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Birds & Words is a vintage collection of 60 illustrations of birds and 60 humorous stories about each one. This book is a lovely reissue of the charming and highly collectible 1972 classic by Charley Harper. Written and illustrated by the renowned illustrator. Harper's style has been referred to as "minimal realism." * Charley Harper was a prolific mid-century modern artist based in Cincinnati, Ohio. * Each bird was hand-painted in Harper's signature style. *Birds & Words brings together the beloved illustrator's gifts as both an artist and a writer. Charley Harper has illustrated numerous books, including the notableThe Golden Book of Biology. This new version of this vintage gem features a cloth-bound cover with a tipped in image alongside the original vintage typography. * A great book for fans of mid-century modern aesthetics, and for designers, bird lovers, minimal art, and those who adore all things Charley Harper * Giftable to a wide age range--from children to retirees, Charley Harper's charming illustrations and sweet stories appeal to all.… (more)
User reviews
I recommend this book to anyone who loves Charlie's work, or wonderful artistic prints of birds. What a
Harper's original
He wrote,
"...the more I learn about nature, the more I am troubled by unanswerable questions about human exploitation of plants and animals and our casual assumption that the natural world is here only to serve people. I see all living things as fellow creatures with as might right as I have to be here and to continue living. I have to ask myself how man, the predator with a conscience, can live without carrying a burden of guilt for his existence at the expense of other creatures. Where does none draw the line between preservation of nature and preservation of self?"
Western Tanager from Ten Western Birds
The book is divided into the six portfolios:
Ten Western Birds, from Ford Times 1956
America's Vanishing Birds, from Ford Times 1957
Ten Southern Birds, from Ford Times 1958
American Bird Architects, from Ford Times 1959
American Bird Census, from Ford Times 1960
Ten Collector Prints
Each bird is given two pages, one page showing the illustration and a page for Harper's descriptions, which are often whimsical, a pure delight to read. The title font Kismet was specially chosen by Harper for the book.
Readers also learn about how Harper developed his unique style, paring images down to geometrical shapes.
Although I do love all the illustrations, it was the section of America's Vanishing Birds that moved me the most. These birds became extinct directly by human hands: The Great Auk, destroyed by 1844; the Carolina Paroquet, gone by 1904, hunted for ladies' hats; the Passenger Pigeon last seen in 1914; the Heath Hen which in 1830 was commonly found around Boston; and the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, Labrador Duck, and Eskimo Curlew. Endangered, but still with us, he included the Whopping Crane, Trumpeter Swan, California Condor (extinct in 1987 but being reintroduced), and the Everglade Kite.
I knew the book would be a visual feast, and that a study of the art would be interesting. I had not realized that Harper was also "an alternative Audubon" who was an environmentalist at heart.