Ampersands, etc.

Elegant & electric, from White Electric.

Prototype of an ampersand bike frame from Aron Jancso. Still in R&D.

Nature's ampersand promising more of the same, etc. From Marchen Studios.

A big old backwards ampersand stencil. Sweet! From ArtfulVintage.

The January 1950 cover of Art & Industry is sporting a pair of handsome ampersands designed by Hans Schleger (AKA Zero). Another fine find from Mikey Ashworth's Flickr archive. Jane Audas of Shelf Appeal also discovered the similar collateral piece below which is an advertising leaflet announcing the January 1950 issue returning to its pre-wartime paper rationing size of 10x7 1/2 inches.

A hand knit ampersand sweater for your cat? Winter is coming. From Unionpearl.

Someone had to do it, so Miss Moz did.

The typographer's thinking cap. From Unionpearl. 

Just 1 of 300&65 lovely ampersands at the ampersand tumblr.

Ink on paper, by Marc Johns. Wheels cost extra.

Tin Toy Bookmobiles

This Letterology Summer Rerun is from nearly a year ago, on July 11th. Benjamin Clark of the Exile Bibliophile found this Japanese toy bookmoblie on eBay in 2008 and saw that it closed for $710 at the time. According to the seller, "The Children Books Service Car" as it is called, is most likely from the 1950s and made for the American market. However it's still missing the personalized license plate: ABCBOOK.
     Since my first post of this beautiful tin toy bookmobile a year ago, I've found only one other which was donated to the Tennesee State Museum. It was evidently created to be a replica of the 1950s Ford V-8 delivery van used by the Tennessee Regional Library, and came fully loaded with two sliding front doors and a hinged rear door that worked. No mention if it included stacks of miniature books or a tiny librarian. 

BiblioLegos

Who said "there is no such thing as fun for the whole family"? Dave and Johnny Xandegar are a father and son team of Lego artists from Illinois who have quite a portfolio of amusing work at BrixWerx. Their charming blue bookmobile and the library stacks caught my eye here, and they are now busy building a Lego model of a library near their home in Illinois. You can see a BrixWerx beta pix of their library work-in-progress here.
      The first two Lego books below are designed by Guy Himber at V&A Steamworks. It is the first Lego Steampunk book with a fully functional spine and pages (printed in vinyl) which turn. Himber has also designed a much larger Blurb book about his Lego creations called Lego Steampunk. 

Another view of one of Himber's book structure here.

Sweet. A Moleskin blank journal perhaps, with a No.2 pencil? This one is from Starstreak007.

The Pocket Bookmobile

This adorable bookmobile-shaped brochure from 1952 was to promote service for the library on wheels in the state of Maryland. According to Larry Nix at the Library History Buff Blog, the first traveling bookmobile service in the US actually began in Hagerstown, Maryland in 1905. It was a wagon pulled by 2 horses with enough space for 200 books on the outside and additional space for more books on the inside of the wagon. The driver of the wagon did double duty as the janitor of the library. 
      Prior to the bookmobile, there were traveling libraries with small rotating collections of books which were stationed for months on end at convenient locations such as a post office, store or someone's home. This allowed for library service to be extended to rural areas across the US in the late 19th century. 
      Bringing books to the people has a long legacy around the world, yet it's unfortunate the bookmobile barely coasted into the 21st century before it became roadkill. Call me a sentimental old bibliofool, but I miss having a traveling library on wheels. 
Hey Amazon! Give us an eReader shaped like a bookmobile why don't you?

The Little Toy Bookmobile

I have to admit, this charming toy bookmobile is way cuter than even the Penguin Bookmobile I posted below. All that it's missing is a license plate that reads ABC. This Children Books Service Car (Yes, children, don't spell like this at home!) was spotted on eBay back in 2008 by Benjamin Clark of the wonderful Exile Bibliophile. He claims this toy library on wheels eventually closed at $710 by the end of the auction. And worth every dime! It was made in Japan, probably for the American market, and the seller pegged it from the 1950s. The condition of the box and the bookmobile is incredible considering its' 60 plus years of age. They just don't make toys like this anymore, with such charm and character and peculiarity. The little girl on the side of the truck looks absolutely terrified of the two books in front of her, Tom Sawyer and Anne (of Green Gables?). She's probably thinking, "See children run. Run children, run. Run away quickly. Here comes Mr. Bookmobile!"

Better Than the Ice Cream Man

It's the adorable Penguin Bookmobile circa 1937, introduced just 2 years after Allen Lane popularized paperback book publishing after launching Penguin Books. This same year Lane also invented the Penguincubator, a book-dispensing machine which made its' first appearance at 66 Charing Cross Road.
:: Via TYWKIWDBI (Tai-Wiki-Widbee). 

The Greenwich Library Bookmobile circa 1940.
:: Via Flickr

Boston Public Library Bookmobile circa 1963.
:: Via Flickr

The Biblioburro Bookmobile in La Gloria, Columbia began in the late 90s by teacher, Luis Soriano on the backs of his two burros, Alfa and Beto and with just 70 books. With the aid of donations, he has since built his own library by hand and now has 1000s of books to share with Columbian children. Soriano is an amazing soul and educating young children has become his life work. There is even a children's book published about him and his burros, titled Biblioburro by Jeanette Winter. You can read more about his heroic quest in a New York Times article and make donations at the Biblioburro Foundation website.

:: Photos below from Scott Dalton for the New York Times.