A brief blog post about recent acquisitions by the Wolfsonian-FIU Rare Books and Special Collections Library, can be read here. Some interesting photos of WWII propaganda leaflets, especially in light of our recent NCBCC winning bibliography, submitted by Andrew Fink and entitled An Interdisciplinary Survey of 20th Century Propaganda. To read more about and see additional examples of Psychological Warfare, visit Retired Major Edward Rouse's website. Major Rouse had a 20 year career in the US Military as a specialist in Psychological Operations, and participated in the psychological campaign in the Gulf War. [more Wolfsonian-FIU Receives Donation of WWII Propaganda]

An interesting article that focuses on another hat author Graham Greene wore- that of an avid collector of rare books. Read the article here. [more Graham Greene, Book Collector]

Received from a shop owner in Phoenix: A man brought some books to sell in each of our stores last Thursday(Sept. 23, 2010).  He then attempted to steal two of our books by putting them in his bag of books.  At our other location he attempted to take an Andrew Loomis book by putting in a pile of his own books. His description is: Caucasian, 50-55 yrs old,  200+ lbs.  Dark hair.  Wearing a dark suit, somewhat disheveled.  Dark colored Honda with Maryland tags FILLED WITH BOOKS.  His focus was Photography. He claimed he was traveling across the country and had stopped at several bookstores along the way. He actually gave us several booksellers' names as references before he arrived at our store. This man attempted to steal books from both of our stores and was smooth at stealing and presented himself as a somewhat knowledgeable but aloof book person.  He tried to steal amidst three employees and made his moves quickly after entering the store. He was allegedly heading toward SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA from Phoenix as of Friday, September 24.  Those who have open shops and specialize in Photography should be especially aware. Please contact ABAA HQ for further details. [more Book Thief Headed Toward Southern California]

A rare copy of the United State's first census will be offered in Bonhams Rare Books and Fine Manuscripts Auction on October 4th. The census was conducted under the direction of Thomas Jefferson, who at the time was serving as Secretary of State under Washington, and was therefore also the nominal director of the census (a title held by the Secretary of State for the first five censuses). This particular copy is one of the few signed by Jefferson himself. It is annotated with numerous calculations, and believed to originally have been Gideon Granger's personal copy; Granger was Postmaster General during Jefferson's time in office (1801-1814). This rare copy's value is estimated between $80,000 and $120,000. The sale also includes historical photographs, maps, and atlases, among them a 1816 John Melish's Map of the United States with the Contiguous British and Spanish Possessions; a signed 1922 first edition, first printing of The Beautiful and Damned; an original 4-panel strip of Peanuts; and a single typed page report of a blood test taken by Gandhi ten days prior to his assassination (which indicated a high white blood cell count). The auction will be simulcast to New York. Rare 1790 Census Up For Auction History:Directors 1790-1810 [more 1790 Census Up For Auction]

Seven Stories children's book museum, based in Newcastle, England, has recently acquired a number of rare original typescripts by celebrated English author Enid Blyton. The manuscripts were put up for auction two weeks ago as part of the estate of Blyton's late daughter, Gillian Baverstock. Although Blyton had an extensive bibliography and a career that spanned over five decades, few of her original manuscripts have survived, a fact Seven Stories was aware of and jumped at the chance to preserve them. The museum obtained nine original typescripts of Blyton's best known novels, including three from her Famous Five series and an undated, unpublished Famous Five Adventure A Play for Older Children in Three Acts. Five Have Plenty of Fun, published in 1954, is accompanied by a handwritten note from Blyton which reads, "I do not write my books by hand but type them straight out of my head." Seven Stories also acquired Last Term at Malory Towers, believed to be the only existing typescript for the Malory Towers series, complete with corrections and a signed forward. Along with these manuscripts, the museum also purchased several other books and stories by Blyton, typescripts for Look Out Secret Seven, a likely unpublished typescript for Mr. Tumpy's Caravan, and a box of the family's personal books. The purchase was made possible through funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, and two private donations (one of them from Blyton's granddaughter, Sophie Sma... [more Seven Stories Acquires Rare Enid Blyton Manuscripts]

