On-Line Books - Books by Subject

Boston and New England History

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, The. Edited by Frank Woodworth Pine. Garden City, NY: Garden City Publishing Co., Inc. 1916.
-- This is an illustrated version of Franklin's autobiography. Note that this book edited out 3 paragraphs where Franklin referred to his youthful daliances, which I have edited back in with notes where added. This edition also includes an Appendix of four articles: Electrical Kite, The Way to Wealth, The Whistle, and A Letter to Samuel Mather. Also includes a Bibliography.....

Boston: A Guide Book. Edwin M. Bacon. Illustrated. Boston: Athenaeum Press. 1903 edition.
-- A great guide book of Boston that takes you through the neighborhood historical points all across the City and the surrounding area. Included are the cities of Salem, Wellesley, Newton, Quincy, Blue Hill Reservation, plus many others. Heavily illustrated. Well written and reads like a walking tour of Boston, with lots of history thrown in. Highly recommended!....

Boston Illustrated, by Edwin M. Bacon. Illustrated. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Co. 1886 edition.
-- A great work on the history of Boston by the neighborhoods through the architecture of the period. Heavily illustrated. Well written and reads like a walking tour of Boston, with lots of history thrown in. Highly recommended!

Rambles Around Old Boston, by Edwin M. Bacon. Illustrated by Lester G. Hornby. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. 1921 edition.
-- This is an excellent work on the early history of Boston through the turn of the 20th Century. Well written and reads like a walking tour of Boston, with lots of history thrown in. Highly recommended!

District School As It Was, The. Warren Burton. Edited and Illustrated by Clifton Johnson. Boston: Lee and Shephard. 1897.
--A nice retrospective of life in a New England school right around 1800. A number of illustrations and an introduction added by Clifton Johnson...

Colonial Life in New Hampshire. James H. Bassett. Boston: Athenaeum Press. 1899.
-- A nice historical discussion of the early history of New Hampshire, up to and including roles of the state in the Revolutionary War. Sections include: Customs of the Settlers, Indians of New Hampshire, and the Beginnings of the Revolution. Good for students and adults ...

Cape Coddities, by Dennis and Marion Chatham. Illustrated by Harold Cue. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 1920. (Buy a print copy here!)
--A great little book filled with Cape Cod charm written when cars were just beginning to be used on the Cape. Nice watercolor touches on some of the illustrations done by a previous owner of the book...

Romance of Old New England Rooftrees, The. Crawford, Mary Caroline. Boston: L. C. Page and Company. 1902 (1908 edition).
--This is a great source of New England history from its founding through the Revolution, through the unique view of New England's original buildings. Nice source of historical information about Deborah Sampson Gannett (a woman who disguised herself as a man and fought in the Revolutionary War), the time of the Salem Witch trials, The Fairbanks murder trial in Dedham, Mass. and Brook Farm in West Roxbury, Mass., among others...

St. Botolph's Town. Mary Caroline Crawford. Illustrated with various etchings and photographs. Boston: L.C. Page & Co. 1908.
-- This is a detailed look at the settling of Boston, MA, with information from original letters, diaries and documents. Highly informative and enjoyable reading....

History of the Great Fire in Boston. Russell H. Conwell. Boston: B. B. Russell. 1873.
-- Detailed description of the great fire of 1872, written soon after the fire occurred. Describes the fire as it swept through the City as well as the aftermath of destruction and rebuilding.......

Random Notes of Boston. Henry P. Dowst. Illustrated by John Albert Seaford. Publisher: Humphrey. N.D.: Library Book first stamped August 30, 1916.
-- Great illustrations of Boston around 100 years ago. Many of the buildings illustrated still exist today, but some have vanished since this work was done. Nice history notes of Boston

Early American Craftsmen. Walter A Dyer. Illustrated with photographs. NY: The Century Company. 1915.
--Everything you've ever wanted to know about early American craftsmen. Chapters cover Furniture makers, Pewter craftsmen, Silver worker, Glass manufacture, Potters, Windsor Chair manufacture, and Architects. All from around the Revolutionary War period. (This book sponsored by Dragons Breath)

Romance of Old Philadelphia, The. John T. Faris. Illustrated with early etchings and photographs by Philip B. Wallace. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company. 1918.
--A great resource book with the earliest history of Philadelphia, from settlement through the Revolution and Washington's term in office as President. Heavily illustrated with drawings, prints and original photographs....

