Since 1975 the William Reese Company has served a large international clientele of collectors and private and public institutions in the acquisition of rare books and manuscripts and in collection development. With a catalogue inventory of over forty thousand items and a general inventory of over sixty-five thousand items, we are among the leading specialists in the fields of Americana and world travel, and maintain a large and eclectic inventory of literary first editions and antiquarian books of the 18th through 21st centuries. Our offices are located in downtown New Haven, Connecticut and are open by appointment only. The William Reese Company is seeking to add a new team member to its Americana Department. This person needs to be detail oriented, personable and outgoing, and willing and able to lift reasonably large boxes of books. A foundational knowledge of American history is a must, as is a basic grounding in bibliographical knowledge. Previous experience in antiquarian book selling or library work is preferred but not essential. Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, are necessary, as is proficiency in the use of databases. The job description includes a range of the many tasks required in running a large rare book business, but primary duties are cataloguing and researching new inventory; working with customers and selling books in person, on the phone, and by catalogue or internet listing; maintaining inventory control; and possible travel to attend... [more Job Posting: William Reese Co. Seeks Rare Book Cataloguer in Americana Department]

Please join us on October 21st at 3pm ET to honor this year's prizewinners of the National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest's Susan Tane Prize for Student Book Collectors by Zoom. In addition to the awards, the Library of Congress' Chief of Rare Books and Special Collections Division, Mark Dimunation, will interview each winner. To attend, you must register for the Zoom meeting at this link. First Prize Daria Rose Evdokimova (Harvard University) "Ardis Publishers and the Immigrant Identity" Second Prize Francesca Mancino (Case Western Reserve University) “Reassessing Modernism: Women Writers and Publishers of the Lost Generation” Third Prize Austin Benson (University of Virginia) “The Little Office of Our Lady, 1599-1966: Online Book Collecting During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Essay Prize Elizabeth Propst (Harvard University) “How Much Am I Bid for the Moon?: Collecting Poetry on the Cheap” With thanks to our colleagues and judges from the Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies (FABS), the Grolier Club, and the Center for the Book and the Rare Books and Special Collections Division (the Library of Congress) for making the contest happen once again, and to Susan Tane for funding the prizes. We look forward to seeing you there. NCBCC Award Ceremony Registration [more National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest Awards on October 21]

About us James Cummins Bookseller is one of the leading antiquarian book dealers in the United States. Founded in 1978, the company operates an open shop on the Upper East Side of Manhattan as well as maintaining several warehouses containing 500,000 books in New Jersey. We are book lovers and sell to like-minded private collectors and institutions all over the world. What we are looking for We are seeking a high energy, solution-oriented person to manage the bookkeeping, administrative and marketing components of both James Cummins Bookseller's gallery and online presence. This individual is comfortable dealing with financial data of a small company, is very detail oriented, can manage multiple simultaneous projects, has strong writing and interpersonal skills, a friendly disposition, and an interest in old books. The position will be responsible for overseeing the accounts payable and receivable and conducting other tasks related to the financial well being of the company, including managing our accounts with vendors, auction houses, and other dealers; will be diligent at recording data and have an ability to produce and understand financial reports; additionally, will create content for and manage the online marketing for the company. The position requires close collaboration with other members of staff as well as regular correspondence with our accountants, fellow dealers and clients. Responsibilities Track expenses, check writing, budget, taxes, cash flow, receipts and o... [more Job Posting: James Cummins Bookseller, Inc.]

University Archives of Wilton, Connecticut, among the fastest-growing historical autograph and rare book businesses, is seeking an experienced cataloguer familiar with the full range of material handled by the firm: letters, documents, manuscripts, autographs, archives, relics, ephemera and rare books in all areas. The ideal candidate will have strong writing skills, as well as knowledge of descriptive cataloguing. Online auction and retail sales experience or related experience is essential. Information about our company is available on the web. This is a full-time position. Salary plus benefits and bonuses provide a package in excess of $60,000 or higher, dependent on experience. Please send CV and references to Loraine Cordes at Loraine@universityarchives.com [more Position Open at University Archives]

What new additions to the abaa.org website caught the eye this week? Signed books from James Baldwin, Annie Leibovitz, and P.L. Travers, as well as several classic children's books, among other interesting items... If Beale Street Could Talk (Signed) by James Baldwin New York: The Dial Press, 1974. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Signed by Author. First edition. Copy #6 of 250 specially bound copies signed by the author on the rear limitation page. 197 pp. Leather lettered in gilt in original brown cloth slipcase. Near Fine with slightly foxed edges and light rubbing to gilt, in Near Fine slipcase. A novel by the African-American expatriate, the basis of an upcoming film directed by Barry Jenkins. Offered by Burnside Rare Books. Annie Leibovitz: Photographs 1970-1990 (Signed, first edition) New York: HarperCollins, 1991. First edition, limited. Hardcover. Fine. SIGNED. Folio in grey cloth, housed in black cloth slipcase featuring large image of Leibovitz's famous John Lennon and Yoko Ono Rolling Stone cover photo. Light shelfwear to slipcase; light bump to front board lower corner, else book itself is As New. Specially bound and slipcased first edition, signed by Leibovitz and hand-numbered Copy 187 of 300 on the limitation page. Offered by Ken Sanders Rare Books. Visions Of Cody by Jack Kerouac (Introduction by Allen Ginsburg) New York: McGraw-Hill, 1972. First edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/very good. 8vo. 398 pp. Introduction by Allen Ginsberg. A novel written in the e... [more Books of the Week]

