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Project Gutenberg @gutenberg.org · Apr 1
Thanks to Neel Lopes for an interview podcast with Greg Newby, Director of the PGLAF. The podcast covers Greg's early involvement with Project Gutenberg, and discussion about the background and status of Project Gutenberg's role in the world of online literature.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-HG...
Dr. Greg Newby on being CEO of Project Gutenberg and being with the Government of Yukon Territory
YouTube video by Knowledge and Mind
www.youtube.com
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Did Jane Austen Invent the Wellness Guy?

lithub.com/did-jane-aus...

Books by Austen at PG:

www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho...

"Persuasion, ch. 18. Admiral Croft is in earnest contemplation of some print, and doesn't see Anne Elliot." - picryl.com
"Persuasion, ch. 18. Admiral Croft is in earnest contemplation of some print, and doesn't see Anne Elliot." - picryl.com He is looking in a store window. Anne is standing next to him and looking at him.
December 30, 2025 at 12:40 PM
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What was on summer reading lists 100 years ago, in 1925?

In the summer of 1925, long before podcasts, audiobooks and even paperbacks, holiday reading meant hoping a hardback fit in your suitcase.

By James Tugwell

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...

#books #literature
Ethel Florence Lindesay Richardson ('Henry Handel Richardson'), ca. 1935. Elliott & Fry - State Library of NSW P1/1477 The photograph shows Richardson as a mature woman, turned slightly toward the camera in a three-quarter view. She gazes directly at the viewer with a calm expression. Richardson has distinctive wavy hair styled in the fashion of the 1930s, with gentle finger waves framing her face. A luxurious dark fur coat or stole draped over her shoulders. A light-colored blouse or dress with delicate lace or eyelet detailing along the neckline and front. A pearl necklace that adds refinement to the ensemble https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Handel_Richardson#/media/File:Henry_(ethel)_Richardson_SLNSW_FL3290825.jpg
December 30, 2025 at 10:36 AM
gutenberg.org
Two great blues musicians, and 2000 more records

By John Mark Ockerbloom

More than 2500 records from 1925 digitized by the UC Santa Barbara Library will soon be freely downloadable there.

Full list is available online:
www.library.ucsb.edu/1925-recordi...

#music #publicDomainDayCountdown
12th Street Rag by Euday L. Bowman. Sheet music, early (first?) edition, 1915, published by J.W. Jenkins' Sons Music Co. The central image depicts a bustling urban street scene, likely representing 12th Street itself.It shows: A crowded sidewalk filled with people in early 1900s attire Men wearing bowler hats, straw boaters, and other period headwear Women in long dresses and elaborate hats typical of the 1910s A figure on the right wearing what appears to be striped pants or trousers Buildings with awnings and storefronts lining the street in the background The scene captures the energy and social atmosphere of a busy commercial district https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelfth_Street_Rag#/media/File:12thStreetRag1915.jpg
December 30, 2025 at 10:29 AM
gutenberg.org
Science history: Richard Feynman gives a fun little lecture — and dreams up an entirely new field of physics — Dec. 29, 1959

By Tia Ghose

www.livescience.com/physics-math...

#science #physics #history #otd
"Engineering and Science, Volume 23-5 - Cover Image Richard P. Feynman" - picryl.com He stands outside a building.
December 29, 2025 at 1:46 PM
gutenberg.org
Gorgeous Illustrations from Pantheon in Egyptien by Jean-Francois Champollion and Léon-Jean-Joseph Dubois, 1823

by Sheldon D.

flashbak.com/ancient-egyp...

Pantéon égyptien at PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/74228

#books #egyptology #illustrations
The winged disk and the hawk, emblems of Thoth Trismegistus, or the first Hermes. The image is featuring a stylized figure in profile against a cream/beige aged paper background. The illustration is contained within a simple rectangular border with "13 (C)." noted at the bottom. The central figure has the head of a falcon or hawk (representing Thoth/Horus), colored in green with detailed scale-like texturing. The body is depicted in the traditional Egyptian artistic style showing a human form in profile. The figure wears what appears to be a green tunic or dress with decorative patterning. Magnificent outstretched wings extend from the figure, featuring the iconic blue and white striped pattern with gold/yellow accents characteristic of Egyptian iconography. The wings are detailed with individual feather markings and decorative borders in red and other colors. The wing design shows the meticulous geometric patterns typical of Egyptian art. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k106204z.image
December 29, 2025 at 10:44 AM
gutenberg.org
Marlene Dietrich comes to America

Marlene Dietrich enjoyed success on stage and screen in 1920s Berlin. That year she came to the United States to star in Morocco alongside Gary Cooper.

By John Mark Ockerbloom

everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/28/m...

