Machinery and Mechanical Devices : A Treasury of Nineteenth-Century Cuts

Rating:
Summary: Fanciful wit and dark humor make this book a masterpiece.
Review: Machinery and Mechanical Devices, isn't just a clip-art book. This sixty-page presentation of copyright free illustrations from the 1800's is a humorous personal expression of the wonderment and fear associated with functionally obscure mechanical devices. Unlike other clip-art books which present the material as individual objects separated by a lot of white space, this book is brought to much higher levels of interest. The way Rowe does this is by creating collages of illustrations on each page - not simply displaying them piece-by-piece. He even goes so far as to make up names for many of his concoctions, and adds other details such as twinkling stars and abstract patterns. The result is a highly entertaining picture book useful not only for the art it displays, but also as a catalog of visual and humorous ideas. Enjoy!