This impeccably researched and “adventure-packed” (The Washington Post) account of the obsessive quest by Christopher Columbus’s son to create the greatest library in the world is “the stuff of Hollywood blockbusters” (NPR) and offers a vivid picture of Europe on the verge of becoming modern. At the peak of the Age of Exploration, Hernando Colón sailed with his father Christopher Columbus on his final voyage to the New World, a journey that ended in disaster, bloody mutiny, and shipwreck. After Columbus’s death in 1506, eighteen-year-old Hernando sought to continue—and surpass—his father’s campaign to explore the boundaries of the known world by building a library that would collect everything ever printed: a vast holding organized by summaries and catalogues; really, the first ever database for the exploding diversity of written matter as the printing press proliferated across Europe. Hernando traveled extensively and obsessively amassed his collection based on the groundbreaking conviction that a library of universal knowledge should include “all books, in all languages and on all subjects,” even material often dismissed: ballads, erotica, news pamphlets, almanacs, popular images, romances, fables. The loss of part of his collection to another maritime disaster in 1522, set off the final scramble to complete this sublime project, a race against time to realize a vision of near-impossible perfection. “Magnificent…a thrill on almost every page” (The New York Times Book Review), The Catalogue of Shipwrecked Books is a window into sixteenth-century Europe’s information revolution, and a reflection of the passion and intrigues that lie beneath our own insatiable desires to bring order to the world today.

Vols. for 1898-1968 include a directory of publishers.

From the archives of the Library of Congress: “An irresistible treasury for book and library lovers.” —Booklist (starred review) The Library of Congress brings book lovers an enriching tribute to the power of the written word and to the history of our most beloved books. Featuring more than two hundred full-color images of original catalog cards, first edition book covers, and photographs from the library’s magnificent archives, this collection is a visual celebration of the rarely seen treasures in one of the world’s most famous libraries and the brilliant catalog system that has kept it organized for hundreds of years. Packed with engaging facts on literary classics—from Ulysses to The Cat in the Hat to Shakespeare’s First Folio to The Catcher in the Rye—this is an ode to the enduring magic and importance of books. “The Card Catalog is many things: a lucid overview of the history of bibliographic practices, a paean to the Library of Congress, a memento of the cherished card catalogs of yore, and an illustrated collection of bookish trivia . . . . The illustrations are amazing: luscious reproductions of dozens of cards, lists, covers, title pages, and other images guaranteed to bring a wistful gleam to the book nerd’s eye.” —The Washington Post

Hilma af Klint became known to a wider audience in 2013, nearly 70 years after her death, in conjunction with Moderna Museet's Stockholm exhibition Hilma af Klint: Abstract Pioneer. Six years later, her work was exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Both exhibitions saw record numbers of visitors, and today she is one of the world's most acclaimed artists. Hilma af Klint has become incredibly popular and beloved throughout the world, notes Daniel Birnbaum, co-editor with Kurt Almqvist. What makes her art interesting is that the works are highly interconnected. A catalogue raisonné is necessary in order to see the different cycles, motifs and symbols that recur in a fascinating way. If people want to truly understand how Hilma af Klint's works function, they need these books. The paintings in the catalogue raisonné are presented in the same order as Olof Sundström, also a follower of anthroposophy, numbered them in 1945, based on Hilma af Klint's notes. The forewords to the volumes are short and concise. They present facts about the works rather than interpretations. The works are printed in an exclusive edition designed by Patric Leo housed in a specially produced slipcase to hold all seven volumes. These books will be essential in all future research on Hilma af Klint's artistry --- Daniel Birnbaum. Today Hilma af Klint is recognised as one of the world's most esteemed artists - an unprecedented triumph. Hilma af Klint's time is now. Her art has become an important part of our Swedish cultural heritage. Few artists have been given the privilege of a catalogue raisonné. Thanks to Bokförlaget Stolpe's comprehensive work, we now have the opportunity to become acquainted with the entirety of Hilma af Klint's artistry. This would not have been possible without the support of the Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation for Public Benefit. As chairman of The Hilma af Klint Foundation, I would like to convey my warmest thanks. -- Ulrika af Klint, Chair, The Hilma af Klint Foundation.