public domain review

  • The Tale of Beatrix Potter

    At the Public Domain Review, Frank Delaney takes a look at the life of Beatrix Potter and the people, places, and rabbits that inspired her work.

  • The Strange Life of Dan Carter Beard

    Dan Carter Beard wasn’t just one of the founders of Boy Scouts of America; he was also Mark Twain’s most trusted illustrator. Twain said of Beard’s work: Dan Beard is the only man who can correctly illustrate my writings for…

  • Darwin’s Penpal

    The Public Domain Review flips through Darwin’s unusual photo collection and his correspondence with neurologist James Crichton-Browne. The correspondence between Darwin and Crichton-Browne led Darwin to write The Expression of Emotions of Man and Animals. Darwin found Crichton-Browne’s help so…

  • “The Duck Quacketh”

    The Public Domain Review gives a glimpse at what is widely regarded as the first children’s picture book, Orbis Sensualium Pictus, and its author, John Comenius. Published in 1658, Orbis is over 140 chapters and covers everything from the sound a…