The Further Reading Library's esoteric art and design books

The first five titles from The Further Reading Library

(Image credit: The Further Reading Library)

published 24 March 2025

Lovers of esoterica will rejoice at the arrival of a new imprint. The Further Reading Library releases its first five titles in April 2025, with an invigorating approach to fine art publishing that focuses on the ‘strange, forgotten and overlooked.’ Established by the artist and publisher Christine Burgin, the venture is a collaboration with writer, artist and curator Andrew Lambert.

From Richard Foreman's No Title — From Richard Foreman's *No Title*

The Library’s first five titles are all replete with imagery that would otherwise slide past the eyes in a fraction of a second on a social platform, but which demands and repays more careful scrutiny. In terms of design, The Further Reading Library takes cues from the classic King Penguin series published in the UK between 1939 and 1959, which in turn were influenced by the German Insel-Bücherei series of pocket books from Insel Verlag.

Thomas Wilfred's Clavilux and Lumia home light organs

With a uniformity of size and jacket colour, strong typography and art direction, the five books are available individually or in a slipcased set. The Library describes the subject matter as a collection of ‘forgotten ideas, overlooked accomplishments, and idiosyncratic world views’, replete with original imagery and source material.

From Richard Sharpe Shaver's Some Stones Are Ancient Books — From Richard Sharpe Shaver's *Some Stones Are Ancient Books*

Loïe Fuller: Lecture on Radium

An avant-garde dancer, Fuller (1862–1928) worked with light and specially-designed costumes to give her performances a bold and futuristic modernity. The book focuses on her attempts to use the newly discovered radioactive metal Radium to add another visual dimension to her work.

From Loïe Fuller's Lecture on Radium — From Loïe Fuller's *Lecture on Radium*

Thomas Wilfred: Clavilux and Lumia Home Models

Wilfred (1889–1968) was an inventor, designer, artist and musician who exhibited at MoMA and created pioneering multimedia installations, along with the Clavilux and Lumia home ‘light organs’.

From Thomas Wilfred's Clavilux and Lumia Home Models — From Thomas Wilfred's *Clavilux and Lumia Home Models*

Richard Sharpe Shaver: Some Stones Are Ancient Books

Shaver (1907–1975) was a Sci-fi author and obsessive investigator into ancient mysteries, particularly his belief that stones bore truths about ancient mythical races. The book includes many of his writing and reproductions of his esoteric publications.

Richard Foreman: No Title

A collection of notecards written by Foreman (1937-2025), a pioneer of New York’s experimental theatre scene, paired with imagery of his meticulous maquettes for stage production scenography.

Margaret Watts Hughes: Sound May Be Seen

Watts Hughes (1842-1907) was a singer, philanthropist and inventor, creator of the ‘eidophone’, a device that recorded sound waves by etching them onto glass slides. The resulting format has a strange, alien beauty.

From Margaret Watts Hughes's Sound May Be Seen — From Margaret Watts Hughes's *Sound May Be Seen*

The Further Reading Library, all titles $24.95, FurtherReadingLibrary.com, @FurtherReadingLibrary

Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.