I could spend fucking hours just pouring over little details in them. It was like an educational “Where’s Waldo”.
If my sister ever has kids I’m buying them a bunch of these to turn them into little history buff nerds.
These are what kids need instead of tik tok
Here’s a nice little article about the illustrator (Stephen Biesty) and his greater body of work.
There were copies in some of the local libraries and we must have checked it out a dozen times when I was a kid. It is very suprising to find just how weak the secondhand market is for these, listings are sparse and very expensive compared to other popularish childrens books of its age.
It started with this and now I’m writing my dissertation on the white supremacy of Irish immigrants in 19th century America…
questionable accuracy aside, these diagrams kick ass.
Yes! I would check out books like this from the library all the time.
Edit: I just realised that this form of art can be used for evil as well:
Note the lack of detail when compared to OP, there is so much less going on here even tho it shows a much larger structure. It’s like looking at contemporary Lego sets that forego complexity for merch tie-ins to Marvel and Harry Potter slop.
My grandparents gave to me old Soviet “Children’s Encyclopedia” books, and one of the page spreads had a detailed railway station. This directly resulted in me becoming a communist.
Didn’t someone in the sites earlier days post a bunch of these? Anyway -same - I really enjoyed them and they give a v good nostalgia hit now
I loved the castle one where they poop down the tower
Fun fact poop towers are real, and how Germans and Austrians still poop to this day!
The ship ones also had people pooping.
And rats!
could you name the series of books please? I recognize the layout style but…
Stephen Biesty is the illustrator I think.
Mebbies published by DK?
They were perfect for my little audhd brain.
It’s a good way to find your special interest.
Could stare at them for hours
