Last December, the Rare Book and Special Collections Division at The Library of Congress held an excellent symposium on authenticity. “Authenticity,” was a day-long program that looked at one of the most difficult subjects facing libraries, private collectors, and booksellers today -- judging the genuineness of printed materials. The symposium focused on the research which curators, scholars, and conservators have been conducting regarding all elements of printing and book production. The speakers included specialists who are at the cutting edge of research on printing techniques, paper manufacture, binding construction, and typography, as well as scholars, conservators, scientists, and booksellers who are dedicated to establishing methods for determining authenticity in the field of rare books, prints, and manuscripts. The Library of Congress has released a webcast of the symposium, which you can view below or on their website. [more Library of Congress Releases Webcast of Symposium on Authenticity]
For the past five years the New Bedford Whaling Museum has been sponsoring a scrimshaw show in conjunction with their annual Scrimshaw Symposium. This year they opened the show up to include a wider range of maritime antiques and books, and I figured “Why not?” I thought there was a fair chance that the show, which was taking place in the lobby of the museum, would be clogged with clueless tourists, but since the event only lasted for a day I knew my suffering would be limited. Happily no suffering was involved. The show was crowded most of the day with a niche audience, knowledgeable and highly focused. I met many old friends from the whaling world, Alan Granby, in repose and made a few new ones. Most importantly, I met new customers. Their purchases were relatively modest, but their interest was deep and they were well informed. I see a happy future for us. I'm always talking about getting out of the rut and exploring new venues, and this was a perfect example of what a brilliant idea it is – when it works. (Don't even ask me about the last Nantucket Antiques show I did, an event crawling with dandies in pink pants and neck knotted cashmere sweaters escorting pudgy ladies clutching lightship baskets. The reading habits of that crowd maxed out at 50 Shades of Grey.) It was a good whale week for other reasons as well. On my way to the show I bought a book I've always wanted and never before managed to own. But that's kind a of a “watch what you wish for” situation, ... [more Watching What I’m Wishing For]
This item is still missing as of 5/28/2019. The following item has been reported missing: RODIN, AUGUSTE. Signed postcard photograph with inscription, n.p., n.d. He writes, "To Madame ...." and signs, "Aug. Rodin." He poses seated, in profile, next to one of his sculptures. Images of Rodin with his sculptures are particularly appealing. Very Good. If you have any information on this item, please contact Claudia Strauss-Schulson at 973-379-3800. [more Missing: Postcard with Inscription from Rodin]
Update: these items were recovered in 2016. (5/31/2019) Bay Leaf Books in downtown Newaygo, Michigan, was robbed last Thursday evening. Below is a list of books that were taken, a couple of which were one-of-a-kind that will be difficult to sell. If you have any information on any of these items, please contact Bay Leaf Books at (231) 652-BOOK (2665) or the Newaygo Police department. The police complaint number is 14-505. Stanhope, Leicester. Greece, In 1823 and 1824; Being a Series of Letters, and Other Documents, on the Greek Revolution, Written During a Visit to that Country. A New Edition, Containing Numerous Supplementary Papers, Illustrative of the State of Greece in 1825. By the Honourable Colonel Leicester Stanhope. Illustrated with Several Curious Fac-similies. To which are Added, Reminiscences of Lord Byron (London, 1825). … together with …Cruikshank, George. The Spirit of the Public Journals, for the Year M.DCCC.XXIII: Being an Impartial Selection of the Most Exquisite Essays, Jeux D'Esprit, and Tales of Humour, Prose and Verse, that have Appeared in the Morning, Evening, and Sunday Newspapers. With Explanatory Notes. Illustrated with a Portrait of His Majesty, and Six Humorous Designs by Cruikshank (London, 1824) (illustrations appear on pp. 223, 257, 337, 363, 413, 469, and facing the title page). Marbled boards over velum spine. Davis, William. A Journey Round the Library of a Bibliomaniac: or, Cento of Notes and Reminiscences Concerning Rare, Curious, and V... [more Robbery from Bay Leaf Books (Newaygo, MI)]