Dutch and English on the Hudson. Maud Wilder Goodwin. New Haven: Yale University Press. 1919.
--Textbook edition of the history of settlement of the New York area from the Dutch through English occupation. The time covered is from the 1630's through the 1700's. A nice work with a great bibliography..........

Grandmother's Story of Bunker Hill Battle, Oliver Wendell Holmes. Illustrated by H. W. McVickar. NY: Dodd, Meade & Co. 1875.
-- A wonderfully illustrated book of the Holmes Poem. This is one of the earlier versions of illustrations done by McVickar. A nice read....

From St. Lawrence to Virginia. Clifton Johnson. Photographs by Clifton Johnson. NY: Macmillan & Co. 1913
-- The author is a writer and photographer who was unknowingly an ethnographer of his time, recording vanishing cultures at the turn of the last century. This book deals with vignettes of rural life from New York Adirondacks to the mountains of West Virginia. Profusely illustrated with the author's original photographs...

New England and Its Neighbors. Clifton Johnson. Photographs by Clifton Johnson. NY: Macmillan & Co. 1902.
-- The author is a writer and photographer who was unknowingly an ethnographer of his time, recording vanishing cultures at the turn of the last century. This book deals with vignettes of rural life from Maine to Delaware. Profusely illustrated with the author's original photographs...

New England Country, The. Clifton Johnson. Photographs and Illustrations by Clifton Johnson. Boston: Lee & Shephard. 1893.
-- Quiet reflection in words, photographs and illustrations, regarding daily life in rural New England at the end of the 1800's. Profusely illustrated with the author's original photographs...

Picturesque Hudson, The. Clifton Johnson. Photographs by Clifton Johnson. NY: Macmillan & Co. 1915.
-- The author is a writer and photographer who was unknowingly an ethnographer of his time, recording vanishing cultures at the turn of the last century. This book deals with vignettes of the length of the Hudson River, from Glens Falls to New York City. It includes the early history of the area during early settlement through the Revolution. Profusely illustrated with the author's original photographs...

Country School, The. Clifton Johnson. NY: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. 1907.
-- A great look at a time long gone for most of us: the one-room country schoolhouse in the United States. Johnson describes schools from the post-Revolutionmsry days, up to the late 1800's. Nice descriptions of teachers' lives and the students they taught. Includes games and recess activities by the children. Good for students and adults ...

What They Say in New England. Clifton Johnson. Boston: Lee and Shepard. 1896.
-- A great compilation of old sayings from New England - from Luck, Odds, Marriage, Friends, Love and Sentiment, to Old Songs and Old Stories.....

Park Street and Its Vicinity. Lawrence, Robert Means. Illustrated. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 1922.
-- This is a nicely written and readable history of Park Street, in the heart of Boston. From the settlement of Boston, Park Street has always been part of the boundary of the Boston Commons, and many of the buildings described in this book still stand. Defined at one end by the State House and at the other by Park Street Church, this short street has seen a lot of history.....

New England Traits. George Lunt. NY: Hurd & Houghton. 1873.
--A nice reminicence of Early New England life in the Newburyport area of Massachusetts spanning the Revolution through the early 1800's. A good look at some of the 'traits' of New Englanders from someone who saw it first-hand...

Voyage of the Mayflower, The. McManus, Blanche. Illustrated by Blanche McManus. New York: E. R. Herrick & Co. 1897.
-- An interesting 'history' of the Pilgrims, from London, through Holland, to Plymouth. Profusely illustrated by Blanche McManus. Suitable for children and adults....

White Mountain Trails. Winthrop Packard. With numerous photographs. Boston: Small, Maynard and Company. 1917.
-- This is a nice description of the trails of the White Mountains of New Hampshire by New England naturalist, Winthrop Packard. Great photographs of views from the mountains and Appalachian Mountain Club huts and lean-tos built to accomodate hikers on the trail....

Historic Towns of New England. Lyman P. Powell. NY: G. P. Putnam's Sons. 1898.
-- A revealing look at the history of 14 towns in the New England area, including: Boston, Salem, Hartford, Providence, Cambridge, Deerfield, Newport, New Haven, Rutland, MA., Concord, Plymouth, Cambridge, and Cape Cod towns. Many, many drawings, maps and photographs. Great historical information......

Boston: Its Byways & Highways. Written and illustrated by John Albert Seaford. Le Roy Phillips: Publisher. Boston. No publication date. [ca. 1914]
--A great little book with wonderful sepia-tone sketches of Boston at the turn of the 20th Century.

