Archive for February, 2012

Friday’s Features

Friday, February 24th, 2012

There are so many wonderful items listed on abaa.org, and I want to share some of them with you.  Which brings me to “Friday’s Features”, a new weekly post spotlighting one or two items offered on our site that I find especially interesting, attractive, etc.

Full Disclosure: In my mind, I may or may not be imagining that I have a bit of disposable income and can buy the books and art I would if I had the cash in reality, so please don’t balk at some of the higher priced items, there is a vast collection of offerings on abaa.org to fit every budget.

I am a very visual person and love art almost as much as I do books, so you can expect many of my picks to correspond accordingly.

Today’s picks are:

REMEMBERING THE WPA. NEW DEAL ART.

Offered by: The Veatchs Arts of the Book
Seller Inventory #: 16423
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Valley Forge: Weyerhauser, 1994

Description:
Valley Forge: Weyerhauser, 1994. . 10 x 10. (16) pages (many fold out to a larger spread). Full color throughout. Self-wraps. Very good. Reproductions of paintings, murals, posters, and sculpture (3-dimensional embossed printing) from the Works Progress Administration. This was created as a specimen of paper and graphic design.

Price: $20

 

 

Gedichte: Weisst du schwarzt du. Fünf Klebebilder von Max Ernst
by (ERNST) Arp, Hans

Offered by: Ars Libri Ltd
Seller Inventory #: B57167-2
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Zürich (Pra Verlag), 1930.

Description:
Zürich (Pra Verlag), 1930.. 32pp. 5 plates of collages of wood engravings by Ernst. Sm. 4to. Silver foil wraps. D.j., with collage cover design by Max Ernst (recapitulating frontispiece). One of 200 copies from the limited edition of 250 in all, this copy designated “rezensionsexemplar” (review copy) in pencil in colophon, in place of number. Arp’s nine poems, dating from 1924, were illustrated by Ernst in 1929. This is one of the most exquisite of Ernst’s illustrated books, and typographically exceptionally elegant. An outstandingly fine copy, the foil wrappers crisp, the dust jacket fresh, and the book itself bright.

Price: $8,500

 

If you are unsure of any of the terms used in these listings, please visit our online glossary.  

 

 

 

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Colonial Era Printing Press

Friday, February 24th, 2012

One of the very cool special exhibits at the 45th International California Antiquarian Book Fair was hands-on demonstration of how a colonial era printing press worked, courtesy of The International Printing Museum.  Below is a very brief video from the fair demonstrating how the press works.  Thanks to AbeBooks for posting this video in their blog.

 

And a personal thanks to another special exhibit by the Society for Calligraphy, Southern California, which had two representatives making beautiful gratis bookmarks for anyone interested.  (And you didn’t even have to wait– you could drop-off your name and return when you were done at the fair!) Here’s mine:

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Rare Book that ‘Foretold’ the Titanic Disaster to be Sold

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

Titanic lifeboats on the way to Carpathia.

In 1898 author Morgan Robertson published the novella Futility, in which the largest ship in history, the Titan, which was proudly touted as “unsinkable”, hits an iceberg on its maiden April voyage and sinks.  Sound familiar?  The actual RMS Titanic experienced an eerily similar fate to the fictional ship fourteen years later on April 14, 1912.

There are many distinctions between the sinking of the fictional Titan and the actual Titanic– most notably in the number of survivors (705 survived the Titanic and only 13 survived the fictional sinking), the course taken by the ship, how it hit the iceberg, and how long it took to sink– but even some of those differences have odd similarities (for instance, the Titanic was travelling from England to New York when it sank whereas the Titan was headed on the opposite course).  As Mark Dimunation, Chief of the Rare Books and Special Collections division at the Library of Congress, commented, “I challenge anyone not to raise an eyebrow.  It’s all within inches of being completely identical.”

The remarkable similarities between the plot of Futility and the actual disaster of the Titanic fourteen years later has fascinated historical experts and Titanic authorities for years.  Adding to that intrigue is the fact that very few first editions of Futility exist, with only one known copy in circulation in the United States.  The owner of that copy, Vaughn Barber of Bicentennial Books in Kalamazoo, Michigan, bought the book years ago and plans to put it to auction this year, hopefully capitalizing on the centennial anniversary of the Titanic.  The last available copy of Futility sold for $2,200 at auction in October 2010, but Mr. Barber says he “won’t sell [his copy] for less than $10,000″.

