Rare Book Monthly

Articles - March - 2018 Issue

The Portable Lavater: Never judge a book by its forehead

- by Thibault Ehrengardt

Donald Trump - a witty and subtle man?

2. Donald Trump, US President.

- The forehead: “deep perpendicular wrinkles between the eyebrows indicate a man of great spirit.” A narrow forehead is the sign of an “unruly spirit”; and when bowed backward, “it tells of a fiery and ill-considering temperament, especially if the bones of the eyes are not very remarkable.”

- The eyebrows: “when thick, compact and well drawn(...), they are the marks of a sure judgement.”

- The eyes: when sharp near the nose, they tell of a “witty and subtle” man.

- The mouth: “an often closed mouth with well-pronounced features” belongs to the greedy; when far from the nose, it shows “a lack of prudence”.

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The Portable Lavater: Never judge a book by its forehead

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