The Vintage Librarian recommends: Black’s Sketchbooks

This week our Vintage Librarian, Claire Pursglove, reviews a series of sketchbooks illustrating life in some of the UK’s most iconic places at the turn of the last century.

Black’s Sketchbooks – London, Edinburgh, Cambridge, Stratford on Avon, Bath & Wells, Canterbury
A&C Black, £6.99 each

 
These delightful little sketchbooks are snapshots into some of some England and Scotland’s most iconic cities and counties at the turn of the 20th century. Each one presents a collection of sketches by famous artists showing landmarks across their chosen city, such as Piccadilly Circus in London and the High Street in Bath.

It’s a pity that there is no text to accompany the illustrations, if only an overview of life back then or how the landscape has since evolved. All the same these collections of drawings are a valuable treasure worth sharing.