Description

Constable London, 1913. Hard cover, 192 pp. Good/ NO dust jacket. Brown cloth covered boards with black lettering and illustration on front and gold lettering on spine. Bumping to edges and corners of covers and moderate overall scuffing and light soiling with most of the gold color scuffed off on the spine. Spine is lightly cocked and has very thin cracks along the front and rear hinge but text block binding is still solid. Price and a few small letters in ink on front paste down. Previous owner's name (now erased) and date (1917) on front free end paper in pencil. Faded writing in ink on rear paste down. Otherwise pages are lightly aged but unmarked with occasional light soiling. NOT Ex-library. NO remainder marks. Includes 38 illustrations by George Kruger designed to give a somewhat humorous turn to the incidents depicted. Includes 6 essays that were first published to popular acclaim in the Oxford and Cambridge review and were reprinted in book form “not to instruct or edify, but rather to interest and amuse.” With this in mind, although the book contains no citations or index, it is nevertheless provides interesting insight into medieval life seen from an unusual angle. Contents include: Wise Men - and Others; Highways; Coronations; Death and Doctors; Those in Authority; Ivory and Apes and Peacocks. These essays delve into such varied topics as alchemists and magic; the journey of Geoffrey of Langley on his embassy to the Tartar court in 1292; coronation costumes and feasts; cases of accidental death; the use of gems in medicine; the tyrannies and troubles of officials; and the importation of elephants, bears, ostriches and the like. Salzmann has culled these many curious incidents from contemporary records ranging in dates from “olden times” to the 17th century. Louis Francis Salzmann (1878 – 1971) was a British economic historian who specialized in the medieval period.   His other works include The History of the Parish of Hailsham (1901), English Industries of the Middle Ages (1913) and English Trade in the Middle Ages (1931). The artist, George Kruger, is best known for his numismatic designs, but he also designed and made stained glass windows for churches, illustrated books, and created posters and cartoons.