Needham, Jack:
MODELLING SHIPS IN BOTTLES
Patrick Stephens, London, 1972.

So THAT'S how they do it!

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Jacopetti, Alexandra; Jerry Wainwright (phot.):
NATIVE FUNK & FLASH: AN EMERGING FOLK ART
Scrimshaw Press, [San Francisco], 1974.

The bedrock values of hippie culture, revealed through its denim handicrafts: homely, preposterous, and lavishly creative.

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Rowland, Beryl:
BIRDS WITH HUMAN SOULS
University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, 1978.

An erudite panorama of bird symbolism throughout Western culture, from lyrical swan to lecherous sparrow.

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Devereux, George:
MOHAVE ETHNOPSYCHIATRY: THE PSYCHIC DISTURBANCES OF AN INDIAN TRIBE
Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, 1969.

Hunter's neurosis; the psychopathology of singers; sexual insanity resulting from witchcraft; and countless other mental ailments specific to the dwindling Mohave people of the Southwest.

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[Architectural Record]:
MOTELS, HOTELS, RESTAURANTS AND BARS
F.W. Dodge Co., 1960.

The habitat of the mid-century travelling salesman, revealed in hundreds of architectural photos, sketches, and floorplans.

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Tener, J.S.:
MUSKOXEN IN CANADA: A BIOLOGICAL AND TAXONOMIC REVIEW
Dept. of Northern Affairs and National Resources, Ottawa, 1965.

"No evidence of a musky odour of the muskox was found during this study, although a characteristic bovid odour was noted."

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Petrie, Gavin (ed.):
BLACK MUSIC
Hamlyn, London, 1974.

Ideal for those times when you want to admire the photographs in reverential silence.

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Bancroft, Jessie H.:
GAMES FOR THE PLAYGROUND, HOME, SCHOOL AND GYMNASIUM
Macmillan Company, New York, 1936.

Hide the Thimble; Baste the Bear; Skyte the Bob; and hundreds of other equally entertaining group diversions.

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Okorokov, A.Z. (comp.):
LENIN AND BOOKS
Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1971.

"If a well produced book came along, he was really happy, and pointed out the fact..."

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De France, Henry:
THE ELEMENTS OF DOWSING
G. Bell & Sons Ltd., London, 1959.

It's one thing to locate underground water with a stick; but have you ever diagnosed a patient's illness by dangling a pendulum over a bowl of his urine?

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n/a:
THE SOCIAL EVIL IN CHICAGO: A STUDY OF EXISTING CONDITIONS
Vice Commission of Chicago, Inc., 1912.

Prostitution and pandering, when viewed at a century's distance, take on a nostalgic sepia charm.

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Anderson, R.C.:
OARED FIGHTING SHIPS
Argus Books Ltd., Kings Langley, Herts., 1976.

Ramming speed!

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Burland, Cottie A.:
THE EXOTIC WHITE MAN
Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1969.

"The artist is somewhat prone to see the foreigner as a comic creature."

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Michaels, Craig:
SUNDAY BREAKFAST: A COOKBOOK FOR MEN
Nitty Gritty Productions, Concord, CA, 1972.

One pragmatic chapter -- "Bakery Breakfast" -- advises Dad to just go out and buy some danishes.

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Garrett, A.A.:
HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY OF INCORPORATED ACCOUNTANTS, 1885-1957
University Press, Oxford, 1961.

"It is always a sad affair when an old and respected institution goes out of existence. Few who open this book will do so without a sense of sorrow."

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Morton, Dudley J.:
THE HUMAN FOOT
Columbia University Press, New York, 1935.

Reinforces our shop's brand identity.

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Clark, Claude:
PRIMER OF SHIP BLUEPRINT READING [with] GLOSSARY OF SHIPYARD TERMS
Cornell Maritime Press, New York, 1942.

A boatload of jargon for shipbuilders, much of it uncomfortably anatomical ("club foot," "butt strap," "bosom bar," etc.). With fold-out sample blueprints tipped in.

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Osborne, Eileen; S.B. Pearse (illus.):
AMELIARANNE AND THE JUMBLE SALE
George G. Harrap & Co., London, 1950.

