“We had more light to read by”

“One benefit of Summer was that each day we had more light to read by.” ~Jeannette Walls, the Glass Castle

Summer and reading go together like strawberries and cream. With longer days and summer vacation, it seems that we have more time to read…or perhaps it’s just the slowing down of everyday life and that dreamy quality of warm weather that draws us into the pages of a good book. I usually read at a snail’s pace, but already I’ve finished two books (though my garden is looking a bit neglected…).

To celebrate the joy of summer reading, I’ve assembled a few more illustrations from the New York Public Library digital collection. These beautiful turn-of-the-century magazine covers feature elegant readers on the beach, on a boat (with blankets), and on a bike.