Century Guild

Beautiful Macabre

Rare Posters 1868-1981 [Hardcover]

$79.00 USD
49 reviews
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Suave skeletons, shocking social hygiene ads, and all manner of dark and eerie occult artworks! Over one hundred rare original posters are documented in the expanded hardcover edition of Beautiful Macabre: Rare Posters 1868-1981 with commentary from historian and museum director Thomas Negovan. This deluxe, limited edition hardcover book features full-page, full-color, high-resolution images captured directly from the original artworks in the Century Guild museum archive!

A unique journey through over two decades of collecting, curating, and research, making this book a true permanent exhibition you can hold in your hands.

While the internet is a magnificent repository of data, at Century Guild we still love curling up with books!  And many–if not most–of the images presented here are not available on the internet at all. Each image was captured from the original artwork, professionally photographed and meticulously color corrected, and printed for you to enjoy at the highest resolution possible.


What Sets A Century Guild Book Apart?

Museum-grade imaging from original artworks

We photograph and scan artworks using museum-level equipment to capture details often missed in standard or even professional-grade reproductions, giving you the closest possible experience to seeing the art in person.

Previously unpublished research and rarely-seen material

In many cases, we've been able to identify newly attributed artists and present previously unpublished history.

LUXURIOUSLY CRAFTED

No cost is spared in producing books with exceptional quality, often involving custom-dyed covers, spot varnishing, and paper selection that push today's printing standards to their limits.

Direct from the ORIGINAL MATERIALS

Images are faithfully captured from the rare, original period artworks in the Century Guild collection, not from third-party sources.

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Product information

We use sturdy, reinforced packaging to protect your item(s) in transit. Every order is carefully inspected and packed personally by our team to ensure quality and guarantee the safe arrival of your books, artworks, and other items.

An Exhibition You Can Hold

Each of our books is a unique journey through over two decades of mindful collecting, curation, and original research, making this volume a permanent, immersive exhibition you can enjoy time and time again.

About the Book

materials (hardcover edition)
Partial cloth binding, foil stamping, and spot varnish
Curved, fabric library-style spine
materials (deluxe slipcase edition)
Presented in cloth-wrapped, foil stamped slipcase
Hand-signed on tipped-in vellum sheet
High-quality midnight-black fabric slipcase debossed in red with Bernhard Pankok's 1896 Sphinx Moth illustration
Pages
128 pp, full color throughout
Binding
Durable Smyth-sewn binding for lay-flat reading
Dimensions
9 inches x 12 inches
Text
Original body of research and commentary by Thomas Negovan
Edition size
Hardcover edition: 3,000
Numbered slipcase edition: 250 Sold out
Artwork
Ultra-high-resolution images captured directly from the original artworks in the Century Guild collection and color corrected for precise accuracy