Beetles of the Public Domain
Bugs are here to stay; we have them ready on display. We remove the backgrounds and the occasional stain, so enjoy these insect images of the public domain!
The History of Board Games
Bored? Nothing new on Netflix? Hulu letting you down? Disney+ is really a minus? How about trying out some free board games from the 19th century?
19th Century Butterfly Illustrations: A Study of Two Landmark Works
And just like that our caterpillars have all grown up and metamorphized into beautiful butterflies. Let’s check out some 19th century butterfly images.
Athanasius Kircher’s Kircherian Museum: A Window into 17th-Century Curiosity
One of the world’s first museums was founded in 1651 in Rome. The Kircherian Museum was a Cabinet of Curiosities, full of objects of the real and imaginary.
Vintage Pigeon Illustrations: A Glimpse into Avian Beauty and Breeding
Come and check out our pigeon art! We promise it’s Coo (coo)! We discovered three beautiful public domain books on pigeons and restored the illustrations.
The Bizarre Beauty of the Basel Foot Reliquary: A Step Back in Time
The Catholic church has created plenty of weird objects, but this gemstone covered foot-shaped reliquary really takes the cake. Even weirder is what is inside.
19th Century Decorative Arts
We stumbled upon some amazing nineteenth century books featuring tons of decorative images, patterns and borders. Here’s a sampling of what we’ve restored.
The Nautilus Cup of Hefner-Alteneck
Medieval costumes, armor and a nautilus cup. His name might be a challenge, but German illustrator Jakob Heinrich von Hefner-Alteneck’s art is worth it.
The Bard’s Instruments
The bard is an essential part of the medieval fantasy. She strides the stage with a lute and a grin and all eyes are fixed on the bard’s instruments…
Barber Surgeons: Bloodletting Barbers
During the middle ages barbers did it all. Known as barber surgeons, they gave haircuts and shaves… and pulled teeth, performed enemas and amputated limbs.
Naughty Monks of the Public Domain
Medieval monasteries conjure the image of brown robes and solemn rituals. But the reality wasn’t all worship and sinless living. Let’s talk about naughty monks.
Marie Antoinette and the Nipple
During the time of Marie Antoinette (1755-1793), and in no small part due to her own fashion preferences, French court was swimming in cleavage.