The Magic of Handwriting. The Corrêa do Lago Collection
Clothbound, 6.7 x 9.4 in., 3.55 lb, 464 pages
US$ 40
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Pedro Corrêa do Lago has gathered one of the world’s finest autograph collections. From a parchment signed by four popes to Stephen Hawking’s thumbprint signature, this book spans nearly 900 years of handwriting from the likes of van Gogh, Michelangelo, Queen Victoria, Einstein, and many more legendary figures across art, literature, science, music, philosophy, and history.
Customer reviews (4)
History Marked by Hand
An extraordinary collection of handwritten documents
Handwriting works magic: it transports us back to defining moments in history, creativity, and everyday life and connects us intimately with the people who marked the page. For nearly half a century, Brazilian author and publisher Pedro Corrêa do Lago has been assembling one of the most comprehensive autograph collections of our era, acquiring thousands of handwritten letters, manuscripts, and musical compositions as well as inscribed photographs, documents, and drawings.From an 1153 parchment signed by four medieval popes to a 2006 thumbprint signature by physicist Stephen Hawking, the items illustrated here span nearly nine hundred years, and along the way bring us up close and personal with writers, artists, composers, political figures, performers, explorers, scientists, philosophers, and rebels whose actions and creations have made them legends.
Rather than focusing on a single era or subject, Corrêa do Lago made the ambitious decision to seek important autographs in eight broad areas of human endeavor—art, history, literature, science, music, philosophy, exploration, and entertainment. The 140 extraordinary selections gathered in this book—displayed for the first time in a major exhibition at New York’s Morgan Library and Museum—include letters by Lucrezia Borgia, Vincent van Gogh, and Emily Dickinson, annotated sketches by Michelangelo, Jean Cocteau, and Charlie Chaplin, and manuscripts by Giacomo Puccini, Jorge Luis Borges, and Marcel Proust.
Handwriting is one of the most visceral means by which we leave tracks of our existence. At a time when so much of our communication has become utterly immaterial, this collection conveys the power of the pen to illuminate the energy, passion, vulnerability, and imagination of humankind across the ages.
The Magic of Handwriting. The Corrêa do Lago Collection
Clothbound, 6.7 x 9.4 in., 3.55 lb, 464 pages
Customer reviews (4)
Magic indeed!
Brendan, October 27, 2021
I'm going to cherish having this on my bookshelf for years to come. For me, it's not the sort of volume to read cover to cover - but rather learn the backstory of this singular collection and come to appreciate the remarkable endeavor it took to collect these. Then, over time I've thumbed through it piece by piece, soaking up each document and seeing the spirit of its author come alive through their script.
Such a kaleidoscope...
Ana-Maria, October 27, 2021
...of stories and history.. Taschen never ceases to surprise me in a pleasant way when it comes to content and the way it is curated.
Manoscritti
E.P., October 27, 2021
What could be more mad and senseless than collecting?
But if the collection of manuscripts of Pedro Corrȇa do Lago is the result well, we need this madness.
But if the collection of manuscripts of Pedro Corrȇa do Lago is the result well, we need this madness.
Edición maravillosa
Mario, November 02, 2021
Desde la cubierta a cada página es un tesoro