#movie #publicDomainDayCountdown
Poster for the 1930 film Morocco. At bottom left is the Paramount logo, 1-B, 3050, and Country of origin USA. At bottom right is This poster leased from Paramount Publix Corp. and 44732. The poster features a beautifully rendered illustration in a painterly style showing two figures in an intimate, romantic composition. A man wearing a distinctive white kepi (French Foreign Legion cap) with a dark band and military uniform leans protectively over a woman with striking red/auburn wavy hair. The woman gazes directly at the viewer with a captivating expression, her porcelain skin and delicate features highlighted. The figures are portrayed against a soft, dreamy background with flowing white fabric or drapery suggested by loose brushstrokes in cream and blue tones, creating an exotic, desert atmosphere. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Morocco1930.jpg
December 29, 2025 at 10:30 AM
gutenberg.org
Tintin, The Wayback Machine, and The Public Domain

by Sterling Dudley

What do a Belgian boy reporter, a forgotten 2008 webpage, and the Wayback Machine have in common?

blog.archive.org/2025/12/26/w...

#books #publicDomainDayCountdown
Le Petit Vingtième, number 32 from 1934. At the top, the publication information reads "SUPPLÉMENT AU 'VINGTIÈME SIÈCLE' • JEUDI 9 AOÛT 1934 — N° 32" followed by the title "le petit vingtième" in a distinctive gothic/blackletter-style typeface on an aged, cream-colored background. The cover features a single-panel cartoon showing a young boy character in shorts standing on what appears to be a map. He has his arms outstretched in an animated pose. Behind/beneath the character is a simplified map showing parts of Europe and North Africa. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Petit_Vingti%C3%A8me#/media/File:Le_Petit_Vingti%C3%A8me_number_32.jpg
December 29, 2025 at 10:18 AM
gutenberg.org
The Discovery of Australopithecus Africanus by Raymond Dart That Changed History

www.thecollector.com/raymond-dart...

#anthropology #science #history
Australopithecus africanus skull
December 28, 2025 at 2:27 PM
gutenberg.org
Banned in Texas

Struggle over academic freedom in Texas state universities has a long history.

By John Mark Ockerbloom

everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/27/b...

John Dos passos at PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho...

#books #literature
First complete edition (1937) of the U.S.A. trilogy is a series of three novels by American writer John Dos Passos. The cover features a bold, modernist design with strong horizontal color blocking that evokes the American flag. The layout is striking and graphic, reflecting the ambitious scope of this major American literary work. At the top, "U.S.A." appears in large, cream-colored sans-serif letters against a black background, with periods between each letter emphasizing the acronym nature of the title. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.A._(trilogy)#/media/File:Dos_Passos_USA.jpg
December 28, 2025 at 2:15 PM
gutenberg.org
#OTD in 1612 (and 27 January 1613). Galileo Galilei became the first person to observe the planet Neptune, although he mistakenly catalogued it as a fixed star.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neptune

Neptune at PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subje...

#books #astronomy
Portrait of Galileo Galilei. A half-length portrait, in old age, of the Italian mathematician, philosopher and astronomer, who was appointed court mathematician to the Medici dukes of Tuscany at Florence in 1610. He is dressed in black, wears a white beard and is seated in a chair holding a telescope in his right hand. His left hand rests on the arm of the chair and he wears a ring with a clear stone on his fourth finger. He faces forward towards the viewer. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Galileo_Galilei_(1564-1642)_RMG_BHC2700.tiff&page=1
December 28, 2025 at 11:13 AM
gutenberg.org
The cultural works becoming public domain in 2026, from Betty Boop to Nancy Drew

A new year means a new parade of classic characters and works entering the public domain.

By Rachel Treisman

www.npr.org/2025/12/26/n...

#books #comics #movies #publicDomainDayCountdown
The original version of Betty Boop. This is a black and white title card from an early Betty Boop cartoon, showing the character in her classic iconic form. The image is presented as a vintage film title card with an ornate, curved border frame typical of early 1930s animation. The word "FEATURING" appears at the top of the frame. Betty Boop is shown as a large head portrait in her fully developed human form (not her earlier dog-eared version). Her distinctive features include: An oversized round head with a very pale/white face Enormous round eyes with prominent pupils looking slightly to the side Long eyelashed A small, cupid's bow mouth with a dark circle in the center (her signature "boop-oop-a-doop" mouth) Large hoop earrings Her iconic hairstyle: short, curly black hair with distinctive spit curls on her forehead and a characteristic wavy black hair mass https://web.archive.org/web/20121022053053/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Betty-boop-opening-title.jpg
December 28, 2025 at 10:49 AM
gutenberg.org
The 29 Best (Old) Books We Read in 2025

lithub.com/the-29-best-...

"Wuthering Heights" at PG:

www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc...

"The Country of the Pointed Firs" at PG:

www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc...

