From March 7-10, 2019 book lovers will find a fascinating treasure trove at the Park Avenue Armory. Over 200 American and international dealers will exhibit at The ABAA New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, bringing a vast selection of rare books, maps, manuscripts, illuminated manuscripts and ephemera. The diversity of specialties includes art, medicine, literature, photography, autographs, first editions, Americana, and much more. This book fair is officially sponsored by the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers. This means that collectors can rely upon the experience and professionalism of participating dealers and the authenticity of the items available for purchase. Hours Thursday, March 7 5-9pm -- Preview Night Friday, March 8, noon-8pm Saturday, March 9, noon-7pm Sunday, March 10, noon-5pm Discovery Day (Sunday, 1pm-3pm) Bring a treasure to be evaluated by our experts! Free with paid admission to the Fair. Tickets Preview Pass: $60 (Includes one daily re-admission) Daily Admission: $25 Students: $10 (with valid ID) Run of Show: $45 (Student and Run of Show tickets are only available at the door.) Buy tickets... Venue: Park Avenue Armory (643 Park Avenue, New York). Preview items: Miniature Octagonal Koran (Turkey, c. 1875). 200ff. Complete, single column, with between thirty-eight and forty-one lines of miniature gold gubari per page. Surah headings in black against gold ribbon banners. The o... [more New York Book Fair 2019]
Book Fairs
The ABAA Women's Initiative organized a panel at the 52nd California International Antiquarian Book Fair to discuss the publication "Zamorano Celebrates 90", which highlights important women collectors from Southern California. Project coordinator and editor Jean Gillingwators and first woman president of the Zamorano Club Judy Sahak spoke about how the project came to fruition. Designer and printer Norman Clayton explained the significance of design choices such as the purple Japanese silk and 1/4 leather cover as well as the challenges of replicating old and sometimes deteriorated photographs in print. ABAA members Jen and Brad Johnson were contributing essayists and spoke on fine press printer Lillian Marks of the Plantin Press and bookseller Peggy Christian. Librarian and educator Gary Kurutz discussed Alice Millard. ABAA member Kait Manning moderated the panel and asked questions which elicited insightful answers and convivial banter between the panelists. The Panelists (left to right): Brad Johnson, Gary Kurutz, Kait Manning, Jen Johnson, Jean Gillingwators, Judy Sahak, and Norman Clayton. The Zamorano Club is Southern California's oldest organization of bibliophiles and manuscript collectors. Founded in 1928, it sponsors lectures and publications on bookish topics. Most noteworthy is the Zamorano 80 (1945)—a member-selected and -written catalogue of the most significant books in California history. "Zamorano Celebrates 90: Honoring the Contributions of Women in Books... [more Women’s Initiative Hosts “Zamorano Celebrates 90” Panel in Oakland]
The 52nd California International Antiquarian Book Fair returns to the Oakland Marriott City Center, Oakland, California, over the weekend of February 8-10, 2019. Recognized as one of the world's largest and most prestigious exhibitions of antiquarian books, the 52nd California International Antiquarian Book Fair returns to Northern California, Friday, February 8 through Sunday, February 10, 2019 at the Oakland Marriott City Center. Sponsored by the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) and featuring the collections and rare treasures of nearly 200 booksellers from over 20 countries around the world, the three-day book fair offers a rich selection of manuscripts, early American and European literature, modern first editions, children's books, maps and autographs, as well as antiquarian books on history, science, law, architecture, cooking, wine, and a wide range of other topics. This year's Book Fair will include a special exhibit by the Book Club of California, an active association of over 800 major California collectors with interests in rare books and manuscripts of all types. Founded in 1912, the Club's library is dedicated to collecting and sharing works of California fine printers; resources on book making, book design, and book history; and books of historical significance. One side of this bi-faceted exhibit will display a selection of materials by California women printers and book artis... [more 2019 California Book Fair]
