The Commonplace Book

Woodcuts and pictures from other people’s books, copied out with a caption apiece, as early modern readers kept commonplace books. First gathered on Twitter: #WoodcutWednesday, #NotALion and the manuscripts.

Mrs. Potts in this Beauty and the Beast remake is terrifying.

Image from: Gallica, Bibliothèque nationale de France

Check out this bell end.

Image from: Gallica, Bibliothèque nationale de France

A #Mensrights troll, out on patrol.

Image from: Gallica, Bibliothèque nationale de France

#WoodcutWednesday gets a shout out in the acknowledgment page of @BL_Publishing's Graven Images!

Is it weird that my parents offered to take me to Sweden and my only request is to go to Gripsholm Castle to see this bitchin' #NotALion?

Fourteenth century

Congratulations, you plagued yourself.

From: James le Palmer, Omne Bonum
Image from: British Library, Royal MS 6 E VI

140 vs. 280 #WoodcutWednesday Peacham, Minerva Britanna, 1612

Jesus. This #NaNoWriMo shit is out of control. #WoodcutWednesday Minerva Britanna

140 vs. 280 #WoodcutWednesday Minerva Britanna

The Underworld.

Hellmouth.

The Underworld.

Dance like everyone’s watching.

Highway to Hell.

Torments of Hell.

When the party is in your honor, but you're such an extreme introvert that you just want to go home and read. #NotALion The most delectable history of Reynard the Fox. Printed by Edward Allde. London. 1620.

Image from: Early English Books Online (STC 20923)

Has anyone else noticed that almost all early modern personified #NotALion have erections? This one is even difficult to spot.

Proud of himself from the title page.

Sixteenth century

One of my favorite woodcut #NotALion. Oddly enough, in a treatise on physiognomy. The contemplation of mankinde. Printed by William Seres in London, 1571.

From: Thomas Hill, The contemplation of mankinde contayning a singuler discourse after the art of…
Printed: 1571
Image from: Early English Books Online (STC 13482)

Closest I can come to a medieval Porg yet. #WoodcutWednesday Ortus Sanitatis. 1491

Image from: Cambridge Digital Library

Getting closer to an early modern Porg. @GallicaBnF

Image from: Gallica, Bibliothèque nationale de France

Sad Porg. Early modern happy Porg. #WoodcutWednesday Peacham. Minerva Britanna. 1612.

This is the future liberals want.

Image from: Early English Books Online (STC 6452)

Virgil and his rare #NotADog Sebastian Brant's edition of Virgil. 1502, Strasburg. #1502Virgil can be found: