When I come across vintage books, I am often surprised by the beauty of the covers – and the amount of time and effort and creativity that went into them.

It reminds me of how important artwork and photography were for the record album covers of my generation and how people lamented the loss of “creative space” when cassettes and then CDs replaced them. Which isn’t to say that covers are not still extremely important, even in this digital age. I have spent countless hours working with designers on my own book covers to try to capture the mood and tone of the stories inside.

But there is something immensely appealing in the original artwork of those old hardback covers that evoke the aesthetics and charm of an earlier era.

Like other people, I sometimes use old books as decorations around the house, just to enjoy the vintage feel and beautiful colors of these little works of art.

The next time you’re at a used book store, or a garage sale, or at an odds and ends shop, keep you eyes open for these beautiful treasures from another time.

(All images are from my Pinterest boards.)