about-the-cover-illustration
about the cover illustration
The figure on the cover of Building Distributed Applications that Work is “L. Acquaiuolo Ambulante” (“The traveling water seller”), taken from the collection Customs and Habits of Naples and Its Surroundings, Described and Depicted, by Francesco de Bourcard, published in 1853. Each illustration is finely drawn and colored by hand.
In those days, it was easy to identify where people lived and what their trade or station in life was by their dress alone. Manning celebrates the inventiveness and initiative of the computer business with book covers based on the rich diversity of regional culture centuries ago, brought back to life by pictures from collections such as this one.