about the cover illustration

The figure on the cover of Building Quantum Software with Python, titled “Femme d’Ile de Tine,” or “Woman from the Isle of Tinos,” is taken from the book Album of Turkish Costume Paintings, published in 1867. The book belongs to the George Arents Collection, a part of the New York City Public Library Digital Collections. 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 just by their dress. 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.