Book of Boston. by Robert Shackleton. Illustrated by R.L. Boyer. Philadelphia: Penn Publishing Co. 1916.
--An interesting look at Boston at the turn of the 20th century, along with a lot of historical information for New England. Nicely illustrated also....

Bundle of Yarn, A. Fred W. Shibley. Providence, RI: H. Gregory.1899.
--An odd and unique 'bundle' of short stories, some written in the first person other in the third-person. They tell of life in Rhode Island from the early to late 1800's. Written in the vernacular of New England speech, it makes for an interesting read....

Myths and Legends of Our Own Land, Volume 1. Charles M. Skinner. 4 Photographs. Philadelphia: J. B Lippincott. 1896.
-- This is the first volume of a 2 volume set, containing a wonderful compilation of 'modern' myths and legends from Native Americans and early European settlers, through the Civil War. As Skinner states, "It is where myth and history combine that legend is most interesting and appeals to our fancy or our sympathy most strongly; and it is not too early for us to begin the collation of those quaint happenings..." A great read....

Myths and Legends of Our Own Land, Volume 2. Charles M. Skinner. 4 Photographs. Philadelphia: J. B Lippincott. 1896.
-- This is the second volume of a 2 volume set, containing a wonderful compilation of 'modern' myths and legends from Native Americans and early European settlers, through the Civil War. As Skinner states, "It is where myth and history combine that legend is most interesting and appeals to our fancy or our sympathy most strongly; and it is not too early for us to begin the collation of those quaint happenings..." A great read....

Some Events of Boston and Its Neighbors. State Street Trust Company. Boston, Mass. 1917
-- A nice, large-size pamphlet of bits and pieces of Boston history. A fun read.....

Some Merchants and Sea Captains of Old Boston. State Street Trust Company. Boston, Mass. 1918.
-- A nice, large-size pamphlet of bits and pieces of Boston maritime history. A fun read.....

Camping Out. C. A. Stephens. NY: Hurst and Company. [n.d.: ca. 1910]
-- A very interesting tale of 4 young men in search of the 'mother lode' in the wilderness of Maine, on the heights of Mt. Katahdin! First in a series if adventure books.....

Maine Woods, The. Henry David Thoreau. Boston: Ticknor and Fields. 1864.
-- The classic by Thoreau, detailing his adventures through the Maine regions of Katahdin, Chesuncook and the Alagash. Hard to find, complete with Appendix, in etext on the web....

Birds In The Bush Bradford Torrey. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Company. 1895.
--Excellent nature book, easy reading with descriptions of an obsessive birder from 100 years ago. Covers his travels, and birding, in New England. A must read for today's birders...

Clerk of the Woods, The. Bradford Torrey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1903.
-- Excellent nature book, easy reading with descriptions of an obsessive birder from 100 years ago. Covers his travels, and birding, in New England. A must read for today's birders...

Everyday Birds. Bradford Torrey. Illustrations. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company. 1901.
--A nice book for young bird lovers. Teachers: This is a good book to use with young students. Nicely illustrated.......

Footpath Way, The. Bradford Torrey. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company. 1892.
-- This is another nice book by nineteenth century writer and enthusiastic birder, Bradford Torrey, as he roams through New England in search of his favorite hobby. Nice description also of the local region and the people he meets. A must read for any birder today!.............

Nature's Invitation. Bradford Torrey. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin Company. 1904.
-- Excellent nature book, easy reading with descriptions of an obsessive birder from 100 years ago. Covers his travels, and birding, in New Hampshire, Florida, Texas and Arizona. A must read for today's birders...

Rambler's Lease, A. Bradford Torrey. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company. 1896 edition.
-- Another in the series of early environmental/nature study of New England. Highly descriptive of the birds seen along the way. Highly recommended!....

Sand Dunes and Salt Marshes. Charles Wendell Townsend. Illustrated with Photographs. Boston: Dana Estes & Co. 1913.
-- this is a nice early environmental book, describing in detail the various sand dune and salt marshes, and the flora and fauna found there. The area of Ipswich, Massachusetts.......

In The Wilderness. Charles Dudley Warner. Houghton, Osgood and Company. 1878.
-- An early 'environmentalist' look at the Adirondacks and wilderness living, as well as reflections on life in New England in the late 1800's........

Webster's First Bunker-Hill Oration. edited by Louise Manning Hodgkins. Boston: Leach, Shewell and Sanborn. 1889.
-- A nice student book with a guide in the study of oration, biography of Daniel Webster, Notes to the Address, and of course the Address Webster delivered on the setting of the cornerstone to the Bunker Hill Monument......

