Old Book – The Mushroom

I’ve recently been looking at some old mushrooming books that are now, due to their age, in the public domain.
These books are freely available for download from The Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org) but you may also download them from here.
The Musroom; Edible or Otherwise by Miron Elisha Hard MA was first published in 1908 (more details at This [...]

I’ve recently been looking at some old mushrooming books that are now, due to their age, in the public domain.

These books are freely available for download from The Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org) but you may also download them from here.

The Musroom; Edible or Otherwise by Miron Elisha Hard MA was first published in 1908 (more details at This book’s page at The Internet Archive.)

The full title of the book is… The mushroom, edible and otherwise, its habitat and its time of growth, with photographic illustrations of nearly all the common species : a guide to the study of mushrooms, with special reference to the edible and poisonous varieties, with a view of opening up to the student of nature a wide field of useful and interesting knowledge. Now, imagine trying to order that over the telephone!

Read more about… Old Book – The Mushroom

Old Book – Studies of American Fungi

I’ve recently been looking at some old mushrooming books that are now, due to their age, in the public domain.
These books are freely available for download from The Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org) but you may also download them from here.
Today I have selected was the Studies of American Fungi by George Francis Atkinson and first published in 1901 [...]

I’ve recently been looking at some old mushrooming books that are now, due to their age, in the public domain.

These books are freely available for download from The Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org) but you may also download them from here.

Today I have selected was the Studies of American Fungi by George Francis Atkinson and first published in 1901 (more details at This book’s page at The Internet Archive.)

This 448 page guide contains 250 back and white photographs as well as a number of line illustrations.

The recipe section towards the end of the book contains some very relevant and sensible advice about cooking mushrooms.  Such as…

Read more about… Old Book – Studies of American Fungi

Old Book – The Mushroom Book

I’ve recently been looking at some old mushrooming books that are now, due to their age, in the public domain.
These books are freely available for download from The Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org) but you may also download them from here.
Today I have selected was the The Mushroom Book by Nina L. Marshall and first published in 1901 (more [...]

I’ve recently been looking at some old mushrooming books that are now, due to their age, in the public domain.

These books are freely available for download from The Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org) but you may also download them from here.

Today I have selected was the The Mushroom Book by Nina L. Marshall and first published in 1901 (more details at This book’s page at The Internet Archive.)

This book (to use its full title…The mushroom book. A popular guide to the identification and study of our commoner fungi, with special emphasis on the edible varieties) is a 276 page book with plenty of illustrative line drawings and mainly black & white photographs.

Read more about… Old Book – The Mushroom Book

Old Book – Some Common Mushrooms

I’ve recently been looking at some old mushrooming books that are now, due to their age, in the public domain.
These books are freely available for download from The Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org) but you may also download them from here.
Today I have selected was the Some Common Mushrooms and How to Know Them by Vera Katherine Charles [...]

I’ve recently been looking at some old mushrooming books that are now, due to their age, in the public domain.

These books are freely available for download from The Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org) but you may also download them from here.

Today I have selected was the Some Common Mushrooms and How to Know Them by Vera Katherine Charles and published in 1931 (more details at The Internet Archive.)

This book contains plenty of black and white photographs and, although I believe that some of the coloured drawings in the older books are better for field identification guides, I can also understand the desire, in 1931, to move forward to new technologies.

Read more about… Old Book – Some Common Mushrooms

Old Book – Students Handbook…..

I’ve recently been looking at some old mushrooming books that are now, due to their age, in the public domain.
These books are freely available for download from The Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org) but you may also download them from here.
Today I have selected was the Students Handbook to Mushrooms of America – Edible and Poisonous by Thomas [...]

I’ve recently been looking at some old mushrooming books that are now, due to their age, in the public domain.

These books are freely available for download from The Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org) but you may also download them from here.

Today I have selected was the Students Handbook to Mushrooms of America – Edible and Poisonous by Thomas Taylor M.D.  and published in 1897 (more details at The Internet Archive.)

This 46 page book contains 6 coloured plates and a simple guide to some of the more common mushrooms that one might come across.

The entry for the Parasol Mushroom (shown in the image to the left) starts like this…

Read more about… Old Book – Students Handbook…..

Old Mushrooming Books

One of the wonderful things about mushrooming is that, compared to other hobbies and interests, little has changed over the last hundred years or so.
Unlike sailing or mountaineering, there have been few technical innovations and the equipment we use is not so dissimilar to the equipment our grandparents might have used.
And with mushrooming books it [...]

One of the wonderful things about mushrooming is that, compared to other hobbies and interests, little has changed over the last hundred years or so.

Unlike sailing or mountaineering, there have been few technical innovations and the equipment we use is not so dissimilar to the equipment our grandparents might have used.

And with mushrooming books it is the same.

Sure, nowadays we expect photographs of our prey but, sometimes (and often in my opinion), a well presented drawing is just as good.

I have been looking at some old mushrooming books that are now, due to their age, in the public domain.

These books are freely available for download from The Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org) but you may also download them from here.

Read more about… Old Mushrooming Books