Books and Art Worth Owning.

Illustrated Classic Books, Thoughtfully Made

New Old Prints publishes illustrated classic books built around the world’s greatest public domain literature. Every title in our catalog begins with the original text — the poem, the novel, the play — and is rebuilt into a complete reading experience: original artwork commissioned for that specific work, scholarly annotations, and a study guide designed for modern readers who want to go deeper.

The classics belong to everyone. Public domain books are free to read, but reading a 3,000-year-old epic or a Victorian novel without context is harder than it needs to be. A reference that seems obscure turns out to carry the entire meaning of a scene. A name you half-recognize is the key to understanding what comes next. Our editions put that context where it belongs — on the same page, where you can use it.

What Goes Into Every Edition

Each New Old Prints edition includes original illustrations created specifically for that work — not stock images or recycled engravings, but artwork made to match the voice and era of the text. The annotations are written to explain, not to lecture. The study guide covers themes, historical context, and discussion questions. For works translated from another language, we select the most respected and readable translation available.

These are books for people who take reading seriously — whether you are coming to Homer for the first time, returning to a novel you never quite finished, or working through a classic for a course. We start with the text. We build something worth owning.

Browse our current editions — or learn more about New Old Prints.