Birds and Birding

A Year With the Birds, by Alice E. Ball. Illustrated by Robert Bruce Horsfall. NY: Gibbs & Van Vleck, Inc. 1916.
-- This is a wonderful look at birds of North America in a seasonal retrospective, in poetry and art. The illustrations are
very natural and Ms. Ball uses her own poetry as well as other writers from the 19th and 20th centuries to describe birdsong and behavior. I recommend this book to bird lovers of all ages, especially as Ms. Ball intended this book to be used in schools as well as by adults.

American Birds. William Lovell Finley. NY: Charles Scribners' Sons. 1907.
-- This is a wonderful book, covering Kingfishers, Hummingbirds, Crows, Sparrows, Orioles, Sea Gulls, and many more. Profusely illustrated with photographs taken in the wild. Nice photos also of the photographers in action - 50 feet in the air with the old-style bellows cameras the size of suitcases! No little digital cameras used here.....

Birds Every Child Should Know. by Neltje Blanchan. NY: Grosset & Dunlap. 1907.
--A nice book to introduce children to the world of birds. Photo illustrated with well-written information....

How to Attract the Birds. Neltje Blanchan. Numerous photographs. NY: Doubleday, Page & Company. 1916 edition.
-- A great book for all ages with descriptions for birdhouses, how to make your own birdseed mixes to attract different birds and general information on bird behavior. Profusely illustrated with photographs from nature....

Travels of Birds, The. Frank M. Chapman. New York: D Appleton & Company. 1916.
-- Nice edition for children and adults describing the different migrations of birds. Maps and illustrations show the distinct paths of different bird groups, as well as describing day and night migrations. Interesting commentary of the dangers to migrating birds from storms and lighthouses.......

Field-Days in California. Bradford Torrey. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company. 1913.
-- This is the last book by Bradford Torrey, published postumously weeks after he passed away at the age of 69. This book chronicles his last few years as a resident of California, persuing his favorite hobby: admiring nature and birdwatching. Nice description also of the local region and the people he meets. A must read for any birder today!.....

Footing it in Franconia. Bradford Torrey. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company. 1901.
-- a nice book by nineteenth century writer and enthusiastic birder, Bradford Torrey, as he roams through the Franconia Notch, NH, area in search of his favorite hobby, birds and observing nature. Nice description also of the local region and the people he meets. A must read for any birder today!.............

Spring Notes from Tennessee. Bradford Torrey. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company. 1896.
-- Another in a series of books by Torrey, this edition describes his travels through Tennessee and the birds he sees and counts along the way. He also describes a number of Civil War battlefield parks 30 years after the end of the War....

World of Green Hills, A. Bradford Torrey. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company. 1898.
-- This is another nice book by nineteenth century writer and enthusiastic birder, Bradford Torrey, as he roams the hills of North Carolina and Virginia in search of his favorite hobby. Nice description also of the local region and the people he meets. A must read for any birder today!............

Familiar Studies of Wild Birds. F. N. Whitman. Boston: The Gorham Press. 1920.
-- This is a nice book of a photographer's study of wild birds he found around the area in the 1900's. Kingbirds, Owls, Wrens, and many other birds are written about here, and more importantly, photographed in their natural environments. This nature photographer also gives detailed information to the photographer just trying their hand at bird photography and how to go about it. Information that works well today in the digital world.....

Nature/Naturalists
(Early Environmental Writings)

A Year With the Birds, by Alice E. Ball. Illustrated by Robert Bruce Horsfall. NY: Gibbs & Van Vleck, Inc. 1916.
-- This is a wonderful look at birds of North America in a seasonal retrospective, in poetry and art. The illustrations are very natural and Ms. Ball uses her own poetry as well as other writers from the 19th and 20th centuries to describe birdsong and behavior. I recommend this book to bird lovers of all ages, especially as Ms. Ball intended this book to be used in schools as well as by adults.

Inca Land. by Hiram Bingham. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1922.
--A wonderful, detailed narrative of Bingham's travels around Peru in 1915, funded by Yale University and The National Geographic Society. Bingham is best known as the discoverer of the ruins of Machu Picchu, and he describes this find toward the end of this book. Interesting anthropological information of the native Peruvians as well as detailed history of the last years of the Inca Empire....