#books #literature
A stack of books
December 27, 2025 at 1:12 PM
gutenberg.org
7 mysterious languages that have yet to be deciphered

by Alexander Freund

Some ancient writing systems cannot be deciphered. Can artificial intelligence help crack the codes of the past?

www.dw.com/en/7-mysteri...

Archeology at PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc...

#archeology #linguistics
The Phaistos Disc - side A. The disc is a circular clay tablet, appearing to be terracotta or fired clay with a brown/reddish-brown color. The disc is mounted on a display stand with metal supports holding it upright for viewing. The disc is covered with stamped symbols arranged in a distinctive spiral pattern that winds from the outer edge toward the center. The symbols are organized into distinct groups or "words" separated by vertical lines that create wedge-shaped divisions radiating from the center. The spiral contains multiple concentric bands of these symbol groups, creating approximately 4-5 levels as it spirals inward. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaistos_Disc#/media/File:Phaistos_Disc_%E2%80%94_Side_A.jpg
December 27, 2025 at 10:37 AM
gutenberg.org
In the public domain soon, in libraries now

The Penn Libraries, where I work, has first editions of many of the works featured in my #PublicDomainDayCountdown .

By John Mark Ockerbloom

everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/26/i...

#books #literature #publicDomainDayCountdown
Artistic Rendering of the Library of Alexandria, based on some archaeological evidence. The scene shows a grand interior space with impressive classical Egyptian-influenced architecture. A massive column dominates the center of the composition, featuring what appears to be a Hathor capital (a column top with the face of the goddess Hathor), characteristic of ancient Egyptian temple architecture. Several figures dressed in classical robes and togas are shown engaged in scholarly activities: In the foreground left, two or three figures are seated around a table, appearing to read or discuss texts together; In the center-right, a standing figure in robes appears to be studying or reading while standing near shelving; Another figure is seated on steps or a platform in the middle distance; A figure in the lower right foreground is bent over, possibly organizing or retrieving materials from lower storage https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_libraries#/media/File:Ancientlibraryalex.jpg
December 27, 2025 at 10:29 AM
gutenberg.org
How Colette Was Inspired By Her Many Cats

Susannah Fullerton on the French Writer’s Feline Muses

lithub.com/how-colette-...

Books by Colette at PG:

www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho...

#books #literature #animals
How Colette Was Inspired By Her Many Cats
La Chatte condescended to live with Colette (Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette), born in Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye, France, in 1873, died in Paris, 1954, novelist, actress and journalist. In 1926 Colette, t…
lithub.com
December 26, 2025 at 2:24 PM
gutenberg.org
Archimedes Manuscript Yields Secrets under X-ray Gaze

By Heather Rock Woods (from the archives)

www6.slac.stanford.edu/news/2005-06...

Archimedes at PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc...

#books #science #xray_imaging
One page of Archimedes Palimpsest, On Floating Bodies. It despicts an opened ancient manuscript with two facing pages. The parchment is heavily aged, displaying a mottled yellowish-brown, golden-tan coloration with significant staining, discoloration, and deterioration throughout. The edges are darkened and worn, indicating centuries of age and handling. This is a palimpsest, meaning the parchment was recycled—the original text was partially scraped off and written over with new content. You can see layers of text at different angles and in different states of visibility, which is characteristic of such manuscripts. The underlying Archimedes text runs in one direction, while later overwritten religious texts (Byzantine prayer book) run perpendicular to it. The pages contain dense columns of Greek text written in dark brown or black ink. On the left page, there are visible geometric diagrams—line drawings showing mathematical figures and proofs typical of Archimedes' work on geometry and physics. These diagrams include straight lines, angles, and geometric constructions that would have accompanied his mathematical reasoning about floating bodies and buoyancy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archimedes_Palimpsest#/media/File:Archimedes_Palimpsest.jpg
December 26, 2025 at 11:35 AM
gutenberg.org
The Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive contains over 3000 illustrations from significant editions of Shakespeare's plays in the Victorian period.

by Michael John Goodman (thanks @rossolson.com )

shakespeareillustration.org

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxpU...

#books #literature
Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive
YouTube video by Michael John Goodman
www.youtube.com
December 26, 2025 at 10:45 AM
gutenberg.org
O come, let all 4,850 of us adore him

By John Mark Ockerbloom

everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/25/o...

About Adeste Fideles:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Come,...

