ERIC SLOANE
Eric Sloane (1905-1985), the great American artist and preservationist of early American material culture, was a profound influence on me. As a lad I became fascinated with tools and their meaning (both practical and philosophical) to the men and women and children who used them, created them, adapted them, and respected them from the colonial days to the days of mass reproduction and imports. Reading Sloane and studying his illustrations made me forever interested in local history, small-scale and regional and personal. We carry anything of his that is in print, hardcover and paperback when we can get it, and I recommend it all highly.
Do's and Don'ts of Yesteryear: A Treasury of Early American Folk Wisdom
Do's and Don'ts of Yesteryear: A Treasury of Early American Folk Wisdom
A delightful mixture of early American know-how and good old-fashioned gentility, Eric Sloane's Do's and Don'ts captures the spirit of bygone America in words and pictures. Combining two of the beloved folk historian's nostalgic how-to guides, this collection offers vintage, homespun advice that recalls "the joy of doing things not just the old-fashioned way, but plainly the right way."
A shining historical gem, this little book of American lore recalls a more kindly, less hurried time. Lovingly gathered by "Mr. Americana" himself from colonial-era almanacs and diaries, hundreds of brief reflections spread time-honored wisdom on everything from curing hiccups, lighting a proper fire, and mending clothing and furniture, to predicting the weather, making soap, and getting rid of ants, bees, swallows — and boring houseguests. Sloane's evocative drawings add the perfect finishing touch.
Reprint of Eric Sloane's Don't and Eric Sloane's Do, Walker Pubilshing Company, New York, 1968, 1972.