Birds Every Child Should Know. by Neltje Blanchan. NY: Grosset & Dunlap. 1907.
--A nice book to introduce children to the world of birds. Photo illustrated with well-written information....

Fresh Fields. John Burroughs. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1904. Photographs by various artists.
-- Part of the 23 Volume Riverby Edition series; a wonderful collection of essays regarding nature in England....

Locusts and Wild Honey. John Burroughs. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1907.
-- Part of the 23 Volume Riverby Edition series; a wonderful collection of essays about bees, fishing, rain and Canada....

Signs and Seasons. John Burroughs. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company. 1895 edition
--Another in the series of publications by naturalist, John Borroughs. Chapters include: Phases of Farm Life, A Spring Relish, Winter Neighbors, A Snow-Storm, and many more....

Squirrels and Other Fur-Bearers. John Burroughs. Illustrated. 1901.
-- A nice naturalist's book regarding squirrels, mice, woodchuck, skunk, mink and many others.....

Under The Apple-Trees. John Burroughs. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1916.
-- Another in a series of books written by the naturalist, John Burroughs. Here with an added twist: his musings on creationist thought and Scientific evidence for Evolution presented by Darwin. Added here as part of Kellscraft Studio's Naturalist Writer's Series...

Ways of Nature. John Burroughs. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company. 1905.
-- This is a nicely written series of commentaries discussing the new naturalists who overly humanize the natural world, vs those that use scientific thought and evolutionary theory to understand the world around us....

Winter Sunshine. John Burroughs. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1904 Photographs by various artists.
-- Part of the 23 Volume Riverby Edition series; a wonderful collection of essays about the wonders of winter ....

Nomads of the North. James Oliver Curwood. Illustrated by Charles Livingston Bull. NY: Grosset & Dunlap. 1919.
-- An interesting story of a bear and a dog, and their adventures in the Canadian wilderness. Villians, heros and life in the camps of the North. Very similar to "Call of the Wild".....

On the Origin of Species. Charles Darwin. 1859. 1st edition.
--In honor of the wise decision in Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School District to finally, and clearly, show 'intelligent design' for what it is -- a continuation of the attempt to teach creationism in the classroom, Kellscraft Studio is proud to list the 1st edition copy of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species here at our site. Students of America: take this opportunity to understand how important this decision is and always remember: we adults aren't always right. Read your Darwin and open your mind to what the scientific world has to offer. Just because over 80% of Americans believe in creationism over Evolution doesn't make them right. Read on!!

Romance of the Beaver. Radclyffe Dugmore. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company. 1914.
-- This is a nice look at the daily lives of beavers. Lots of specific information on the life cycle of beaver dams, beaver ponds and beaver meadows. Lots of photographs, but please note this edition was processed from a DJVU edition and the photographs did not scan well originally...

Some Fish and Some Fishing. Frank Gray Griswold. NY: John Lane Co. 1921.
-- A fascinating book on ocean and river fishing, in Florida, California, and the Mediterranean. Also includes sea fishing with kites and sleds. An interesting book of the period...

Highways and Byways of the Pacific Coast. Clifton Johnson. Photographs by Clifton Johnson. NY: MacMillan Company. 1915 edition.
-- One of a series of books written by Johnson of a vanishing America: Rural life. He specifically visited rural towns, villages and farms across the country at the turn of the twentieth century to document what he felt was a way of life that was disappearing 100 years ago. In this volume, he travels through Arizona, Nevada, California, Washington, Oregon and a special trip through Yosemite National Park. As in all of his books, Johnson lets the people he meets tell their own stories. Colorfully written in the dialects of the region, it makes for interesting reading......

Isle of the Shamrock. Clifton Johnson. Photographs by Clifton Johnson. NY: Macmillan & Co. 1901.
-- The author is a writer and photographer who was unknowingly an ethnographer of his time, recording vanishing cultures at the turn of the last century. This book deals with vignettes of rural life from Ireland. Profusely illustrated with the author's original photographs...

Beasts of the Field. Long, William J. Illustrated by Charles Copeland. Boston: The Athenæum Press. 1901.
-- A turn-of-the Twentieth Century naturalist tales, told through a native American naming convention for the animals met along the way. A nice read, reminiscent of the Adirondack camp tales...

Reading the Weather. T. Morris Longstreth. Outing Publishing Company. 1915.
-- Excellent book on scientifically reading weather signs; as practical today as it was when written. Excellent information for campers as well....