#books #literature #music
The earliest surviving manuscript of Adeste fideles, without attribution, attributed to John Francis Wade, dated to the 1740s. It depicts a page from an aged music manuscript, displaying hand-copied musical notation on a staff system. The paper has a cream or beige tone characteristic of 18th-century documents, with some visible aging and wear. The manuscript uses square notation on a four-line staff system, typical of plainchant and early sacred music notation. Black square and diamond-shaped notes are positioned on the lines and spaces, with various time values indicated by the note shapes. The music is written in what appears to be sections or verses, with multiple staves running down the page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Come,_All_Ye_Faithful#/media/File:Adeste,_fideles_(earliest_version).jpg
December 26, 2025 at 10:40 AM
gutenberg.org
Christmas Dinners Around the World: Choose Your FAVORITE Festive Dishes

www.youtube.com/shorts/OCTPX...

#holiday #food
Christmas Dinners Around the World: Choose Your FAVORITE Festive Dishes
YouTube video by Lonely Planet
www.youtube.com
December 25, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Reposted by Project Gutenberg
asls.org.uk
QUALITY STREET opened on Broadway in Nov 1901, & ran for 64 performances. It opened in London in Sep 1902 & ran for 459 performances. Even before PETER PAN, Barrie was the most successful British playwright of the early C20

The play is available free on @gutenberg.org
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31266
Quality Street: A Comedy by J. M. Barrie
Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by volunteers.
www.gutenberg.org
December 25, 2025 at 12:40 PM
gutenberg.org
Yeats and the Occult Imagination

Beneath his poems lay a lifelong devotion to magic, divination, and a visionary system that shaped his most prophetic work.

By: Gus Mitchell

daily.jstor.org/yeats-and-th...

Yeats at PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho...

#books #literature #poetry
William B Yeats. The photograph shows Yeats as a young man, likely in his twenties or early thirties, photographed from the chest up in a formal studio portrait style. He faces the camera directly with a serious, contemplative expression. Yeats has distinctive features including dark, wavy hair swept back from his forehead. He wears small, round wire-rimmed spectacles (pince-nez style, which appear to be clipped to his nose with a cord or chain visible). His face is clean-shaven, revealing refined, angular features with a strong jawline and thoughtful expression. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/WB_Yeats_nd.jpg
December 25, 2025 at 10:33 AM
gutenberg.org
The debut of a dramatic duo

By John Mark Ockerbloom

everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/24/t...
More information about it:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_in...

#books #literature #publicDomainDayCountdown
Front cover of the dustjacket of the first edition of Once in a Lifetime (1930). The artwork shows a simplified, almost abstract human figure at the top with arms raised upward in a celebratory or theatrical gesture. The figure has a circular head with a simplified face. Below this figure is a series of concentric semi-circular arcs in blue, cream, and gray tones that suggest either a rainbow, theater curtains, or radiating energy. At the bottom of these arcs are simplified cloud or wave-like shapes, creating a layered, tiered effect. At the top of the cover, there's a quote from the New York Times praising the work as "a hard, swift satire, fantastic and deadly and full of highly charged comedy lines." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_in_a_Lifetime_(play)#/media/File:Once-in-a-lifetime.jpg
December 25, 2025 at 9:56 AM
gutenberg.org
Making Sense of Middle Earth: Exploring the World of J.R.R. Tol­kien

Michael D.C. Drout Remembers the Impact of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit on His Childhood

lithub.com/making-sense...

#books #literature
Photograph of J. R. R. Tolkien in the 1920s on leaving Leeds University. Tolkien is photographed from the chest up in a three-quarter view, with his body angled slightly to the left while his face turns toward the camera. He appears clean-shaven with a strong jawline and refined features. His hair is dark and neatly combed, parted on the side. Tolkien wears formal professional clothing befitting an academic of the era: a dark tweed or wool jacket with a visible texture, a crisp white dress shirt with a high starched collar, and what appears to be a dark tie or cravat. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien#/media/File:J._R._R._Tolkien,_ca._1925.jpg
December 25, 2025 at 9:46 AM
gutenberg.org
A Forgotten Louisa May Alcott Story Showcases the Author’s Twist on Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’

www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-fo...

This story is in "Lulu's LIbrary, Volume I" at PG:

www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/40682

#books #literature #holiday
Photograph of Louisa May Alcott
December 24, 2025 at 1:52 PM
gutenberg.org
See Dick and Jane free

By John Mark Ockerbloom

everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/23/s...

More information about Dick and Jane:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_an...

#books #literature #publicDomainDayCountdown
Cover of the book Fun With Dick and Jane by Zerna Sharp. The cover shows two young children, a boy and a girl, running hand in hand toward the viewer. They’re smiling and appear energetic and cheerful. The girl wears a short-sleeved pink dress with a patterned texture and matching shoes. Her hair is short and light-colored, styled neatly. The boy wears a light blue short-sleeved shirt, tan shorts, white socks, and dark shoes. His hair is neatly combed, and he looks confident and happy as he runs. They are framed inside a white oval set against a light blue background, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_and_Jane#/media/File:Dick_and_Jane.jpg
December 24, 2025 at 9:38 AM