The Blog of the ABAA

The Center for Jewish History in New York, which houses the collections of the American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, announced earlier this month that it will establish a rare books room with the $2.5M gift from the David Berg Foundation.

The new rare books room will “provide the center’s partners with a state-of-the-art facility in which to showcase some of their most important printed materials, including seminal first editions and a cross-section of rabbinical literature, Jewish philosophy and intellectual history that dates back hundreds of years.”  It will be open to the public, and the grand opening is slated for the fall.

N.Y. center gets $2.5 million gift for new rare books room [JTA]

Last night The Colbert Report aired part one of a two part interview with renowned author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, and it was hilarious.  For your viewing pleasure, Grim Colberty Tales with Maurice Sendak Part 1– enjoy!

Today would be the 150th birthday of famed American author Edith Wharton, who is probably most widely known for her examination of New York society in the early twentieth century (The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth were both centered around this theme).  Wharton was a very successful writer in her time, receiving both popular and critical acclaim in addition to good compensation for her works (any writer’s dream!).  She composed travel essays, short stories, novels, and, later in life, short autobiographical essays.  Wharton was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1921 for The Age of Innocence.  

In 1902, Wharton designed and built The Mount based on the principles she outlined in her 1897 book, The Decoration of Houses.  Today, The Mount is “an autobiographical house”, “both a historic site and a center for culture inspired by the passions and achievements of Edith Wharton.”  To commemorate what would have been Wharton’s 150th birthday, The Mount is kicking off a year of special events.  Please click here to view a list of special events at The Mount and other locations throughout the country.

Wharton has recently had an impact on popular culture with the popularity of the PBS series Downton Abbey (a great show if you’re unfamiliar!).  The New York Times had a piece on the connection last week, with Downton’s  creator, Julian Fellowes, citing Wharton’s novels as a major influence.  It’s a great article worth a read.

If you’re in New York and looking to get your Wharton fix, there will be an Edith Wharton Marathon Reading at the Center for Fiction on Thursday at 5pm.  Tickets are $20 with all proceeds going to support The Mount.

Happy Birthday, Edith!

For Edith Wharton’s Birthday, Hail Ultimate Social Climbers [NY Times]

The Mount

The Chicago-based Churchill Centre has donated $8 million to establish the first U.S. research center and library devoted to the legacy of Winston Churchill.  The National Churchill Center and Library will  be located on the campus of George Washington University and is slated to open between 2013 and 2015.  Members of the Churchill Centre will collaborate on the collection that will be housed in the new center and accompanying library.  The group’s Executive Director, Lee Pollock, says that many members are eager to donate their own personal collections, and that the Washington collection could amass over 1,000 volumes.

Part of the funds gifted to the new National Churchill Center and Library will also create endowments for a professor and a curator position, and $1 million is reserved to fund exhibits and special programs.  University President Steven Knapp commented that the “idea here is to look at him not just in isolation but also setting him in his life and times”, and the Center will place a strong emphasis on 20th century British history in addition to Churchill himself.

Completion is a few years away, but I can’t wait to visit!

If you are interested in Winston Churchill, please check out the inventory of ABAA member The Churchill Book Specialist, who specializes in books by and about Churchill.  

Churchill library to be created [CBS News]

Our friend and former ABAA President Stuart Bennett recently published a novel encompassing genres including historical fiction (think Jane Austen and the Regency Period, Shakespeare’s London), romance, and time travel.  The Perfect Visit “tells the story of two bibliophiles who go back in time to rescue lost books and manuscripts.”  I couldn’t put it down!

A must read for any rare bookie.  Check it out here.

ABAA Members Anne and David Bromer have very generously donated two million dollars to the Boston Athenaeum in support of the institution and the Bromer Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts at the Athenaeum. Read more about it here!

The Journal of the Book Club of Washington published a talk that Santa Monica based ABAA member Ken Karmiole gave at the California Rare Book School last year, and it’s quite an interesting read.

Ken addresses the pertinent theme of ‘Collecting the Physical Book in the Digital Age’ from a rare book dealer’s perspective, outlining how the rise of the Internet has affected the trade and offering some interesting anecdotes and insights.  It’s a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the rare book world.

Please click the following link to read the article:  Ken Karmiole: Collecting the Physical Book in the Digital Age