The Life of the Bee. Maurice Maeterlinck. Translated by Alexander Teixeira Mattos. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company. 1910.
--A scientific and philosophical discussion on the life cycle of the bee and life in the hive. With, of course, Maeterlinck's perspective on how this relates to human life....

The Double Garden. Maurice Maeterlinck. Translated by Alexander Teixeira Mattos. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company. 1911
--Philosopher, naturalist, and essayist - this book is a collection of his writing from the turn of the century (1900). Essays cover the following topics: Dogs, Bees, old flowers, early automobiles, suffrage, and much more!

Familiar Features of the Roadside. F. Schuyler Mathews. New York: D Appleton and Company. 1897.
-- This is a wonderful nature book, easily read, that details the types of plants and animals found along the roadside of the more rural areas of the U.S. Ever wonder what an owl's hoot looks like in a musical score? How about a Bluebird's? And what are the different varieties of ragwee? Roses? It's all here!.....

Wild Life on the Rockies. Enos A. Mills. Illustrated with photographs. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1909.
-- A great book from an environmentalist perspective. Mills was hired for a time as the "State Snow Observer of Colorado" for three years, for which he was instructed: "...to make notes on 'those things that are likely to be of interest or value to the Department of Agriculture or the Weather Bureau,' — and to be careful not to lose my life." Enough said. An enjoyable read...

Wasps and Their Ways. Margaret Morley. NY: Dodd, Mead and Company. 1911.
-- This is a great book, packed with information about wasps. Not my favorite insect before reading this book, I now have a great respect for these fascinating insects. Excellent for children and adults to learn about wasps...

Story of My Boyhood and Youth, The. John Muir. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1913.
-- This is an interesting autobiography of John Muir, from his youngest days in Scotland, his trip to America, his farm life in Wisconsin to his days at University. An interesting insight into a great naturalist......

Florida Trails. Winthrop Packard. Many Photographs. Boston: Small, Maynard and Co. 1910.
-- This is a nice book on the musings of the author as he wandered the trails of Florida during the winter months.. A nice book for any naturalist, young or old, looking for an escape from the colder northern climes. By the same author of Woodland Paths...

He Dropped Into Poetry. Winthrop Packard. Canton, Mass: Winthrop Packard. 1940.
-- The naturalist, Winthrop Packard, tries his hand at poetry, some serious, some humerous. A nice read....

Literary Pilgrimages of a Naturalist. Winthrop Packard. Small, Maynard & Company. 1911.
-- A great book for the literary person with a naturalist bent. Packard visits the homes of great authors and describes the natural world that influenced the authors in their writing. Naturally included in Thoreau, but also includes Wordsworth, Emerson, Hawthorne, Thaxter, and Whittier, among others....

Modern Steerage Winthrop Packard. With photographs. The World Today. June, 1904.
-- This is an interesting look at third-class steerage passage on the newest liner of the time, sailing from England to New York City. Illustrates the strides made to make a safer journey for imigrants sailing the Atlantic at the turn of the 20th Century. An article from a monthly magazine...

Old Plymouth Trails. Winthrop Packard. Many Photographs. Boston: Small, Maynard and Co. 1920.
-- This is a nice book on the musings of the author as he wandered the trails southeastern Massachusetts through the year. A nice book for any naturalist, young or old.. By the same author of Woodland Paths...

White Mountain Trails. Winthrop Packard. With numerous photographs. Boston: Small, Maynard and Company. 1917.
-- This is a nice description of the trails of the White Mountains of New Hampshire by New England naturalist, Winthrop Packard. Great photographs of views from the mountains and Appalachian Mountain Club huts and lean-tos built to accomodate hikers on the trail....

Wood Wanderings. Winthrop Packard. Illustrated by Charles Copeland. Boston: Small, Maynard and Co. 1910.
-- This is a nice book on the musings of the author as he wandered the trails of eastern Massachusetts, especially the Blue Hill Reservation, in Canton, Mass., just south of Boston. This book covers the Fall months at the Reservation. A nice book for any naturalist, young or old....

Woodland Paths. Winthrop Packard. Illustrated by Charles Copeland. Boston: Small, Maynard and Co. 1910. (Buy a print copy here!)
-- This is a nice book on the musings of the author as he wandered the trails of eastern Massachusetts, especially the Blue Hill Reservation, in Canton, Mass., just south of Boston. This book covers the spring months at the Reservation. A nice book for any naturalist, young or old.

