Black Octopus Books

02/23/2026

First edition of Painting as a Pastime by Churchill!
https://blackoctopusrarebooks.com/products/painting-as-a-pastime?_pos=1&_psq=painting+as+a+pastime&_ss=e&_v=1.0

02/06/2026

This Compendium of Forms from 1885 has it all! Everything from railway tables, shorthand, bookkeeping, etiquette, poetry, hunting laws, and so much more can be found in this book, along with some gorgous illustrations. https://blackoctopusrarebooks.com/products/gaskells-compendium-of-forms?_pos=1&_sid=b4817d5ba&_ss=r

01/28/2026

Check out this lovely first edition of western short stories by the great Jack Schaefer! https://blackoctopusrarebooks.com/products/to-the-plainsmen?_pos=1&_sid=2762ec3a8&_ss=r

12/17/2025

We’re suckers for a good mushroom guide! The soft, beautifully colored, full-page illustrations by Czech artist Vancura caught our eye in this 1975 English translation of A Color Guide to Familiar Mushrooms and Fungi. https://blackoctopusrarebooks.com/products/a-color-guide-to-familiar-mushrooms?_pos=1&_psq=a+color+guide&_ss=e&_v=1.0

12/16/2025

We came across this awesome 1970s Canadian off-grid/survival guide today and it’s just too cool not to share! Everything from how to plant according to moon cycles to building your own smoker and more can be found in here, complete with fantastic illustrations. https://blackoctopusrarebooks.com/products/handbook-of-rural-skills-and-technology?_pos=1&_psq=handbook+of+rural+skills&_ss=e&_v=1.0

11/25/2025

Check out our holiday restock of leather, classics, cookbooks, children’s books, sci-fi, and more! https://blackoctopusrarebooks.com

11/24/2025

Live in the Present

11/21/2025

Mexicana, written and illustrated by Rene d’Harnoncourt, features beautiful Mexican folk art inspired full page drawings with vignettes about daily life in Mexico. In 1927, d’Harnoncourt worked for Frederick Davis (one of the first collectors of Riveria and other contemporary emerging Mexican artists) in his folk art and antique shop in Mexico City. By organizing the 1930 “Mexican Arts” exhibit for the Met and the 1940 “Twenty Centuries of Mexican Art” for MoMA, he is credited with helping to introduce America to the rich heritage of Mexican artwork. He eventually became director of the MoMA from 1949-1967. Check it out here! https://blackoctopusrarebooks.com/products/mexciana-a-book-of-pictures

11/08/2025

11/07/2025

“When I am 80, you will see real progress. At 100, I shall be a marvelous artist.” While he only made it to age 88, this book does an amazing job of showcasing just how marvelous Hokusai truly was. The Hokusai Sketch-Books: Selections From the Manga edited by James Michener is just too lovely to not share. Hokusai, best known for The Great Wave off Kanagawa, produced thousands of works during this lifetime. Number among these were 15 volumes of manga. Michener decided to create this collection to showcase what he considered to be the most significant sketches out of the thousands of drawings found in the volumes. The result is simply gorgeous! https://blackoctopusrarebooks.com/products/hokusai-sketch-books-selections-from-the-manga?_pos=1&_psq=hokusai&_ss=e&_v=1.0

11/07/2025

We actually heard Ben Franklin roll in his grave when we found this in a donation bin. Fun fact: The quote, “Beer is proof God loves us and wants to be happy,” is not in fact the actual Ben Franklin quote. Instead, it was derived from a letter he wrote extolling the virtues of the miracle of grapes turning to wine. “…grapes being changed into wine. Proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy!” This horror virtuously had the courtesy to teach me something new today. Check out our collection of Ben Franklin related books here https://blackoctopusrarebooks.com/search?q=franklin&options%5Bprefix%5D=last