this post was submitted on 22 Dec 2025
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Chapotraphouse

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I could spend fucking hours just pouring over little details in them. It was like an educational "Where's Waldo".

If my sister ever has kids I'm buying them a bunch of these to turn them into little history buff nerds.

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[–] Collatz_problem@hexbear.net 36 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

My grandparents gave to me old Soviet "Children's Encyclopedia" books, and one of the page spreads had a detailed railway station. This directly resulted in me becoming a communist.

[–] KuroXppi@hexbear.net 30 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I loved the castle one where they poop down the tower

[–] ConcreteHalloween@hexbear.net 21 points 3 months ago

The ship ones also had people pooping.

And rats!

[–] Hyper_red@hexbear.net 16 points 3 months ago

Fun fact poop towers are real, and how Germans and Austrians still poop to this day!

[–] SoyViking@hexbear.net 30 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Yes! I would check out books like this from the library all the time.

Edit: I just realised that this form of art can be used for evil as well:

Fanciful visualisation of "Bin Laden's Mountain Fortress" from American propaganda. Shows an entire mountain completely hollowed out by tunnels

[–] SerialExperimentsGay@hexbear.net 24 points 3 months ago

Note the lack of detail when compared to OP, there is so much less going on here even tho it shows a much larger structure. It's like looking at contemporary Lego sets that forego complexity for merch tie-ins to Marvel and Harry Potter slop.

[–] Dort_Owl@hexbear.net 27 points 3 months ago (1 children)

They were perfect for my little audhd brain.

[–] ConcreteHalloween@hexbear.net 15 points 3 months ago

It's a good way to find your special interest.

[–] Hyper_red@hexbear.net 23 points 3 months ago

It started with this and now I'm writing my dissertation on the white supremacy of Irish immigrants in 19th century America...

[–] Shaleesh@hexbear.net 21 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Here's a nice little article about the illustrator (Stephen Biesty) and his greater body of work.

There were copies in some of the local libraries and we must have checked it out a dozen times when I was a kid. It is very suprising to find just how weak the secondhand market is for these, listings are sparse and very expensive compared to other popularish childrens books of its age.

[–] daniyeg@hexbear.net 20 points 3 months ago

questionable accuracy aside, these diagrams kick ass.

[–] Beaver@hexbear.net 19 points 3 months ago

These are what kids need instead of tik tok

[–] kleeon@hexbear.net 18 points 3 months ago

Could stare at them for hours

[–] miz@hexbear.net 14 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

could you name the series of books please? I recognize the layout style but...

[–] blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 3 months ago

Stephen Biesty is the illustrator I think. 

Mebbies published by DK? 

[–] Tychoxii@hexbear.net 11 points 3 months ago