This "book showcases seashells that have been assembled by shell artists in sailor's valentines, the octagonal-framed plaques with love messages and floral designs that were said to have been made by Victorian sailors as love tokens for their sweethearts at home. Learn their history, lore, and reality, and be introduced to exquisite designs, both antique and contemporary"--Amazon.com.

Avid collector Fondas shares his expertise on the history, making and collecting of sailors' valentines--octagonal wooden boxes made of Spanish cedar or mahogany. They contain intricate, stunning mosaics made primarily of colorful shells and often incorporate sentimental messages. 60 color photos.

Here are new, contemporary perspectives on a craft from the 1800s, including eighteen top artists' insights about Sailors' Valentines plus more than 300 photos of their exquisite work. This collection shows how the once-obscure Victorian-era craft has gained its steadily-increasing popularity today. Sailors' Valentines, amazing mosaics of finely-crafted shell work usually set in an octagonal box, were originally created as gifts for the loved ones of sailors who were returning home to America, England, and Holland. The surprising history of the craft is explained--including how a 1961 revelation put rest to the myth that sailors made these pieces. Highly imaginative, remarkably colorful, and executed with great vision and precision, these contemporary artists' examples of Sailors' Valentines will inspire artists and others to become lovers of shell art themselves.

Raised in poverty as an illegitimate child, Jack London dropped out of school to support his mother, working in mind-deadening jobs that would foster a lifelong interest in socialism. Brilliant and self-taught, he haunted California's waterside bars, brawling with drunken sailors and learning about love from prostitutes. His lust for adventure took him from the beaches of Hawaii to the gold fields of Alaska, where he experienced firsthand the struggles for survival he would later immortalize in classics like White Fang and The Call of the Wild. A hard-drinking womanizer with children to support, Jack London was no stranger to passion when he met and married Charmian Kittredge, the love of his life. Despite his adventurous past, London had never before met a woman like Charmian; she adored fornication and boxing, and willingly risked life and limb to sail and explore. She typed his manuscripts while he churned out novels, serving as his inspiration and his critic. Lover, fighter, and onetime hobo, Jack London lived large and died before he was forty. This is a rare biography, from bestselling historian Alex Kershaw, that proves the truth can be more fascinating--and a far greater adventure--than a fiction.

Wax : "Beauties from the beehive"--Shell work : "Flowers from the sea" -- Hair work : "Hair today, hair tomorrow" -- Nature contained : "Birds, dogs, frogs, and monkeys too!" -- Feather work : "Birds of a feather" -- Beautiful in death : "Skeleton leaves and phantom bouquets" -- Wool work : "Have you any wool?" -- Glass whimsies : "Confections in glass" -- Fancy that! : "Paper, muslin, silk, bead, and seed work" -- Automata : "Musical mechanical masterpieces" -- Esoterica -- Gone but not forgotten.

Lexie is obsessed with her computer and believes that the Internet equals truth. But when her mom is killed in a car accident, Lexie is forced to piece together strange clues and phenomena that reveal what becomes a murder mystery.

For a full list of entries, contributors, and more, visit the Encyclopedia of American Folk Art web site. This is the first comprehensive, scholarly study of a most fascinating aspect of American history and culture. Generously illustrated with both black and white and full-color photos, this A-Z encyclopedia covers every aspect of American folk art, encompassing not only painting, but also sculpture, basketry, ceramics, quilts, furniture, toys, beadwork, and more, including both famous and lesser-known genres. Containing more than 600 articles, this unique reference considers individual artists, schools, artistic, ethnic, and religious traditions, and heroes who have inspired folk art. An incomparable resource for general readers, students, and specialists, it will become essential for anyone researching American art, culture, and social history.