Gnomes by Vivian Russell
April 1, 2005
Francis Lincoln Press
Apparently this is a historical account of how Garden Gnomes became a popular thing. Worth checking out? You can find it pretty cheap on Amazon. Vivian Russell traces the Garden Gnome phenomenon back to 1847 England. However, gnomes were a thing before that in Germany, although not something used in outdoorsy gardens and landscaping.
I found some reviews. This one from Home & Garden reads more like a book report.
Publisher's Weekly reviewed it also, and concluded that although normal people won't be as crazy for gnomes as Russell, "they will undoubtedly enjoy flipping through these delightful, vibrant photos and reading Russell's fond musings on these adorable garden accessories".
