Smithsonian Books Releases Abecedarium  

In conjunction with Smithsonian Libraries, Smithsonian Books has released Abecedarium: An Adult Coloring Book for Bibliophiles, by Morgan Aronson and Lilla Vekerdy. Abecedarium offers artists of all ages the chance to color the pages of history. Two versions of each letter of the alphabet are included for readers to personalize, all drawn from rare books of science and art from the 15th through the 20th centuries held among the Smithsonian’s treasures. Accompanying each letter is the story of its rare-book source, its artist and its historical context. Part history, part coloring book and part guide to historical books, Abecedarium is a contemplative and inspiring way to experience art, science and culture from the Renaissance through early modern times.

About the Authors

Aronson, a library technician, and Vekerdy, head of special collections, work with the Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology, the Smithsonian Libraries’ premier collection of rare books and manuscripts. When they are not looking through historic books for illuminated letters to share with readers, their research focuses on rare books, society and history, as well as the overlaps among these fields.

About the Book

Title: Abecedarium: An Adult Coloring Book for Bibliophiles
Authors: Morgan Aronson and Lilla Vekerdy
On-Sale Date: 2/26/19
Price: $12.95 / Pages: 84
ISBN: 978-1-58834-658-2
Smithsonian Books

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SI-70-2019