Another fun book!
This is People Knitting: A Century of Photographs by Barbara Levine. The title describes it pretty well: it is a collection of photos of people knitting from the 1860s through to the 1960s. Mostly these are regular, everyday people, with a few celebrities thrown in to the mix.
Published by Princeton Architectural Press on October 4, 2016, this is a small format (5″ x 7.75″) hardcover book that would be a fun addition to your library, or a delightful holiday gift for the knitter on your list.
There is an index at the back of the book that consists of a thumbnail of each photo with its identifying information.
There is a short Vimeo video that flips through the book here.
Some of my favorite photos:
This fellow is a taxicab driver in London ca. 1940, knitting between fares.
This adorable image is from 1939 and is housed in the Shetland Museum and Archives
This image is identified as a Seattle woman knitting while walking, ca. 1918. I like this photo because she looks so self-assured and happy, and also because she bears a resemblance to my paternal grandmother.
And this is knitting for the forces at the beauty salon, London, 1940. You have to love some good multi-tasking!
There are a few photos that I had seen before in other places, but most of these are new to me. There are also a few reproductions of knitting related posters, greeting cards, etc. And a quote about knitting here and there. Like this one from Emily Post from “Etiquette and the War” published in the New York Times, May 17, 1943:
Excellent advice, yes?
The publisher kindly sent me two copies so I could keep one and give one away. So, who’d like a copy?
To be entered in the drawing to win my copy of People Knitting: A Century of Photographs by Barbara Levine, please leave a comment on this post by 11:00am on Sunday, October 30, 2016. Loki will draw a winner at that time.
“May I help you?”
That one looks like fun! I’ll play!
Love history, love knitting, love knitting history; thanks for the giveaway!!
What a great little book!
Please Loki, pick me! I’d love to have that book.
I hope Loki picks me a great book to give my daughter for Christmas ⛄️Galewinds on ravelry thank you.
Oh I love little Loki!! He is so photogenic and I would so love that book.
A fun book-no kidding! Oh please pick me Loki!
History, black and white photos and knitting a great book to just relax and enjoy quiet time.
Oh my gosh, I save pictures like these on Pinterest all the time. Loive them. Would love this book. Lynn Winders
Love Loki’s little hut there.
Hi Wendy I’d love to be in the drawing for the people knitting book please. Loki is gorgeous!
Cheers Mel
What a fun book! I’d love to have it. Especially since I’m in the Seattle area; I wonder if I can figure out where that picture was taken.
What a great idea for a book. Pick me please.
I love these Photos. Hope I win.
What wonderful photos! Loki …
Oh, I think I could have fun with this one! Thanks for the contest, Wendy. I’m in for a win!
I would LOVE this!!
Oh, what a wonderful book!
Love the beauty salon knitters’ expressions!
I’d love to win this one, it’s not a book I need, but gosh I would love to have it!
Rachelle Crosbie´s last blog post ..Tania Culottes Review
Cool new book!
Wonderful pics. Especially Loki! Pick me please.
What fun photographs. I love old photos of everyday people doing everyday things.
What a great giveaway! Wonderful pictures to pore over. Fascinating.
What fabulous photos in all kinds of ways!
People knitting is exactly right! We need more of the slow life, the well considered life. Hand made with all the moments of time and thought gathered together to create the moment and the memory. Thanks Wendy.
What a wonderful giveaway! Thank you, and thank you for the wonderful Loki photos 😀
What a fun book! Thanks for the giveaway.
What a cool book! I think I would add it to my library, after sharing with my fellow knitters. You are always so generous Wendy. Give Loki a hug and a kiss!
What a great idea for a book!
I love this!!
Oh, oh, I LOVE knitting, I LOVE history! If I don’t win, MUST buy! ?
I would so enjoy this book. My two personal favorite old knitting photos are one of my mother, grandmother, and great grandmother at the beach knitting. All are fully dressed in dresses and cardigans. The other is of me knitting at about age 10. There is a big book on my lap and it looks like I’m either reading the book or looking at a pattern. I love old photos and know I will love this book.
Oh this looks interesting. I love to see the variety of knitters that have existed over time versus the stereotypes we often see knitters portrayed as today.
Such a sweet book! I love the taxi driver, and it looks like there will be good backup to show my nephews that men have been knitting all along.
Please toss my name in . That’s a winner. So glad they sent you two. I would have had a tough time parting with it. Thanks!
My love of knitting and needle arts came from the rich traditions shared with me by my mother and grandmother. I’d love a book that covers the span of their knitting lifetimes.
That Emily Post quote is indeed on the money! I use matte metal needles when I knit on the bus so I’m not glaring light into neighboring eyes. This book looks fascinating.
I love old pictures! I’d love a book that contained knitting and old pictures! Please add in my name for the draw!
alikat2004 on ravelry
Love this book! Want this book! Pick me Loki!
