or, perhaps better, to satisfy my exhibitionistic needs, follow some pictures of bookshelves that surround me. Because it is not enough to show a “Book on a Chair” anymore, no, it needs to be a complete bookshelf nowadays ! This craze was started by Mr DeVice (complete list here).
Picture 1 is taken from the place where I sit, and shows the bookshelf to the left behind me (crumbled white t-shirt included).
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Picture 2 shows the view to the left through the door into the room where I sleep (socks included).
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Picture 3 shows that bookshelf to the left in front of me (cap included).
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Picture 4 & 5 are just for fun, to add something artsy ‘n stuff.
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Picture 6 is a shaky attempt on a self-portrait, sadly failed, sorry.
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There is no need to show other walls, they all do look the same anyway. Really, how can one live his time out in such a boring surrounding ? It’s paper ! And before you ask, the abomination on the ceiling is a makeshift I got from a neighbour who threw the thing out (seventies, with original dead flies), accidentally when I needed a light to guide me out of the darkness … Normally I do not like these ceiling lamps, but it works and is not standing in my way – you see I’m easy on interior design.
63 mago 
Excellent book collection and laundry exhibition! I think Miss Scarlet and Diane Arbus would approve!
Bruhahaaa … not so sure about MsScarlet, LẌ, maybe she’ll reprimand me.
The photographic work of Arbus is great, her pictures do move me, that’s why these two tomes are near me.
Excellent! I believe that you win in the bookshelf stakes Mr Maggs Bravo!
This could be the start a new craze to sweep the globe an ‘air your dirty laundry in public’. I’m game.
You’re like a real life Professor Yaffle. What’s the story with the negerin kopf on the wall, does she have a name?
Ooh! Books, books, more books! Like our house used to be before I did some serious culling.
Yes, I did note the Arbus. Well done, sir.
oy, the dusting!
Thankfully it is not a contest, but simply a “I show you mine, will you show me yours ?” kind of spectacle, dear Princess.
I had to google “Professor Yaffle”, dear Mitzi. We spent our childhoods before different tv screens …
La Negresse has no name. She comes from the household of my parents and was ever there. It is a Cortendorf ceramic, a Wandmaske. I do not know how to translate this, or what the English terminus technicus is. This kind of stuff was produced to be nailed onto a wall. Cortendorf is a part of the nice city (!?) of Coburg and in 1890 a man called Griesbach opened a fabrication of porcellaine there. This factory was later taken over by Goebel. They made a lot of figurines etc., among them the oh-so-lovely Hummel figurines. My mother worked for them as a painter, Porzellanmalerin, and in the “Entwurfsabteilung”. I do not know whether she was involved with the design of this piece. Other exemplars I found on ebay are of a different colour (see here and there). Many of my mother’s family worked in ceramics fabrication. Thank GOd I’m poor, I would litter my space with ceramic tigers etc.
Cull ? Like in “to the bin, dreaded print product !” ? Do not speak those frightening words Dinahmow …
Shtum Norma – SHTUM !
Oh my word!!! What wonderful insulation, Mr Mags!! Are you the little green monster in the self portrait??
:-)
Six
…I really should change my name to ‘Six’, it sums me up completely.
Sx
Yes, this is exactly what I tell people who say something along the line “Ohh, all these books …” – it helps in winter, that’s it.
Which little green monster do you mean – there are three on the window sill, dear MsScarlet … I “accidentially” stood in front of the white window frames, of course to prevent the flash light to ruin the picture entirely. But while I flashed I trembled too …
The big green monster on the left. The pot is level with the window frame so the plant appears to be popping up and waving from outside – it made me smile!!
Sx
Great observance !
Yes – that’s ME !
Crikey, that’s a serious collection! I love Diane Arbus too, but am in the throes of a terribly intense love affair with Wolfgang Tilmans (http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/wolfgang-tillmans-2017) at the moment so all other photographers are forgotten.
Have I died and gone to a bibliophile’s Heaven?
Interesting man, interesting work, thank you for mentioning him ; a lot to discover, dear Eryl.
Nah, it’s just a small appartement and hence looks like a lot Mistress. Just a few books here. And real “bibliophile” – most of the stuff is work-related, nothing special.
Impressive book collection! How on earth do you reach the top shelf? And dust?
[off-topic. sorry.]
Apparently VIKING FREYA has been repaired and is now moored at Linz awaiting the touring season.
Just clever photography, dear Austere ! The shelves are not high, just 180 cm, so I can easily grab what is on top. And dust – dust is for the weak …
Let’s wish good luck to ship, crew and passengers ! Someone should smash a bottle of Bolly at the bow, LẌ.
Test
LẌ – ?
LẌ
So what is this in the last comment ?
The link to Marine Traffic?
No, the link is alright – in my answer is not “LẌ” on my screen, but “L” and “something very strange” – looks like a downward arrow or the sign for electricity, or possibly a rune.
Just checked the comment in the edit window of wordpress, there it looks all right, the “LẌ” is not different from other “LẌ”s, the formatting should be “bold” and is correctly written down. It is just something strange on my screen, and it is not bold – ? I don’t get it …
I’m just seeing the usually characters. Not sure about what is going on. Is this something new?
I can revert to LX and drop the pretentious umlaut if that will help.
It is brand new and unique. And limited to this one comment box, everywhere else it is “LẌ”.
Do not drop the umlaut.
I may simply have found the secret keystroke combination to rule them all !
Wow! I am very impressed by how all the books are flush with the edge of your shelves, rather than being pushed back. Do you have “spacers” behind them, or is it just down to careful arrangement?
And that first picture looks like an unscalable mountain of books at that angle. Intimidating…
“Spacers” IDV ? Behind them books is only dust. Perhaps some other book that fell behind, because I do lay books or copies horizontally over other books – a terrible bad habit, but I do.
You have a wonderful collection! Thanks for showing us your great gallery of books. As impressive as your bookshelves were, I was more impressed with your collection of beautiful houseplants. You must get great light for both reading and growing such healthy looking plants.
Oh dear Eros – you deem me worthy to care for plants, but in fact I have nothing like a “green thump”, they are left on their own, the poor bunnies, neglected, starving for a drop of water … now & then when I can not ignore their suffering any more I use the green can and have them gulp down a bit of Silvaner …
Light is a two sided sword – there is nothing better for reading (and for plants too) as natural light, but on the other hand sunlight is the natural enemy of anything on paper, be it written with pen or pencil, painted with what you like, or printed. Direct sunlight is the worst, it will make book spines unreadable in no time. Hence these nice orange curtains : They give a wounderful warm glow in summer and winter when the sun shines into this room, it is facing East-East-South, I think.
I dream of having a garden, and especially a herb section, but I could only do this under the guidance of some experienced gardener – left to my own “supervision” it all would turn into straw in no time. The alternative would be cacti, those I had as a kid.
Looks like a great cozy place to curl up and read!