Wild Pastures. Winthrop Packard. Illustrated by Charles Copeland. Boston: Small, Maynard and Co. 1909. (Buy a print copy here!)
-- This is a nice book on the musings of the author as he wandered the trails of eastern Massachusetts, especially the Blue Hill Reservation, in Canton, Mass., just south of Boston. This book covers the summer months at the Reservation. A nice book for any naturalist, young or old...

Wildwood Ways. Winthrop Packard. Illustrated by Charles Copeland. Boston: Small, Maynard and Co. 1909. (Buy a print copy here!)
-- This is a nice book on the musings of the author as he wandered the trails of eastern Massachusetts, especially the Blue Hill Reservation, in Canton, Mass., just south of Boston. This book covers the winter months at the Reservation. A nice book for any naturalist, young or old...

Young Ice-Whalers, The. Winthrop Packard. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 1903.
--A nice young adult book with interesting observations of the declining whaling industry and of the Innuit (Eskimo) lifestyle along the edges of the Arctic Circle...

First Through The Grand Canyon. John Wesley Powell. Edited by Horace Kephart. NY: Outing Publishing Company. 1915.
--A real-life adventure story! The diary of John Wesley Powell's trip through the entire length of the Grand Canyon. His was the first known party to explore the entire canyon length. Contains a map of the journey and daily logs.....

Biography of a Grizzly. by Earnest Seton-Thompson. The Century Co. 1912.
--An interesting book on the hard life of a grizzly, especially with the the settling of the West. Sad at times, and nicely illustrated by the author...

Little Gardens. Charles M. Skinner. New York: D. Appleton & Co. 1904.
-- A nice Arts and Crafts look at small-scale gardens! Perfect for the smaller urban gardens...

Dutch Bulbs. Una Silberrad and Sophie Lyall. Illustrations by Mima Nixon. London: Adam and Charles Black. 1909.
--Beautifully illustrated with wonderful watercolors by artist Mima Nixon, this book covers the history and commercial growing of bulbs in Holland at the turn of the 20th century.

Walden. Henry David Thoreau. Boston: Ticknor and Fields. 1854.
-- The classic of naturalist writing. Added here as part of Kellscraft Studio's Naturalist Writer's Series...

Florida Sketch-Book, A. Bradford Torrey. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company. 1894.
-- This is another nice book by nineteenth century writer and enthusiastic birder, Bradford Torrey, as he roams through Florida in search of his favorite hobby. Nice description also of the local region and the people he meets. A must read for any birder today!.............

Days Off. Henry Van Dyke. NY: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1907.
--One of a series to be added here, this volume is a series of short stories on the benefits (and pitfalls) of taking days off from the regular grind... even a day off from a vacation!

Fisherman's Luck. Henry Van Dyke. NY: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1913.
--Ever wander along a willow-lined stream bank and wonder how the fishing would be? How many types of open fires can there be? More than you think.... A wonderful, meandering stream of thought about fishing and lovers, mountains and strawberries, I highly recommend this book and author.

Butterflies. Clarence Weed. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Page & Company.
-- A well-written and understandable book for beginners and advanced students of butterfly studies. Nicely illustrated, although some of the photographs of butterflies are not as clear as they could be.....

My Garden. Louise Beebe Wilder. Illustrated by Will Simmons. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Page & Company. 1920.
-- This is a wonderful book for the intellectual gardener. Latin plant names abound, as well as common names. Lists are provided in each chapter for roses, irises, lilies, shrubs, trees and herbs. A nice book for any gardener....

Travel

Musée de l'Armée. Hôtel des Invalides. [N.D.] Ca. 1920.
-- French photo pamphlet souvenir showing a small portion of the Museum's collecting just after WWI, including a photo of the railroad car where the Armistice was signed, ending the war....

Inca Land. by Hiram Bingham. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1922.
--A wonderful, detailed narrative of Bingham's travels around Peru in 1915, funded by Yale University and The National Geographic Society. Bingham is best known as the discoverer of the ruins of Machu Picchu, and he describes this find toward the end of this book. Interesting anthropological information of the native Peruvians as well as detailed history of the last years of the Inca Empire....

Among the Tibetans. Isabella L. Bishop. London: The Religious Tract Society. 1894.
-- This is an interesting travel book describing travel through Tibet in the late 1800's. Nice descriptions of the people and land, but a little too focussed on the christian missionary mentality. Worth the read though....

Winter Sunshine. John Burroughs. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1904 Photographs by various artists.
-- Part of the 23 Volume Riverby Edition series; a wonderful collection of essays about the wonders of winter ....

