 'The Rocket Book' (1912) by Peter Sheaf Hersey Newell is available from the Library of Congress via the Center for the Book's read.gov portal.
• 'The Rocket Book' is also available as a synchronised audiobook/slideshow on Youtube through Librivox and the CCProse Youtube channel.
• Read.gov.
• Peter Newell bio: [W] & NonsenseLit.
• Newell fairytale illustrations at SurLaLune.
• Peter Newell books: Amazon :: Internet Archive :: Project Gutenburg.
• VIA the always interesting Ptak's History of Ideas blog.