 

Rare book ‘predicted’ the Titanic [Kennebec Journal]

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ABAA Informational Webinar

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

If you are already here reading this blog, then you are most likely aware that the ABAA is not a misspelled fanclub for disco era superstar group ABBA, but rather a trade association of the best rare booksellers in the US.  You may not, however, be familiar with the application process and the benefits of membership in the ABAA.  If you are an antiquarian bookseller and fall into this category, then our upcoming informational webinar is just for you!

Geared toward prospective members and those otherwise interested in learning more about the Association, the approximate one hour session will begin with an overview of the Association, its history, goals and membership requirements, followed by a question and answer session between the webinar ’attendees’ and a panel of ABAA members.

The webinar will take place on March 7 at 2pm ET.

If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to hq@abaa.org.

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Rare Maps the Focus of Civil War Exhibit at The Grolier Club

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

Today marked the public opening of Torn in Two: the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, a new exhibit at the Grolier Club that presents a history of the U.S. Civil War through historical maps and other rare items.  The exhibition was organized by The Norman B. Leventhal Map Center of the Boston Public Library, and revolves around the monumental role geography played as a cause of the Civil War.  Grolier Club Director Eric Holzenberg observed that “Torn in Two is the first large-scale public show in the Grolier Club’s 128-year history to tell a story exclusively in maps.”

This cartographic narrative is supplemented by other rare historical items, however, and photographs, prints, letters, political cartoons, and press clippings are on display as well.  Included in these additional items are photographic images of 19th-century slave life, the first American demographic map, and Ensign, Bridgman and Fanning’s railroad map, which highlights the contrast between the industrialized North and the agrarian South.

New Yorkers will have a special connection to the exhibit, as Curator Ronald Grim notes that newspapers were the main source of information at the time and that “these newspapers had some of the first maps in them, and most of them were published here in New York City.  The New York Times, the New York Tribune, the New York Herald…and Harpers Weekly, all had maps and illustrations that told the story of the war”.

Torn in Two will be on display, free and open to the public for viewing Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm, until April 28, 2012.  For additional information, please visit the Grolier Club website.

 

The Grolier Club

Civil War Maps Not Just Legend At UES Exhibit [NY1]

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Rare Works of Americana, Literature, and Music on Display at The Morgan Library & Museum

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

On Tuesday the Morgan Library & Museum opened an exhibit that will display nearly thirty rare works taken from its extensive holdings.  The following items provide a taste of the exhibit, and I’m sure they will entice you to plan a visit.

  • The only surviving portion of The Scarlet Letter manuscript, a single sheet containing the title and table of contents.
  • A letter from Madame Roland to Jacques-Bernard-Marie Montané, written while she was imprisoned during the Reign of Terror (only two months before she met her fate at the guillotine)
  • The typescript of two chapters from Henry James’s novel What Maisie Knew
  • Paul Revere’s first bound printing of a compilation of Handel’s music, which is though to be the first American publication of the composer’s work
  • A first edition of Faulkner’s only pulp novel, Sanctuary
  • The first edition of Edmund Spenser’s The Shepheardes Calender, which is “considered by many to be the first great non-dramatic work of the Elizabethean era”
  • Tarot cards from the 15th century
  • A receipt by Picasso that includes a quick sketch of his Woman Seated in an Armchair

This exhibit will be on display in the Morgan’s McKim building (which was recently restored and is breathtaking) until June 3, 2012.

The Morgan Library and Museum

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LA Book Fair a Great Success!

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

This past weekend’s 45th California International Book Fair in Pasadena was an overwhelming success!

It was our first year holding our biannual LA Book Fair in Pasadena (every other year it is held in San Francisco) and we couldn’t have been happier with the location.  The venue, the Pasadena Civic Center, was a beautiful space, equipped with wide aisles and excellent lighting (an exhibitor’s dream!), and Pasadena was a lovely destination, with plenty of great restaurants and things to do.

We had record attendance and our exhibitors’ offerings made it well worth the visit (as did the various seminars and special exhibits).  Thank you so much to all our exhibitors and to Winslow & Associates for putting together an amazing show.