WHO OWNED THIS? Libraries and the Rare Book Trade consider issues surrounding Provenance, Theft and Forgery. A symposium presented by the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) and the Grolier Club. -- Speakers and more detailed information will be published shortly. Information When: March 5, 2019 Where: Grolier Club, 47 East 60th Street, NY 10022 Cost: Free for ILAB affiliates and guests, reservations required Organized by the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB). For more information or to RSVP contact: Angelika Elstner (secretariat@ilab.org). [more Who Owned This? A Symposium]

I've been a full-time antiquarian bookseller for over two years now, specializing in selling original materials that tell interesting American stories, with an emphasis on social movements. So my every day involves intellectual adventure as I make a living helping to preserve bits of history. Until the first week of January though, I hadn't quite experienced anything like I'm about to share, so with all due respect to Mr. Everitt, I couldn't think of a better title. I hope you'll keep reading and agree. It started the morning of Christmas Eve a couple weeks ago, when an eBay seller listed several books by the important civil rights activist, W.E.B. Du Bois. Du Bois was a prolific writer, and his books are not uncommon. But, what made these special was they had their dust jackets -- which I knew were rarely seen for these particular titles. The seller also listed a few other scarce African-American pieces, so I sent an email asking if there was anything else. 90% of the time I send an email like that the answer is "no." The other 10% will occasionally involve interesting pieces. I was having dinner at a restaurant with my family later that evening when I heard back from the seller, and his response almost caused me to choke. The seller had bought a storage unit that included the contents of several generations of a black family from Ohio, where at least two women attended Wilberforce University (the first black-owned-and-run university in the United States) and one of the men ... [more Adventures of an Absent-Minded Treasure Hunter]

Love old books, book stores, or just a good story? Tune in to Brattle Book Shop's well-produced podcast: BRATTLECAST! At one of America's oldest bookshops, there are just as many stories to be told outside the pages as in them. Join bookseller Kenneth Gloss and co-host Jordan Rich as they share entertaining conversations and histories surrounding Brattle Book Shop, one of Boston's favorite spots for bibliophiles. Recent episodes cover questions about the care and preservation of books, the day in 1980 when Ken learned his shop was burning, and behind the scenes reveal of Ken's best and worst segments from his time as an expert on the Antiques Roadshow! (Photo credit: Jeffrey Dunn) Don't miss an article from The New Antiquarian blog. Subscribe to the ABAA email newsletter! * indicates required Email Address * Email Format html text #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; width:420px;} /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ [more Ken Gloss Launches Rare Books Podcast!]

On February 8th, at the Book Fair Exhibitor Reception in Pasadena, the ABAA Women's Initiative sponsored the first in a series of tributes to women booksellers who have left a lasting impression on the American trade. Our first honoree was Carol Sandberg, an accomplished career bookseller whose contributions extend beyond the great businesses she helped to build. Carol started bookselling in 1974, when Ken Karmiole hired her fresh out of UCLA library school to join Ben and Lou Weinstein at Heritage Book Shop. In 1985, Carol went into partnership with Michael and Kathleen Thompson at Michael R. Thompson Rare Books, working for more than three decades to make that firm a mainstay of the trade in Los Angeles. At the Pasadena event, Carol's longtime friend and colleague John Windle toasted her as “one of the finest individuals our trade has ever employed,” and shared Chris Loker's tribute to Carol as “a quiet powerhouse in our trade, and a jewel in our crown . . . with the warmest heart and kindest way I know.” Carol's long-standing commitment to California Rare Book School and the Southern California Chapter, organizing events from small seminars to international book fairs, helped create a vibrant community of booksellers and collectors on the West Coast. To her junior colleagues, she has been a generous and inspiring role model. One of those booksellers, Chris Lowenstein, contributed the following memory, read at the reception by ABAA Executive Director Susan Benne: �... [more A Toast to Carol Sandberg]

What caught the eye while exploring the website and perusing new catalogs this week? Why these colorful items... Group of 19th Century Cuban Cigarette Labels This set of slightly risqué 19th-century cigarette cards from Cuba caught the eye. What a perfect gift for the collector of print ephemera or advertising gimmicks! From the description: Description: “Complete series of twelve chromolithograph "Marquillas de Tabaco" labels from the Para Usted Gran Manufactura de Cigarros de Eduardo Guillo, each showing a "mentira de hermosura", or a trick of beauty women use to disguise their age or less attractive feature, with a surprised man viewing each deception through a spyglass.… Each label approx. 10.5 by 14 cm. Loose as issued, housed in photograph album pages. Havana (Eduardo Guillo) n.d. (circa 1865). It was in the early 1860s that tobacco factories in Havana began to package cigarettes with illustrated labels called "marquillas de tabaco" or "marquillas cigarreras". For the tobacco companies, the newly-available chromolithography techniques provided an attractive and cost-effective way to package and advertise their products in an increasingly competitive market. Approximately 20 to 25 cigarettes were packaged together in rolls, each wrapped in one of these labels. The labels were often eye-catching combinations of text and bright colors, many incorporating humor and whimsy.” Offered by F.A. Bernett Books. The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches Du Bois, W.E. Burg... [more Books of the Week]