Strange and Wonderful: An Informal Visual History of Manuscript Books and Albums

One of 1,000 copies printed, as new, in shrink wrap. Introduction by Jed Perl; Edited and compiled by Dan Wechsler; Photographed by Matt Weber; Designed by Fabio Cutro. Printed at Meridian Printing in East Greenwich, R.I., USA. Brings together an amazingly diverse group of volumes produced over time without the aid of a printing press. Jed Perl, art critic at The New Republic, and author of a number of books, contributes a masterful introductory essay. 101 books are represented in full-color spreads, offering a survey of unique creations over a wide breadth of time, place and subject. From pre-Gutenberg manuscripts to contemporary one-of-a-kind artists' books, the whole suggests the birth of a new classification of outsider art. "A stimulating visual, often contemplative experience." (The New York Times).