Today in Marin County, an alleged book thief is scheduled to be arraigned on charges of Grand Theft, after he stole a rare book by ingesting it (yes- he ate it). Three weeks ago, the Heldfond Book Gallery contacted authorities to report the theft of a first edition of H.G. Wells' The Invisible Man. The staff was able to give a detailed description of the suspected culprit, who was behaving in a strange manner and had handled the book shortly before it disappeared. Police apprehended the suspect at the Eco Green Zen Calm cafe, where he was curled up in a booth and complaining of severe stomach cramps. The suspect was take to Marin County Hospital, where an x-ray was administered in an attempt to find the root of his pain. This is what they found:ER physician Dr. Leo McCoy said of the discovery, "We've seen many different and weird things wind up in people's stomachs over the years, but this was a real shocker." Becky Thatcher, Heldfond Book Gallery Manager, called the suspect, who has been identified as John W. Booth, an unemployed actor form San Francisco, "the Houdini of book thieves." UPDATE: Well, looks like I have been fooled (and in front of all the members before we've even met!). I spoke with Erik and apparently this story is only the creative work of an employee at Heldfond Book Gallery. Logic failed me, even while writing and wondering how anyone could possibly manage to swallow a book. Does anyone else have any strange but true stories of theft? Brazen Thief Ingests... [more Unique Theft of a Rare Book from an ABAA Member]

Check out this profile of William Reese in the Yale Daily News: One man, 65,000 Manuscripts William Reese [more Member in the News: William Reese in the Yale Daily News]

The University of Calgary's Hotchkiss Brain Institute will be the new home for the Mackie Family History of Neuroscience Collection, and students and faculty alike are thrilled. The collection was started forty years ago by Dr. Robert Gordon, a now-retired neurologist, when he acquired the medical library of a distinguished physician. It is comprised of rare neurology books, some over 500 years old, and includes an original copy of Watson and Crick's Nature paper, in which the Nobel winners first describe the double helix structure of DNA, and the first neurological text, which was written in the 1600s by Thomas Willis, who is considered to be the 'father of neurology'. The University Library was able to purchase the collection after matching a gift given by Jamie and Brenda Mackie. The director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Dr. Samuel Weiss, PhD, is very excited about the acquisition and the implications it has for students. "The collection will provide a strong foundation for the knowledge that we have today and will act as a springboard for future research and education," Weiss says. The collection will be available to students, faculty, and the general public, and will provide a resource to those across the globe once it is digitized. It is valued at approximately $600,000. Rare Book Collection Unites Neuroscience History and Future [more The Mackie Family History of Neuroscience Collection to be Housed at the University of Calgary]

A rare English language copy of Russia's Treasure of Diamonds and Stones is set to be auctioned off on October 14th at Heritage Auction Galleries' Signature Rare Books Auction in Beverly Hills. The volume was edited by Aleksander Evgenevitch Fersman and published in 1925, and is the result of the substantial effort to list and photograph the Russian crown jewels, a task that began in 1922. It was compiled by S.N. Troinitsky, who was the director of the Hermitage at the time, with the help of a committee of expert jewelers, including A. Fabergé, son of renowned court jeweler Carl Fabregé. The book was originally published in Russian, French and English, but today there are less than a dozen copies known of, and only a few in English, one aspect that makes this copy extremely rare. Russia's Treasure of Diamonds and Stones is also the singular record of the treasures of the Romanov Dynasty, which were mysteriously dispersed through private sales and a 1927 auction. It contains 100 unbound phototype plates, all of which feature descriptive text. The catalogue includes 25,300 carats worth of diamonds, 6,000 pearls, 3,200 emeralds, 2,600 sapphires and 1,500 worth of rubies, all of which is said to be "a small portion of the extraordinary collection". Stalin's government had commissioned the compilation in April 1922, but quickly changed their mind about its existence after it was published and recalled all copies, which were subsequently destroyed. James Hammond, Director of Rare... [more Rare English Copy of 'Russia's Treasure of Diamonds and Stones' to be Auctioned Off]

This December 7th in London, Sotheby's will auction off a number of rare books from the late Baron Frederick Hesketh's expansive collection, including a rare first edition of Audubon's The Birds of America. Due to the rarity and size of the book, which Audubon described as a "'double elephant' folio" and measures 90 by 60 cms, coupled with the quality of the hand-colored prints, experts estimate that it will bring in more than $6 million. This seems a fair if not low-ball estimate considering that a copy of The Birds of America brought in $8.8 million at Christie's in 2000, which set the record for a printed book at auction. The edition up for auction is No. 11 of 119 remaining copies, and was originally owned by paleontologist Henry Witham, who purchased the book in 1826 after a personal meeting with Audubon. The other highlight from the Baron Hesketh's collection is the Shakespeare First Folio, dating from 1623. It is the first collection of Shakespeare's work, containing 451 of the original 454 leaves and the full text of 36 plays. The folio is valued at $1.8 million. Also included in the auction will be medeival illuminated manuscripts, work by William Caxton, England's first printer, and 40 letters written by Queen Elizabeth I and her ministers regarding the imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots. Sotheby's rare books expert David Goldthorpe says of Baron Hesketh's collection, "Unlike other libraries which specifically focus on, for instance, literature, history, or scienc... [more "World's Most Expensive Book" Up For Auction]