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Vademecum Series (#179-180) ..... and
European Artists
The Vademecum Series is a multivolumed, multiauthored
series of books that was published between 1894 and
1926. The covers of the books as well as the titles
changed from year to year. This series is one of a
number of publisher's series that printed the same
titles but in different formats.
In the Vademecum Series there were more than 40
different covers over the years. These covers appeared
in numerous different colors and/or with numerous
paste-on (applique) pictures.
Between 1894 and 1898 there were as many as 109
titles. Starting in 1899 there were varying numbers of
titles up to the maximum of 187 titles. Some years the
Vademecum Series included all the books on the list.
Other years, without rhyme or reason, some titles
would be dropped only to reappear another year.
Reprints of Poe, Carroll, Hawthorne in addition to the
writings of Emerson, Kipling, Longfellow and many,
many others made up the Vademecum list.
The same book list was used by many of the Publisher’s
series. The later list (from 1899 on) was in
alphabetical order. The earlier one was a random book
list.
Perhaps the most interesting of the Vademecum books
are the ones published between 1901-1907. During this
period of time there were 6 different covers which had
paintings by European artists as appliques on the
front covers of the books. Because of the width of the
original paintings, two books may have parts of the
same painting but may look totally different because
they have different sections of the painting on their
covers.
To further explain, note the pictures. Each of these
five covers (from 1903 and 1907) look quite different
even though the pictures on the front of the covers
are really from the same painting. Because of this it
is somewhat difficult to absolutely quantitate the
number of different book covers there are.
Nonetheless, as is shown below, I have designated at
this point in time 43 different pictures (although the
number of paintings is lower).
Thus a specific title will have at least
43 different covers times the number of different
colors the cover has been seen in. So if a Vademecum
book format has 7 different color covers (like the
1903 books), then a certain title could be seen with
301 different covers.
1903 |
1907 |
1907a |
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1902 |
1901a |
1901 |
In 1901 in addition to the European
paintings as paste-ons, the 1901 format included four
different Alphonse Mucha paintings from the Seasons
Series. All four seasons are shown below.
I am including the 45 European paintings below as well
as the four Mucha covers seen so far. I suspect it is
an incomplete list. New pictures and new composites
which include more than one cover will be added as
they are obtained.
I have arbitrarily numbered these pictures for ease in
identification.
As noted above some of the covers are comprised of
parts of a larger painting. This has been seen with #5
and #18, #25 and #26, #14 and #20, #4 and #27, #13 and
#33, #3 and #16, #15 and #22, #10 and #17, #9 and #21,
#2 and #6, #28 and #42, and #41 and #43.
#44 and #45 appear to be part of the #28 and #42
picture but I am unable to find a perfect connection.
1.
Large windowed house
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2.
Mountain over water
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3.
Giant tree/sidewalk
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4.
Light house
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5.
Red roof/people sitting
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6.
2 rowboats
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6.
right
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7.
Large sailboat
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8.
Distant sailboat
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9.
Buildings on the water
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10.
Pine tree behind winter tree
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10.
left
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10.
right
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11.
Man walking in the woods/winter
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12.
Big waves/rocks
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13.
Big circle on pic
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13-left
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13-right
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14.
House behind pond
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15.
Three trees
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16.
Wooden house with red chimney/man by fence
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16-left
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17.
House behind trees/rock
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18.
Hay in field
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19.
Large trees/stump in front
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20.
Red trees
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21.
People on sidewalk
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22.
Rock wall with house behind
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23.
Waves front/angle mntn in back
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24.
Giant mntn behind still water
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25.
Giant oak tree next to water
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25.
(right)
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26.
One clapboard with chimney
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27.
Sailboat with red rag flag
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28.
2 clapboards with chimney
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29.
Grass water grass sky (nondescript)
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30.
People under a tree
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31.
Sailboat with distant lighthouse
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32.
Big rock, waves, distant sailboats
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33.
Distant white house in the trees
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34.
Boat tied in water/calm waves
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35.
Multiple rocks on hillside
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36.
Waves-no land/rocks
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37.
Clapboard on pond
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38.
Tower on the peninsula
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39.
Rocks in pond
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40.
Double trunk trees (2)
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41.
Trees on pond
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41.
(left)
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42.
Houses on a pier
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43.
Three bushes on the water
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44.
Sun Setting
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45.
People on Porch
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1901
Mucha - Winter
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1901
Mucha - Spring
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1901
Mucha - Summer
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1901
Mucha - Fall
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Colors:
Not every color has been seen with each of these 6
covers.
Here is a key for which color covers have been seen in
which years.
1. Blue 1901, 1902, 1903, 1907a
2. Light blue 1901, 1902, 1903, 1907
3. Red 1901a, 1902, 1903
4. Maroon 1903
5. Green 1901a, 1902, 1903, 1907, 1907a
6. Brown 1901, 1901a, 1903, 1907
7. Deep Blue 1902, 1903
8. Pink 1902
9. White/tan 1907, 1907a
10. Beige 1901a, 1907
11. Olive green 1901, 1902, 1907a
#5 and #18 |
#2 and #6 |
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#14 and #20 |
#4 and #27 |
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#13 and #33 |
#3 and #16 |
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#15 and #22 |
#10 and #17 |
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#9 and #21 |
#25,#26,#41
and #43 |
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#28 and #42 |
#44 and #45 |
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