<p>In 'Of the Decorative Illustration of Books Old and New,' Walter Crane presents a meticulous examination of the evolution and craft of book illustration and design. Expanding from a series of lectures given in 1889, the work ponders the artistic vigor of the late 19th century while also exploring historical precedents. Crane's prose marries the analytical with the aesthetic, as he articulates the importance of symbiosis between text and decora...