Earlier this year, a German citizen purchased a thin brochure inscribed with the name “Brücke” for €5 at a local flea market. It turns out this was quite a find; the brochure was a catalogue for a 1912 travelling exhibition of the Die Brücke collective. Die Brücke ("The Bridge") was a German artists' group formed in 1905 by four architectural students in DresdenErnest Ludwig Kirchner, Fritz Bleyl, Enrich Heckel, and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. (Later members included Emil Nolde, Max Pechstein, and Otto Mueller.) The group aimed to discover new methods of artistic expression and to "free themselves from the traditional academic style of the time." Through doing so, they strived to create a bridge between the past and the present (hence the name of the group). The resulting artistic style is what we refer to today as Expressionism, whi... [more Die Brücke Catalogue with Original Woodcuts Found at Flea Market]

The Seventh Annual NY Art Book Fair was held two weeks ago at MoMA PS 1, and I'm sorry that I missed it. Organized by Printed Matter, the fair had more than 200 local and international exhibitors and also included screenings, lectures, musical performances, and book signings. ABAA member Adam Davis of Division Leap (Portland, OR) was exhibiting at the fair for his fourth consecutive year. Division Leap, which just moved to a great new location last month, specializes in zines, artists' books, the Mimeograph Revolution, radical Americana, and a host of other printed miscellany. Adam spoke with Capital New York about technological advances and the future of the book, a topic that is on everyone's mind. He made the following thoughtful and astute observation: I think that the changes in technology—lifting the burden of having it be a purel... [more Member in the News: Adam Davis of Division Leap (Portland, OR)]

The following item has been reported stolen: Title : Origin of Species Authors : Darwin (Charles) Publisher : John Murray, London Description : Sixth edition, original cloth, good condition If you have any information on this item, please contact Blackwell's Rare Books at rarebooks@blackwell.co.uk or 01865 333 555 [more Sixth Edition 'Origin of Species' Stolen]

UPDATE: This item was recovered. The following item has been reported stolen: Title : The Lyminge Map Authors : Thomas Hill Date of publication : 1685 Description : "A mapp and description of a farme with 12 parcells of land thereunto belonging in the parish of Liminge in the county of Kent belonging to Capt. Timothy BEDINGFEILD gent and by his order measured and herein described being now in the tenure or occupation of Tho: HOGBEN. Each peece is distinguished by colours with all the wast thereunto belonging is found to conteine the same therein mentioned in acres, roods and perches and all being added together (including 70 perches for wast of high wayes) the summ is 33 acres 1 rood 1 perches. Also shewing the persons names whose lands bound therunto measured and mapt by Tho: HILL sworne survey 1685." If you have any information on this ... [more UPDATE: Stolen 1865 Lyminge Map]

Jorie Graham has the distinction of being the first American woman to win the Forward Prize for Poetry. Her book P L A C E was awarded Best Collection, a prize that was last awarded to a woman in 2004. P L A C E "explores the ways in which our imagination, intuition, and experience - increasingly devalued by a culture that regards them as 'mere' subjectivity - aid us in navigating a world moving blindly towards its own annihilation and a political reality where the human person and its dignity are increasingly disposable." It is Graham's twelfth collection of poetry. Judges described the collection as "startling, powerful, never predictable" and a "joy" to read. Leonie Rushforth, Chair of the judging panel, said that Graham's collection was a "happy unanimous choice for the judges." "It is a challenging collection of unusual force and ori... [more First American Woman Wins 2012 Forward Prize for Poetry]

In the late 19th century, librarians and conservationists began silking manuscripts in an effort to best preserve the materials. It was thought that this process would help strengthen the paper, making it less susceptible to damage. Silking involved cleaning the manuscript and then applying paste and a silk gauze, sometimes referred to as crepeline, to either one or both sides of the leaf. However, it did not take very long for conservationists to realize that this was not an adequate method of preservation. Over time the silk became brittle; discoloration occurred; it could separate from the document; some silks had a rapid rate of deterioration; and silking generally "failed to render the document any more resistant to the enemies of paper" than untreated pages (William Barrow, 1939 Newport News (Virginia) Daily Press article). Which br... [more De-silking 'A Christmas Carol']

Below is a beautifully produced video that takes you through the basic steps of letterpress printing. Letterpress from Naomie Ross on Vimeo. [more Letterpress Process]

Sourcebooks publishing house has recently released a line of ebook/iPad apps called The Shakesperience. Using the iPad's technological capabilities, these books provide a multimedia experience that allow readers to interact with Shakespeare's plays. Each play features an embedded glossary of approximately 2,000 terms; video and audio commentary, interviews, and introductions by thespians; classic scenes and performances by respected actors like Orson Welles, Paul Robeson, Sir Laurence Olivier, and Dame Judy Dench, to name a few; presentations analyzing the historical and social context of selected scenes; production notes from past performances that include costume and set design, and stage directions; interviews with the full casts and directors of productions; and, finally, "interviews with voice coaches on how to approach the Bard's va... [more Shakespeare On Your iPad]

We came across a fun list of novels and histories compiled by Andre Braugher in this week's New York Times Magazine. [more Actor Andre Braugher Talks Sea Captain and Espionage Books in the NYT Magazine]

This item was still reported missing as of June 11, 2019. The following item has been reported stolen: Title : Der Americanischen Neuen Welt Beschreibung (engraved title) Authors : Winckelmann, Johann Just Date of publication : 1664 Publisher : Heinrich Conrad Zimmer, Oldenbourg Description : With copper engraved title, 1 (of 2) full-page portraits (of Hans Staden) in woodcut and 32 woodcuts in the text after Hans Staden. 8 unn. leaves, 228 pp., 6 unn. leaves of index. Modern gilt violet/red leather binding. If you have any information on this item, please contact yueksel@erasmushaus.ch [more Stolen: Der Americanischen Neuen Welt Beschreibung (engraved title; 1664)]