Absolutely awesome! Loki looks ornery!
“Do not wave long or shiny needles” Love it. No waving circulars or dpns either ;).
I’m sure the photo of the little girl pausing from her knitting to pat the kitty is Loki’s favourite photo of the bunch. I promise, Loki, if you pick me that I’ll let my cats sit on my lap while I knit.
I would love to sit back in my Circa 1780 house and read this wonderful book!
So very cool!
What a neat idea for a book. It would fit well I. My “library”. Thanks for the opportunity. Loki is so funny. Love the photos every day.
Correction. It would fit well in my “library”. Darn automatic spell check!
People Knitting looks fabulous. Just when I thought all the knitting book ideas had been done, here’s another great one. The photo of the little girl with the friendly kitty reminds me of a book I love called Funny Cats (by author Jane Martin). It was published way back in 1995 before there were funny cats on the internet.
Loki looks cute in his kitty pod. Is that a bit of his tail in the background?
As an archivist I am excited to see this book. I love studying the history of knitting and can’t wait to see this. And Loki looks super cute.
My idea of a great coffee table book!!
As someone who loves knitting and cats the photo of the child knitting speaks to me!
This looks like a great book, love to see pics of knitting from all times and ages….and it is in my Amazon wishlist!
What an amazing book! Wowza! 🙂
How interesting! I love knitting history.
I would love to win this fabulous book. The photos are amazing.
This looks like a delightful book that i’d love to look through when i’m too tired to knit.
The little girl with the kitten!?
What a wonderful book full of two of my favorite things,knitting and photos of days gone by. I would just love such a book!
What a fun book! I’d love it.
Yes, Loki. You could draw my name. Thanks a bunch of purrs.
What a neat book!
Loki, if you pick me, I’ll scratch that itchy place between your shoulder blades and cook you some rabbit steaks in cream!
What a nice book! I have a biographical collection os cookbooks and books like this one that are associated with everyday mundane activities but seen in thes contects makes them so wonderful/precious. I would love to add this book to my collection. I tought myself to knit as a teenager and find it so very relaxing…and a very useful craft! Thank you in anticipation.
This looks like a very cute book. I love history in pictures and the fact it is knitting related is even better.
I love this book! So, it would be great if i could win it 😉
Loki, Loki, pick me!
I’d love a copy. I collect photos & paintings of people knitting on Pinterest
Thanks for a chance to win, what great pictures, one can’t help but smile
What a delightful book. I would love to win this book. Thanks so much for offering.
Murray
The book looks great ! Thanks for the chance to win.
Two of my favorite things – knitting and photography!
I love pictures of people knitting.
Love it! They are all gems!
Love this book. So much social history here. Please consider me for the copy.
Now all you need to capture is a picture of Loki knitting!! Happy pictures!!
Would love to add this little volume to my knitting bookshelf! Thank you!
I would love to win a copy of this book.
THis book looks lovely! It sounds super interesting
Love these old images. The history of knitting if fascinating to me.
I adore those photos and would love to have this book! Thanks for the chance.
Fun book and I love the kitty cave.
What an awesome conversation book@
That looks like it is a really fun book! I’d love to have it… 🙂
Loki, please pick my name! It looks like an absolutely lovely book! I can imagine passing it around to my Knit Night friends to borrow and enjoy with me!
What a fun book! I love looking at pictures that make me smile.
Sweet, a picture book!
I’d love that book. I love all the old photos in knitting history books.
Loki’s little face. The cutest picture yet!
He should be a calendar boy. All Loki.
That is a sweet little baby dress that you knit! Love it.
Love the history of knitting – what a fun and interesting idea.
What a fun book! Thank you for the chance to win.
Love the photo book!
I love anything that gives background on knitting and was doing it.
Love to pictures of other people knitting!!
This book looks like so much fun to take my time and look at every picture at length. I love to think about what they were doing, the time of history, what they were making. I like to think the Taxidriver was knitting his own sweater and needed to get it done because it was starting to get cold. Or the stately lady at a train station knitting. Don’t we all love to double duty-why waste time, knit while waiting someplace or watching TV or in the car. Wasting time to knitters is, well, wasteful!!!
this looks like a great little fun book.
Squeeee! When I came to the little girl and her kitty I was looking for where to click “Love”. Sweet!
What a unique kind of book – historical knitting! I too love, love the girl with the sweet cat! I am also a cat lover – 2 at home with us! Loki’s bed is awesome! Thank you kindly from New Mexico, for the chance to win the book!
I think this book would appeal to my whole household, from history-loving Dad to knitter Mom to artistic daughter. Thanks for offering!
Oh, to find out how people, men and women, knitted. Even maybe girls and boys, knitted. Very interesting, this book would be!!
I would love to have this book Loki–it looks almost as cute as you!
I love old photographs. I love knitting. Perfect together! Loki has a new cat ball!