98 years ago today, on September 3, 1910, the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) was first discovered on Alabama soil. The unbelievable devastation the boll weevil caused to cotton crops throughout the South was the catalyst for diversifying agriculture in Alabama, ultimately dethroning “King Cotton” in favor of other crops like peanuts, soybeans and timber.

The book featured here is one of many from Publishers’ Bindings Online, 1815-1930: The Art of Books that feature cotton as a design element, decoration, ornament or motif. Here are a few more for your perusal… some very realistic, some beautifully stylized. To look at over 5000 more books and lots more, visit PBO!

An impressive, albeit strangely wonderful statue dedicated to the boll weevil stands in Enterprise, Alabama.