Cozy Baker (1923–2010)

I have had a lifelong love affair with kaleidoscopes! I can still remember the letdown I felt when, sitting on the front porch steps at age 10, I took one apart and contemplated those little colored pieces in my hand. Author Cozy Baker is a kindred spirit who has put her love of those "mirrored tubes of magic" into a number of very beautiful books, of which I believe this one is the best. The book is divided into two sections. The first, Through the Kaleidoscope, gives a history of how it came to be, and some short biographical sketches of the artists who make them today (well, in the 80s when the book came out). There is a brief description of how they are put together - if I had had this book as a child I wouldn't have needed to take mine apart! The second section, ...And Beyond, deals with what was going on in the kaleidoscope world in the mid-80s and where to find both antique and contemporary scopes for sale. Scattered throughout the book are black and white drawings, and gorgeous color illustrations of the scopes themselves. I loved this book!… (mer)