Lastly, a big thank you to all who attended– your energy and enthusiasm truly made the fair!

Please click here to read an exhibitor’s (Greg Gibson, Ten Pound Island Book Company) review of the fair.

 

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Go West, Young Bibliophile!

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

That’s what we will be doing, as will many ABAA members, ILAB dealers, and book lovers, because tomorrow is the start of the 45th California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena!

I know I can’t stop talking about it, as you’ve probably noticed from previous blog entries, Facebook postings, etc., but it’s all with good reason– the exhibitors’material looks amazing and fairs are a wonderful opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues in the rare book world.

Visitors to the fair should feel equally enthusiastic; obviously an ABAA fair is a book collector’s dream come true, but they provide all book lovers with a wonderful opportunity to see incredible materials up close, to learn about the trade, collecting, and appraisals, and the chance to have their own materials appraised for free.  Here’s a full list of events at the fair.

We hope to see you there!

 

The 45th California International Antiquarian Book Fair
Pasadena Convention Center (click for map)
300 East Green Street
Pasadena, CA 91101

TICKETS & HOURS:
Friday, February 10, 2012
3 pm to 8 pm
Saturday, February 11, 2012
11 am to 7 pm
Sunday, February 12, 2012
11 am to 5 pm

A three-day admission ticket can be purchased at the door on Friday, February 10th for $25.00. Proceeds from Friday night tickets will benefit the Huntington Library. Tickets purchased on Saturday or Sunday are $15.00 and include return entry throughout the remainder of the Fair.  $5.00 off for students with valid identification.

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Happy 200th Birthday, Charles Dickens!

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

Today marks the bicentennial of Charles Dickens’s birth and there are some notable festivities occurring!

I’ve previously posted about the wonderful exhibit at the Morgan Library & Museum in NYC, which I highly recommend visiting if you’re in the area.  In case you need additional incentive, the Morgan is offering free admission today to anyone who mentions Dickens’s birthday.  The exhibit is only open until the 12th, so get there soon!

Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, joined a host of dignitaries, actors, and Dickens’s descendants today to hold a special memorial service held in London’s Westminster Abbey.  Prince Charles laid a wreath of white flowers on Dickens’s grave in Poet’s Corner, actor Ralph Fiennes read from Bleak House, and prayers were said for the poor as well as writers chronicling modern society.  Of the ceremony, historian Judith Flanders, said it was an “enormously moving” service and that Dickens “would have hated it”.  Flanders explained that Dickens famously stated in his will that “he wanted no public ceremonies, no statues, no public acknowledgement. He wanted to be buried and die as a private man. He wanted his books to be his monument.”  There was also a simultaneous memorial event held in Portsmouth, where Dickens was born.

The British Council, the UK’s cultural relations body, has organized a number of Dickens-related global initiatives and events “to develop global activity that will include brand new film adaptations, art exhibitions, public readings, immersive theatre, educational events and creative workshops.”  One of these workshops is called Sketches by Boz: Sketching the City, “a worldwide call for aspiring writers, illustrators and photographers to respond to their city today”.  The Bronx Museum of the Arts is partnering with the British Council to take part in this program, asking local teens to use their local communities as inspiration for their own writings and artworks, as Dickens did.  Winning entries will go on display at the museum.

On February 17th, the University of Delaware will hold a special Saturday symposium entitled Celebrating Mr. Dickens.  The program will include “talks on Dickens and his world by faculty members, a tour of two exhibitions in the University of Delaware Library, and a performance of the author’s most celebrated public reading, ‘Sikes and Nancy’.”  For more information, please click here.

Here’s a link to a Guardian webpage that has a ton of info, multimedia and articles about Dickens from a variety of perspectives.

Dickens truly was a fascinating and remarkable man, so take a moment today to learn a little more about him.  The best way to celebrate, though?  Pick up your favorite Dickens novel!

Please click here to see Dickens offerings on abaa.org.  

 

Global celebration of Charles Dickens’ 200th birthday comes to the Bronx; art exhibit, workshop for teens [NYDN]

Britain Marks Charles Dickens’ 200th Birthday [AP]

British Council announces global celebration of Charles Dickens [British Council]

Celebrating Mr. Dickens [University of Delaware]

 

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