 The design for the bookwheel originally appeared in a 16th-century illustration by Agostino Ramelli at a time when large books posed practical problems for readers.Ramelli's design influenced other engineers and, though now obsolete, inspires modern artists and historians.The bookwheel, in its most commonly seen form, was invented in 1588 by Italian military engineer Agostino Ramelli, presented as one of the 195 designs in "Le diverse et artificiose machine del Capitano Agostino Ramelli" ("The various and ingenious machines of Captain Agostino Ramelli").