"Law's Picture Books" Wins American Association of Law Libraries Award
- by Michael Stillman
The award winning book.
Law’s Picture Books: The Yale Law Library Collection, a book published to accompany an exhibition of illustrated legal texts, recently won the 2018 Joseph L. Andrews Legal Literature Award from the American Association of Law Libraries. This annual award is given in recognition of "a significant textual contribution to legal literature." The authors are Michael Widener, the rare book librarian at the Yale University Law School Library, and Mark S. Weiner, Professor of Law at Rutgers Law School. The publisher is Talbot Publishing, an imprint of The Lawbook Exchange.
The book was published as a companion to an exhibition last fall. Widener and Weiner hosted dual exhibitions, one at the Yale Law Library in New Haven, the other at the Grolier Club in New York. The exhibitions were designed to prove that law books aren't necessarily unappealing, boring compilations of text and fine print. Many are illustrated, and some of the best are collections of artwork as well as boring (to non-lawyers) text. From Lady Justice to complex allegorical illustrations such as were more commonly seen in books a few centuries ago, law books often featured images that required serious artistic input. Other times, cartoons or charts were used to make a point. Visuals can speak in ways words cannot, even in a field noted for being wordy.
This book breaks the illustrations down into various sorts. There are 166 of them, along with essays from Widener and Weiner, Jolande E. Goldberg of the Law Library of Congress and Erin C. Blake of the Folger Shakespeare Library. In announcing the award, American Association of Law Libraries President Greg Lambert said, "The winners of the 2018 Joseph L. Andrews Legal Literature Award have authored a unique and detailed assessment of the role of illustrations in legal literature. A reflection of innovative collection development by an academic law library, this book is important to our profession and the work of AALL. It defines the role of illustrations or images in increasing our understanding of legal literature."
The award recipients will be honored at the AALL annual meeting in July.
You can see a few images from the book by clicking here.
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One of a Kind Auctions Tesla, Einstein & The American Presidency: Rare Historical Documents Ending April 30, 2026
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One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Nikola Tesla Signed Holograph Manuscript Page from "Tidal Wave to Make War Impossible," Describing the World's First Conceived Remotely Operated Weapon of Mass Naval Destruction.
One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Albert Einstein — Incredible possibly Unique Signed & Inscribed Einsteins hand “Relativitätstheorie / A. Einstein” Booklet: Relativitätstheorie, 10th Ed., 1920, Original Wrappers.
One of a Kind Auctions Tesla, Einstein & The American Presidency: Rare Historical Documents Ending April 30, 2026
One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: James Joyce Personal Copy of Finnegan's Wake (With Signature).
One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Buster Keaton Flamingo Films / Kennedy Productions Archive Group, 1933–1937.
One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Extremely rare Josiah Henson (Uncle Tom) Signature & Harriet Beecher Stowe Cabinet Card.
One of a Kind Auctions Tesla, Einstein & The American Presidency: Rare Historical Documents Ending April 30, 2026
One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: William Livingston (Signer of DOI), the New Jersey State Convention had unanimously ratified the Federal Constitution.
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One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: James Buchanan Cabinet Signed Autograph album
One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: CHARLES LINDBERGH SIGNS HIS NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL BANQUET INVITATION, JUNE 14, 1927 — THREE WEEKS AFTER THE TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT
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Gros & Delettrez, May 5: DELISLE, Guillaume – Atlas françois,1725.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: HONTER. SOPHOCLE - Recueil composite réunissant deux ouvrages.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: PHÉROTÉE DE LA CROIX, A. - Algemeene weereld-beschryving.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: LA PÉROUSE, Jean-François de Galaup de - Voyage autour du monde.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: BLAEU, Guillaume & Jean -Septième volume de la Géographie Blaviane.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: TATIKIAN, Boğos - Figures et costumes du Levant.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: GIRAULT DE PRANGEY, Joseph-Philibert -Monument arabes et moresques de Cordoue, Séville et Grenade.
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Gros & Delettrez, May 5: GARNIER, Francis. Voyage d'exploration en Indo-Chine.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: SUBERBIE, Alix (E. SMITH). Dessins et aquarelles de Madagascar.
Gros & Delettrez, May 5: BYRON -Viage del comandante Byron.
Heritage, May 13: Isaac Asimov. I, Robot. The dedication copy, inscribed to John W. Campbell, Jr.
Heritage, May 13: Aldous Huxley. Brave New World. A fine copy, in a brilliant dust jacket.
Heritage, May 13: Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author.
Heritage, May 13: Robert A. Heinlein. Stranger in a Strange Land. A fine copy, signed by the author.
Heritage, May 13: Jules Verne. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas. Exceedingly rare true first American edition, first issue.
