"Tea Art" by Gregory R. Suriano

My favorite tea book is often the latest one I've received, but there's a new one out that I must highly, highly recommend to tea lovers for a place of honor in the tea library: "Tea Art: A Modern Look at Vintage Tea Graphics" by Gregory R. Suriano (Schiffer Books, $24.95). This is the first book to cover the topic of paper ephemera associated with tea, and I'm just sorry I didn't come up with such a great idea myself, because this would have been loads of fun to research!

Have you ever come across a tea-themed postcard on eBay or at an antique mall? I have precisely one (an old tea room near Atlanta), but obviously I just haven't been looking hard enough or long enough. Here are just a few of the images of postcards from "Tea Art."

Have you ever seen a tea advertisement in a vintage magazine? I haven't, although I sure do love the one above right with Ginger Rogers, and you can bet I'll be looking for such ads NOW. In addition to postcards and periodical advertisements, the book also covers prints, posters, book and periodical illustrations, booklets, sheet music, trade and trading cards, labels and packaging. (HINT: Even before I got this book, I started saving at least one teabag wrapper out of every box of teabags I purchase. I'm scanning them to my computer for both collecting and crafting purposes.) "Tea Art" also includes tea history, a nice bibliography and a price guide to these tea-themed paper collectibles, making Suriano's new book an especially delightful read for those of us who love all things tea.