The 2019 California International Antiquarian Book Fair takes place in Oakland, California February 8-10, 2019. Nearly 200 rare-book dealers from around the world will be bringing their most-outstanding items to surprise and delight book collectors. Some of the ABAA members attending preview their wares below... Harold Arlen. "The Wizard of Oz" Record Set - Inscribed by the Composer! 1939. 4-disc set of first issue 78-RPM records of the cast-recording soundtrack album for the beloved film, inscribed by the composer, Harold Arlen, to his brother and sister-in-law. Housed in original illustrated covers. Inscribed in pen on the first record sleeve: "For Julie + Jean, Love Harold 12-18-39". Songs include "Over the Rainbow", "Munchkinland Part I & II", "If I Only Had a Brain", "If I Only Had a Heart", "The Merry Old Land of Oz", and "We're Off to See The Wizard". This record set includes the only known release of the movie's deleted musical number, "The Jitterbug", as the album was created and distributed before filming wrapped. Discs exhibit very little handling, but are untested. Front cover detached but present, with part of cloth tape torn. Edge wear to the covers, with cloth tape repair between inside front cover and first record sleeve. Overall very good. Songwriter Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck) is to thank for some of the most iconic songs of the twentieth century, including "Over the Rainbow," "Get Happy," "Stormy Weather," and "The Man That Got Away." He collaborated w... [more CA Book Fair: 2019 Preview]
The Northern & Southern California Chapters of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America would like to announce The California Young Book-Collector's Prize. UPDATE: Deadline extended until December 15. Submissions should be sent as a .pdf file to Ben Kinmont, Chair of the Northern California Chapter of the ABAA, at bkinmont@gmail.com. Most great collectors started when they were young, and most great collections started with a passion for a particular object or subject. When these objects are books and manuscripts, the collectors are called bibliophiles, or lovers of the book. Curiously, the love of books continues unabated today, despite their increasing rarity and the rapid growth of digital media. Some might even argue that the printed page has taken on a new meaning and cultural resonance in our era of computers and electronic texts. In recognition of the next generation of bibliophiles, we have created The California Young Book-Collector's Prize. The competition is open to collectors aged 35 and under who are living in California. All collections of books, manuscripts, and ephemera are welcome, no matter their monetary value or subject. The collections will be judged on their thoroughness, the approach to their subject, and the seriousness which with the collector has catalogued his or her material. The winner of the competition will be awarded: 1. A gift certificate of $500 to spend at the 2019 California International Antiquarian Book Fair 2. An exhibition of... [more ABAA’s California Chapters Launch Book-Collecting Prize, Deadline Extended!]
Enjoy this selection of preview items that our members will be exhibiting at the upcoming 42nd annual Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair. We'll be adding items to this page all week, so check back daily for more extremely rare and beautirful items! Fantaisie-Fantasia-Fantasie-Fancy- Scenes for Ladies of Leisure to Construct c1840. A large folio with die-cut opening in cover to create a "picture frame". It includes 2 plates and an array of cutout hand finished engraved images of women, children and accessories. The two 12" x 9 ½” plates have numerous slits at the base Each of the images has a tab at the base. The individual women are placed in the incisions or slits creating elegant scenes from the serene to the severe. Includes two pattern sheets with eight (8) different scenes. Endless scenes can be created beyond the scenes shown. Twenty-four (24) images and accessories. Offered by Eclectibles (Booth 204). CROZE, Austin de. . La Lumière Magique. Paris, 1920. 4to. 92pp. 37pp. text and illustrations, distributed over 92pp. overall. Various papers and media utilized running the gamut from heavy card to glassine via what appears to be brown wrapping paper and other diverse elements. Bound in later full burnt yellow morocco gilt, black title labels to spine, embellished with pentagrams to both boards. A beautiful volume, strong, clean and clearly well looked after. Original cover and spine bound in. Filled with numerous pen, ink and watercolours designs with the unpu... [more Boston Book Fair: Featured Items]
It's back! The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair returns to the Hynes Convention Center in Boston's beautiful Back Bay for its 42nd year, November 16-18, 2018. Special events at this year's event include documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman on the making of Ex Libris: The New York Public Library; political guru Michael Goldman on 1968: The Year of the Century; Sumio Yamazaki from the Kyoto Book Artists Society in discussion with Charles Vilnis on Japanese art books; Editor Peter K. Steinberg on Sylvia Plath; and the 17th annual Ticknor Society Roundtable panel discussion on starting a collection. One of the oldest and most respected antiquarian book shows in the country, the Boston Book Fair offers a top selection of items available on the international literary market. Attendees have the unique chance to get a close look at rare and historic museum-quality items, offered by some of the most prestigious participants in the trade. Whether just browsing or buying, the Fair offers something for every taste and budget—books on art, politics, travel, gastronomy, and science to sport, natural history, literature, music, and children's books—all appealing to a range of bibliophiles and browsers. TICKETS Admission is free on Saturday and Sunday! Friday night's exclusive Opening Night event is ticketed ($20). HOURS Friday, November 16, 5:00-9:00pm Saturday, November 17, 12:00-7:00pm Sunday, November 18, 12:00-5:00pm Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston Street, Boston,... [more Boston Book Fair 2018]