Aspiring vintage dealers, take note.

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n/a:
ANTIQUE FIREARMS AND EDGED WEAPONS. CATALOG NO. 31
Robert Abels, Inc., New York, [1958].

An arsenal of homicidal history, from battle axes to repeating rifles, with suits of armor and dungeon shackles thrown in for good measure.

<-- pp. 2-3

Mogford, Gwen:
MY INHERITANCE
Bernard Kaymar Ltd., Preston, UK, 1985.

From the scrapbooks of a "dog lady" gone nuts: eight decades of forgotten magazine clippings, book excerpts, photos, etc., all featuring Old English sheepdogs.

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Thulin, J.G.:
GYMNASTIC HAND-BOOK: GYMNASTICS WITH THEORY AND METHOD
South Swedish Gymnastic Institute, Lund, 1947.

A phys-ed text so earnestly Nordic that merely leafing through it constitutes an exhausting form of exercise.

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Girdler, Allan; Carl Caiati (rev.):
CUSTOMIZING YOUR VAN
TAB Books, Blue Ridge Summit, PA, 1983.

Others may denigrate it as a "shaggin' wagon," "sin bin," or "fuck truck"; but if you're one of the lucky ones, you get to call it "home."

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Sutermeister, Edwin, and Frederick L. Browne:
CASEIN AND ITS INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
Reinhold Publishing Corp., New York, 1939.

A mysterious protein extracted from skim milk was the primary ingredient in 55% of the buttons manufactured worldwide in 1926.

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Machlejd, Wanda (ed.):
EXPERIMENTAL OPERATIONS ON PRISONERS OF RAVENSBRÜCK CONCENTRATION CAMP
Wydawnictwo Zachodinie, Warszawa, 1960.

The most malign image in the history of human cruelty: a white lab coat worn over an SS uniform.

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Coppens, Armand:
THE MEMOIRS OF AN EROTIC BOOKSELLER
Grove Press, New York, 1970.

Everyone knows it's a glamorous and lucrative career; but the real bonus is the carnal gratification it offers.

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Warren, Carl:
ANIMAL SEX CONTROL, A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR BREEDERS
Orange Judd Publishing, New York, 1941.

Pseudo-scientific techniques for those who prefer litters of all-male or all-female offspring.

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Goldreich, Gloria and Esther:
WHAT CAN SHE BE? A COMPUTER SCIENTIST
William Morrow & Co., New York, 1979.

Apparently a victim of ethnic stereotyping, studious Linda Wong works long hours designing systems on a mainframe the size of a minivan.

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Fuller, Andrew S.:
THE SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST
Orange Judd & Co., New-York, 1867.

"The laws of nature should be secrets to none."

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Beebe, Lucius; Paul Rand (design & typography):
THE STORK CLUB BAR BOOK
Rinehart & Co., New York, 1946.

Swanky Manhattan nightclub + witty epicurean dandy + influential graphic designer = mixing guide for top-shelf alcoholics.

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Wheeler, Harry G.:
EXHIBITION AND FLYING PIGEONS
Spur Publications, Hindhead, Surrey, 1978.

Obsessive descriptions of hundreds of breeds, including the Bohemian Saddle Pouter; the Fairy Swallow; the Clean-Legged Priest; etc.

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Rodale, J.I.:
THE ITCH AND WHAT TO DO BESIDES SCRATCHING
Rodale Books, Emmaus, PA, 1971.

We used to worry that we'd never find a book devoted exclusively to the subject of rectal itching.

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"Written by divers hands;" Carl Cobbledick (illus.):
AN UNCENSORED ANTHOLOGY
Peter Pauper Press, Mount Vernon, 1937.

Light verse suitable for your bachelor uncle, from an era when "uncensored" meant mammary puns and outhouse jokes.

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Lejnieks, J.:
RIGA, KURAS NAV [NEVER-BUILT RIGA]
Zinatne, Riga, 1998.

Catalogue of missed opportunities: 100 years of elaborately planned, but never implemented, urban redevelopment schemes for Riga. In Latvian, with summary in English.

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Proudfoot, W.B.:
THE ORIGIN OF STENCIL DUPLICATING
Hutchinson & Co., London, 1972.

