about-the-cover-illustration
about the cover illustration
The figure on the cover of Software Design for Python Programmers, captioned “La Serva,” or “The servant,” is taken from a collection originally published in 1853 by Stabilimento Tipografico di G. Nobile, Napoli, and is provided by the George Peabody Library, Johns Hopkins University. 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.