Romance of Old Japan. by Elizabeth and Frère Champney. 90 Illustrations.. New York: The Knickerbocker Press. G. P. Putnam's Sons. 1917.
--A nice series of stories from Japan from early mythology through contact with the west in the 1860's. Heavily illustrated with drawings, prints and original photographs....

Indian Life in Town and Country. Herbert Compton. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1904.
--This is an interesting look at life in India at the height of British control. Written by a British writer, there is of course the western European bias present in early 20th cetury writings of colonial life. That being said, it is a fascinating view of India of the turn of the last century.........

Random Notes of Boston. Henry P. Dowst. Illustrated by John Albert Seaford. Publisher: Humphrey. N.D.: Library Book first stamped August 30, 1916.
-- Great illustrations of Boston around 100 years ago. Many of the buildings illustrated still exist today, but some have vanished since this work was done. Nice history notes of Boston also....

A Thousand Miles Up The Nile. Amelia B. Edwards. NY: A. L. Burt Company. ca 1888.
-- Reporter, novelist, Egyptologist, Amelia Edwards has been called the basis of the fictional Victorian Egyptologist, Amelia Peabody. Edwards describes here a trip up the Nile she and a female traveling companion took with other friends, stopping at many well-known ancient sites. The original trip occurred in the 1870's. A fun read.....

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. George Eyre-Todd. Ilustrated by E.W. Haslehust R.B.A. London: Blackie and Son Limited. No Date. (ca. 1900)
-- Nicely Illustrated book, part of the Blackie & Son's 'Beautiful' Series. 12 wonderful color illustrations by E. W. Haslehust......

Romance of Old Philadelphia, The.by John T. Faris. Illustrated with early etchings and photographs by Philip B. Wallace. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company. 1918.
--A great resource book with the earliest history of Philadelphia, from settlement through the Revolution and Washington's term in office as President. Heavily illustrated with drawings, prints and original photographs....

History of the Babylonians and Assyrians, A. George Stephen Goodspeed, PhD. NY: Charles Scribners' Sons. 1921.
-- Detailed history of the archaeological investigations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as the history known at the time of the Babylonians and Assyrians. Nice map of the Middle East, showing the locations of Nineveh, Ur, Babylon and other cities, as well as the Babylonian names of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, etc. A nice read for the student of ancient history......

Nooks and Corners of Old London. Charles & Marie Hemstreet. Illustrated by Photographs. NY: James Pott & Company. 1910.
-- A nice reminiscence of Old London; each paragraph is a unique view of a certain part of the City. Nice photographs also.....

Along French Byways. Clifton Johnson. Illustrated. NY: The MacMillan Company. 1900.
-- a nice look at rural and village life in France around 1900, from the perspective of a wandering American. Johnson was a keen observer, writer and photographer; this book is a companion to his other books on life in Europe (such as Isle of the Shamrock) and add wonderful insight into life 100 years ago.....

Highways and Byways of the Mississippi Valley, by Clifton Johnson. Photographs by Clifton Johnson. NY: MacMillan Company. 1906.
-- One of a series of books written by Johnson of a vanishing America: Rural life. He specifically visited rural towns, villages and farms across the country at the turn of the twentieth century to document what he felt was a way of life that was disappearing 100 years ago. These works are a wonderful resouce of information about life in America outside of the growing cities. This book pertains to life in America from Mississippi to Minnesota along the Mississippi River. Note that this book contains strong language and racist thoughts expressed by the people interviewed. Please read my COMMENTARY to this web edition which describes why you should read this book but keep in mind I don't recommend this book for young children. More importantly, this book requires a lot of discussion. Read it carefully and wisely.......

Picturesque Hudson, The. Clifton Johnson. Photographs by Clifton Johnson. NY: Macmillan & Co. 1915.
-- The author is a writer and photographer who was unknowingly an ethnographer of his time, recording vanishing cultures at the turn of the last century. This book deals with vignettes of the length of the Hudson River, from Glens Falls to New York City. It includes the early history of the area during early settlement through the Revolution. Profusely illustrated with the author's original photographs...

Roving East and Roving West. E. V. Lucas. NY: George H. Duran Company. 1921.
--An Englishman writes of his travels to India, Japan and America, describing the people and places he sees along the way. A nice read....

Castles of England and Wales. E. J. MacDonald. Illustrated by Herbert J. Finn. New York: Thomas Nelson and Sons. [n.d.: ca. 1920?]