Today is Bloomsday, the day of celebration for James Joyce's tome, Ulysses. (The novel follows protagonist Leopold Bloom through Dublin over the course of one day, June 16, 1904.) Below I have included some links to Bloomsday articles, posts and activities to commemorate Joyce's iconic work. Most of them are brief and include additional links, so they are definitely worth a glance. At the very least, I recommend listening to a rare recording of James Joyce reading from Ulysses or Irish actress Marcella Riordan reading of the last 50 lines of the book, often referred to as Molly's soliloquy, and taking a glance at Ulysses Unseen, an electronic comic book version of the novel. Happy Bloomsday! It's Bloomsday! Listen to Molly's Soliloquy! 8 ways to celebrate James Joyce and Ulysses Bloomsday: How to Celebrate James Joyce's Ulysses Tweeting U... [more Happy Bloomsday!]
Blog posts by Susan Benne
Susan is the Executive Director of the ABAA. She collects material on Brooklyn as well as ephemera and vernacular photography. Susan is focused on making the book trade diverse and equitable.
Designer Nate Burgos has launched an ongoing video project called Rare Book Feast. In his description of the project, Nate writes: "This series is about the timeless character of books. Their message and what they look like are what is celebrated here. As our culture becomes digital in a lot of ways, it is all the more important (not to mention inviting) to revisit and learn from the early design challenges, creative solutions and general lessons that the “old” print world keeps relevant." The focus of the inaugural video is on “World Geo-Graphic Atlas” (1953) designed by Herbert Bayer with Martin Rosenzweig, Henry Gardiner and Masato Nakagawa. Without the proper knowledge, I can't determine for myself the 'rarity' of the book (at least in the eyes of our membershelp me out in the comments section, ABAA-ers!), but the video is sh... [more Launch of 'Rare Book Feast']
In early April, I posted about an amazing find that member Ken Sanders made at a charity event in Sandy, Utaha German language Nuremberg Chronicle from 1494. The owner had no idea what he possessed; it was passed down from a great uncle and has been sitting in his attic for decades, which impacted the condition of the book greatly (only about 1/3 of the full text is present). Despite its condition and the fact that it's not incredibly rare, with an estimated several hundred copies in circulation worldwide, the text is still quite a find and has significance for historians and bibliophiles alike. Heather O'Donnell, a book buyer at fellow ABAA member firm Bauman Rare Books, commented that the Nuremberg Chronicle is a "landmark of printing" and each individual page possesses a "genuine value". Collectors, she says, "see it as a part of west... [more Member in the News: Ken Sanders]
The British Library has just unveiled a new iPad application that allows users to peruse more than 60,000 19th century books. All of the titles are in the public domain and, unlike e-books, are scanned versions of the original texts and include maps and original illustrations. The British Library partnered with Bibliolabs to create the app. Bibliolabs is a development company that specializes in the digital distribution of antique and rare books. Mitchell Davis, the company's founder, commented that the "iPad allows for a level of intimacy with these antiquarian books that evokes a sense of engagement and curiosity that is not possible in a browser based experience." Many have been wringing their hands over the future of the rare book trade in the age of e-books and digitalization, but I think this project exemplifies that the two are not... [more British Library Launches Rare Book iPad App]
Dan Gregory of Between the Covers~Rare Books Inc. provides a detailed answer to this question in the Between the Covers blog today. Click here to read! Do Rare Books Appreciate in Value? [more "Do Rare Books Appreciate in Value?"]
Kenneth Karmiole has received the Distinguished Alumni Award for 2011 from the UCLA Library and Information Studies Alumni Association. A graduate in the MLS class of 1971, he is the first antiquarian bookseller to be so honored. An award dinner was held at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in downtown Los Angeles on May 19th, where Ken was presented with the award. A keynote address was given by Kevin Starr, author and historian, best known for his multi-volume series "Americans and the California Dream". Congratulations, Ken! [more Member in the News: Kenneth Karmiole]
May 23, 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of the New York Public Library's landmark building, the Stephen A. Schwarzman building. To commemorate the occasion, the Library has put together a major exhibition entitled "Celebrating 100 Years", which opened this past weekend. The exhibit displays 250 items chosen from the Library's vast collection of over 60 million pieces, and is divided into four thematic areas- Observation, Contemplation, Creativity, and Society. Thomas Millens, the Library's curator, commented that "the library as nothing less than a memory bank of humanity", and expanded upon the exhibition's themes. "Observation, looking out to the world around us; contemplation, looking inward for meaning, the hallmark of civilization and the human experience; creativity, particularly as expressed in literature and the a... [more Celebrating 100 Years at the New York Public Library]
I was reading an article this morning about a South African man who, while on holiday in Ireland, found an American first edition of Wuthering Heights at a flea market for €3 (about $4.27). Realizing the value of the book, he brought it back home to South Africa and promptly sold it for over 77,000 rand (equivalent to more than €8,000 or $11,000)quite the souvenir! The article quoted ILAB member David Cunningham of Cathach Books Ltd. in Dublin, who commented that this was likely the only first edition of Wuthering Heights in the country. He went on to say that "you just don't know how books turn up and how it arrived in this country, but that's the nature of booksyou can find almost anything anywhere." This quote got me thinking about all the interesting stories book hunters everywhere must have. What has been your most interesting ... [more What's Your Most Interesting and/or Profitable Find?]
A few years ago, Michael Ginsberg embarked upon an archival journey for the ABAA. Recognizing the absence of member histories in the ABAA annals, Michael began conducting video interviews of members at our three annual fairs. The interviews cover members' personal histories as well as their involvement in the rare book trade. The interviews conducted at the 44th California International Antiquarian Book Fair in San Francisco this past February can now be viewed on our websiteclick here. They include an interview with the late Peter Howard of Serendipity Books in Berkeley, CA. The ABAA extends many thanks to Michael, as well as Taylor Bowie, who has also conducted a number of interviews. [more Bookseller Interviews from the 2011 San Francisco Antiquarian Book Fair]
Upon returning to London after exhibiting at the New York Antiquarian Book Fair, ILAB member Rick Gekoski of R. A. Gekoski Rare Books & Manuscripts posted a great entry to his blog in the Guardian, A Finger on the Page. The post answers some fundamental questions about the rare book trade and antiquarian book fairs. A fun read for those in the trade as well as novice collectors. Click here to read the post. An insider's guide to book fairs [more 'An Insider's Guide to Book Fairs' by Rick Gekoski]