A history of carbon copies, mimeographs, and other indispensable clerical technologies from the distant days of paper-and-ink.

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n/a:
THE NEWEST ATLAS OF JAPAN
[Sanseido, Tokyo, ca. 1929]

Japan in its Imperial ascendancy: a golden age for map designers as well as nationalist zealots.

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Niemoeller, A.F.:
CHASTITY SAFEGUARDS
Haldeman-Julius Publications, Girard, KS, 1947.

A taxonomic history of chastity belts: the intra-vaginal type, the anterior-posterior type, the chain grate type, etc.

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Allen, Joseph, et al.:
SANDCASTLES: THE SPLENDORS OF ENCHANTMENT
Doubleday & Co., Garden City, NY, 1981.

Can it still be considered innocent seaside fun when 40 adults and a backhoe spend four days recreating Baroque-era Heidelberg on a California beach?

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Clapp, Gordon S.:
FITTING FOR FOOT HEALTH
Chadwick Print & Litho, Toronto, 1950.

"...of great benefit to the multitude of Shoe Fitters in whose care the foot health of the nation rests."

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Beers, Portia:
WHAT MAKES MEN TICK
Aldus Books, London, 1972.

The short answer: Sansabelt slacks, big sideburns, and sweeping generalizations.

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Eisenmann, Charles P.:
STOP! SIT! AND THINK!
Self-published, East Syracuse, NY, [1968].

"An intellectual breakthrough between man and dog," achieved by a TV dog trainer; one corner slightly chewed.

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Beirne, Bryan P. (comp.):
COLLECTING, PREPARING AND PRESERVING INSECTS
Entomology Division, Canada Dept. of Agriculture, [Ottawa], 1955.

A steady hand and an utter lack of sentiment are required when mounting dead insects on pins.

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Morand, Paul; Aaron Douglas (illus.):
BLACK MAGIC
Viking Press, New York, 1929.

Original wigga: an early-20th century French author, smitten by the exotic rhythms of African culture, goes native in Louisiana, the Caribbean, and the Dark Continent itself.

<-- pp. 2-3

National Hot Rod Association:
DRAG RULES 1972
National Hot Rod Association, North Hollywood, CA, [1972].

"Driver's seat must be located within the confines of the car's passenger area; not in engine compartment or trunk."

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Firpo, Patrick, et al.:
COPYART: THE FIRST COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE COPY MACHINE
Richard Marek Publishers, New York, 1978.

The future of visual culture, invented one dime at a time: "The machine's accidents merge with the artist's control to create un-predetermined art."

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Lvov-Anokhin, B.:
GALINA ULANOVA
Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow, 1956.

In dozens of gravure photos, a melancholy Russian danseuse explores the emotional territory beyond melodrama; text in English.

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Landau, Elaine:
RABIES
Lodestar Books, New York, 1993.

A colorful subject made accessible for young readers, by the author of several other introductory-level works ("Lyme Disease," "Chemical and Biological Warfare," etc.).

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Walker, Alexander, and Henry Howard (illus.):
BEAUTY; ILLUSTRATED CHIEFLY BY AN ANALYSIS AND CLASSIFICATION OF BEAUTY IN WOMAN
Effingham Wilson, London, 1836.

A philosophy supported by 22 wistful engravings of female nudes: "Any sudden projection, any sharp angle, is in the highest degree contrary to the idea of beauty."

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Childs, Leslie:
LAW FOR THE DENTIST
Dental Cosmos, Philadelphia, 1934.

Does the act of snapping off a hypodermic needle in a patient's jaw qualify as negligence?

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n/a:
RENT COLLECTION COURTYARD -- SCULPTURES OF OPPRESSION AND REVOLT
Foreign Languages Press, Peking, 1968.

The depravities of capitalism, depicted as a lifesized socialist-realist diorama: "A mother is torn away from her baby so that Liu can indulge his special delight -- fresh human milk."

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Dibner, Bern:
MOVING THE OBELISKS
M.I.T. Press, Cambridge, 1970.

World's most gruesome hernia? Try hauling a 360-ton monolith of solid granite from Heliopolis to Rome, using nothing but muscle power...

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