Who orders a 16 pound book and lives to tell about it?

Who orders a 16 pound book?

Well, I am one of the foolish persons who sheepishly orders what I like instead of what is actually practical.

This isn't the prettiest book I ever ordered, and it's certainly not the most practical.  But it does contain some wonderful fashion images.

So what exactly does this 16 pound book contain?

It's a vintage men's clothing catalog from 1910. Here's the details:

Chicago Tailoring Company Fall and Winter 1910-11. Fashions for Men Leather cover, had gilt impressions.

Sample rectangles for cloth inside along with printed drawings of clothing on being modeled. 19½" X 17", 35 boards printed on both sides, Cloth samples were not in good condition, due to age, and have been removed. Large and heavy sample book.

So, in English, this was the Fall Fashion line from the Chicago Tailoring Company which sent out these large books to sit inside tailor's stores at the turn of the century, show customers the pictures, and last the Fall season so tailor's could sell their suits. It's a vintage sample book.

Unfortunately, it's not in great condition, so I'm going to scan in the fashion images and see if I can fix them up.

When looking at the photos, I placed a yardstick next to the book for comparison.

For those of you who don't believe in purchasing books in poor condition, nevermind. You will shirk when you see this book. And for the record, I am wondering if I made a mistake. Or not.

And for those of you interested in costuming and fashion, please contact me! I'd love to hear from you.