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Our mental and physical health are increasingly important topics of conversation and debate. As we become an older, more socially isolated, and physically inactive society, the wellbeing of both our bodies and minds will be crucial in maintaining a happy and mobile life. With access to free healthcare less certain and immediate, there’s never been a better time to think again about what we can do ourselves to improve wellbeing. The book lovers at Country House Library have hand-picked a small selection of vintage and relevant ‘self-help’ publications.
Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. ― Pablo Picasso
Whether you want to create art, learn how to fully appreciate works of art, or simply surround yourself with attractive items of human creation, the healing power of art has long been recognised. This 1949 publication from Pelican, was written by one of that era’s leading art critics, Sir Herbert Read. Read was an early pioneer of art in education and said, “Everyone is an artist of some kind whose special abilities, even if almost insignificant, must be encouraged as contributing to an infinite richness of collective life.”
We all know that body weight is crucial to a healthy physical life, and by extension, our mental health too. Obesity in young and old alike has become one of the governments high priority areas. Key to controlling weight is of course regular exercise, and this vintage publication is every bit as relevant now as it was in the 1950’s. Focussing on the abdominal area, the author lays out comprehensive regimes to tone and reduce our tummies. The author, Frederick Hornibrook, known in the press as ‘Brawnibrook’, sold through eighteen editions of this one title alone. He said that an “overloaded colon is the "white man's burden" because it should be emptied at least several times a day.” Perhaps this is a book to be kept in the smallest room of the house!
There aren’t many of us who can resist a potter in the garden. Combine that with a modest building project such as a cold-frame, and it’ll be the perfect ‘de-stress’ project. With some timber off-cuts and a spare pane of glass or clear plastic sheeting, a cold-frame is a low-cost substitute for a conservatory or greenhouse. Fruit, vegetables, salads and herbs will all benefit from some concentrated sunshine and the extended growing season of a homemade frame. This vintage edition by prolific gardening guru of his day, J. S. Dakers, will be a prize specimen in any wellness or garden library
The mental health of our children and grandchildren has also risen sharply up the wellness agenda with increasing problems reported in schools and universities, especially since the covid lockdowns. Add in the socially isolating infatuations with online social media and video-gaming, and there’s an obvious lack of creative interaction with their parents and peers. This 1973 publication on easy-to-make puppets from the ‘giants’ of children’s reference books, Ladybird, is just one of the many hobby and craft titles available at Country House Library.
As a pair of knitted socks were found in the Egyptian pyramids, it’s evident that the craft of producing fabric from a single strand of yarn goes back thousands of years. Fast forward to the 21st century and knitting has undergone a resurgence of interest with the exchange of technique and patterns on the internet combined with the revival of ‘handmade’ and DIY crafts. What better way to spend a few hours in quiet, health-giving contemplation in the favourite armchair! Containing patterns and instructions from pullovers to bonnets, mittens to mats, this vintage guide will cover all your knitting needs.
Whether it’s a bat and ball on the beach, or sat around a card-table, game-playing is a vital way we humans like to interact with one another, socialising, relaxing, and exercising our minds and bodies. If we leave aside electronic gaming, what’s left in the ‘real world’ hasn’t changed a great deal in generations. This 1960’s compendium of both indoor and outdoor games is perfect for the summer holiday or winter nights in and you’re sure to find some games you’ve never heard of. Time for a 1960’s games revival!
There aren’t many families who don’t possess a tent of some proportion, whether it’s a cosy ‘one-man’ to collapse into at the end of hectic night’s music festival, or a ‘glamping’ model complete with sun lounge and matching toilet tent. We’ve all heard the call of the wild at varying stages of our lives and experienced the feeling of wellbeing in erecting a tent in pouring rain and a gale, or snuggled up in blankets around a campfire, toasting marshmallows. Whether you’re an old hand under canvas, or a newbie to the primus stove and groundsheet, this Know the Game publication is the ideal companion.
The Australian-born author of this book on English ballet, W. J. Turner (1884 – 1946) was an acclaimed poet and critic who, living in England, socialised with the literary elite of the time including Siegfried Sassoon and Virginia Woolf. During the Second World War he edited a series of books for Collins publishers entitled Britain in Pictures, of which this work on English Ballet is one.
Dance in any form, including ballet, is a ‘hardwired’ form of human creative expression and a wonderful way of exercising the body and de-cluttering the mind.
Walking, hiking, orienteering, motoring, cycling, camping, all have one thing in common – the need of a reliable map! Country House Library boasts a far-reaching collection of vintage maps and guidebooks, so whether you’re taking part in one of the above for your mental and physical wellbeing, or whether you simply prefer to spend a few quiet armchair hours with these fascinating works of combined art and science – you’re in the right place! This 1959 map from cartographic publishers Bartholomew covers Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
This stunning pair of 1950’s publications on British entomology would make an enviable addition to any collection of vintage books, and if you delight in studying the insect life in nature or your garden, these are a wonderful value purchase. A close-up look at the 20,000 insect varieties, combined with some basic knowledge of their biology and lifecycle, is also a guaranteed way to escape the swarm of everyday cares and worries. With full-colour plates and many of the author’s own photographs, these in-depth reference books have been written with all age groups and levels of experience in mind.
There’s a panoply of ways to help improve our mental and physical wellness, many of which have been studied and written about for generations. In this small, vintage selection from the shelves of Country House Library, we have represented art, physical exercise, sport, nature study, gardening, dance, games, and crafts. Whether you’re the get-up-and-go type, or the type for quiet contemplation, we have the book for you.
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