On March 11th, the ABAA Women's Initiative hosted a panel discussion on Collecting and Women during the New York Antiquarian Book Fair at the Park Avenue Armory. Elizabeth Denlinger, Sarah Gordon, and Molly Schwartzburg discussed topics relating to representations of women in collections, women as collectors, and women-focused institutions as Nina Musinsky moderated. More than 100 men and women booksellers, librarians, and enthusiasts attended. If you missed it, we have a recording below. Since 2016, we have held networking receptions for women in conjunction with book fairs, and honored Carol Sandberg — a longtime bookseller who has championed women in the trade. This panel is our first foray into programming and we are thrilled to have so many of you here. Please do leave your business cards or add your name to our mailing list so we can keep you informed about events and ideas. We would like to thank and acknowledge the people who have worked on this project: Claudia Strauss-Schulson — the Initiative's chairwoman — Heather O'Donnell, Rebecca Romney, Kim Schwenk, Kait Manning, Cokie Anderson, Susan Hirsch, Laurelle Swan, Joyce Kosofsky, and Mary Gilliam. We would also like to thank Jennifer Johnson and Sunday Steinkirchener for their help in organizing events. We also want to recognize the many people who have shared their stories, put forth ideas, and voiced support publically and privately for this important work. Subscribe below to receive alerts and information ab... [more Women’s Initiative Hosts Panel on Collecting and Women]
We asked ABAA members to let us know which items they were particulaly excited about bringing to the upcoming Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair and they responded with a breath-taking selection of truly spectacular association copies, signed books, art, and idiosyncratic ephemera from all corners of the globe. You'll find the items below in the booths of Boston's Hynes Convention Center begining November 10. Leaves From a Mislaid Album Signed, limited edition of Edward Gorey's Leaves From a Mislaid Album, published by Gotham Book Mart in 1972. The publication is a portfolio of prints with no set order in which they should be viewed; images printed for Leaves consist of macabre character portraits which invite the viewer to invent stories based on the attitude and body language of the subject. Offered by Brattle Book Shop. Booth #215 Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery and Imagination. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. Edition de luxe, limited to 460 copies, signed by Rackham, printed in London in 1935. Surely the best illustrated edition of Poe's masterpiece ever published. Unusually dark subject matter for Rackham, he confessed to his model Marita Ross “that his pictures were now so horrible that he was beginning to frighten himself!” Offered by John Windle, Bookseller. Booth #413 TWENTY-SIX POEMS, ONE OF TEN COPIES PRINTED ON JAPAN VELLUM, WITH ORIGINAL PEN-AND-INK DRAWINGS BY DYLAN AND CAITLIN THOMAS THOMAS, Dylan. Twenty-Six Poems. 4to, original quarter vellum & ... [more 21 Items for the Boston Book Fair]
The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair returns to the Hynes Convention Center for its 41st year, November 10-12, 2017. One of the largest rare book fairs in the country, the 2017 Boston Book Fair will host more than 120 dealers from Argentina, Australia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and Russia, as well as from all over the United States, including many ABAA members! Special events at this year's Fair include a bookbinding demonstration by British book artist Mark Cockram; Ricky Jay, the world's greatest sleight-of-hand artist discussing Magic, Cheaters & Remarkable Characters; the largest exhibition on American icon Henry David Thoreau ever mounted will be the subject of two talks by curators Christine Nelson (The Morgan Library & Museum) and David Wood (The Concord Museum) — the exhibition, "This Ever New Self," is currently on view at the Concord Museum in Concord MA (through January 21) and was on view at the Morgan this past summer; as well as the 16th annual Ticknor Society Roundtable discussion. Where: Hynes Convention Center 900 Boylston Street Boston, MA When: Friday, November 10 5:00-9:00pm Opening Night Tickets: $20.00 Saturday, November 11 12:00-7:00pm Free Admission Sunday, November 12 12:00-5:00pm Free Admission Highlights! Among the highlighted items for sale at this year's fair will be the David Powers Collection of John F. Kennedy speeches and manuscripts, spanning the statesman's political career from his first race in 1946... [more 41st Boston Book Fair]