This was the very first dinosaur book I remember owning. I made my mom read it to me over and over and over. I was three years old.
  • This was the very first dinosaur book I remember owning. I made my mom read it to me over and over and over. I was three years old.
My first dinosaur books were given to me in the early 70s: before Jurassic Park, before Jack Horner found evidence that dinosaurs nurtured their young, before the term "avian dinosaur" became a phrase to describe birds, when the books were titled things like The Age of Reptiles and brontosauruses lived in swamps. Oh, memories!

It was these books (published in the 50s, 60s and 70s), with their terrible/wonderful illustrations and antiquated science (along with trips to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History) that created my life-long obsession. Feeling nostalgic, I decided to see if I could find any of them online. Good news, everyone!

Please enjoy this archive of vintage dinosaur books, ranging from the 1890s through the 1970s... so many gems!!!

Also, on Flickr, check out the cambrian_park photostream and the Vintage Dinosaur Art pool.