This past April, the biggest news to hit the antiquarian book trade in roughly 400 years became public: my colleagues Dan Wechsler and George Koppelman, booksellers in New York City, unveiled a copy of a sixteenth century dictionary which could, quite plausibly, have once belonged to William Shakespeare — complete with annotations possibly in the bard's hand and many tantalizing, if ultimately circumstantial, linguistic and stylistic links to his plays. I'll leave it to better minds than mine to make a final determination regarding the dictionary's provenance. Wechsler and Koppelman have laid out an entire volume of compelling evidence in their just-published book, Shakespeare's Beehive (a copy of which I've just ordered); the Folger Shakespeare Library, the New Yorker, and numerous book bloggers have already begun weighing in, and I'm sure many more scholarly voices will be added to the fray over the coming months and years. I hope it's years, not months. I hope it's real, real enough at least to merit many years of scholarship – I really, really do. But regardless what this volume turns out to be, whether the hundreds of annotations on its 400-year-old pages turn out to be the long-sought mainline to Shakespeare's creative process or just a host of happy coincidences, the whole wonderful escapade serves to remind me that this pursuit my colleagues and I are engaged in, which so many days feels like little more than a glorified exercise in rag-picking, has resonances far... [more What My Friends Think I Do (Part 1 in a Series)]
Last week the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin announced its acquisition of writer Ian McEwan's archive. The archive is comprised of a broad range of materials, from childhood items to his earliest stories to drafts of all McEwan's published works to correspondence with other notable literary figures. In addition to the spectrum of content represented in the archive, there is also a range of mediums-- manuscripts, photographs, audio and video recordings, and digital material like emails and typed manuscripts of novels. Stephen Enniss, Director of the Ransom Center, said that the "acquisition represents a rare opportunity to share the work of a living, internationally acclaimed author whose works are of strong interest to readers everywhere." When writing, McEwan composed parts of his novels in longhand, usually in green, spiral-bound notebooks, and wrote the rest using a computer. Once a preliminary draft was completed he would enter everything onto the computer and print out multiple copies, which he would edit by hand. "The writer tends to forget rapidly the routes he or she discarded along the way," McEwan said about his manuscripts and his own process. "Sometimes the path towards a finished novel takes surprising twists. It's rarely an even development. For example, my novel Atonement started out as a science fiction story set two or three centuries into the future." The McEwan archive will be accessible once it is fully processed and catalogued. M... [more Ian McEwan Archive Acquired by Harry Ransom Center]
The Midwest Chapter of the ABAA has just announced a new annual scholarship to the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar! Details for 2014 applicants are below. The Florence Shay/Midwest Chapter CABS Scholarship In memory of long-time member Florence Shay (1922-2012), the Midwest Chapter of the ABAA offers a $1500 educational scholarship to attend the 2014 Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar. It covers tuition, room and board for one attendee at this year's Seminar. This scholarship is offered to booksellers who are from the Midwest Chapter region, which includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Applicants should provide the following: • A completed copy of the application form. • A personal statement or essay (no longer than two pages) in which you describe your past or current experience in the world of antiquarian books, your goals for the future, and what you hope to gain from the studies afforded by this scholarship. If you have attended an antiquarian book fair in the past, please offer an observation or impression gained from that experience. • Letter of support written by a professional bookseller or rare book librarian. Applications will be accepted until midnight, June 15, 2014. The NCC/ABAA will notify scholarship applicants of its award decision via email by June 30, 2014. Those interested in applying for the scholarship should send an email to Kurt Gippert at b... [more Midwest ABAA Chapter Offers Scholarship to CABS]
A contest held by the University of Chicago's Special Collections Research Center has cracked the code of handwritten marginalia in a 1504 Venetian edition of Homer's Odyssey. Collector M.C. Lang donated his collection of Homer's works to the University of Chicago Library in 2007 so that it could be used by students and researchers. The 1504 edition of the Odyssey was included in the donation and the book contained handwritten annotations in an cryptic script that the library was unable to identify. Lang and the library decided to hold a contest and invited linguists, scholars, and students to decipher the writing. Lang agreed to furnish a prize of $1,000 to the first person to identify the script, provide evidence for his or her conclusion, and to translate selected portions of the marginalia. Daniele Metilli, an Italian computer engineer currently working toward a career in libraries and archives, won the contest by identifying the script as a French shorthand system developed by Jean Coulon de Thévénot in the late 18th century. A mix of French words and a legible date led Metilli, who worked with a colleague fluent in French, to the conclusion that the script was a system of French stenography. Once Metilli ascertained that it was indeed Thévénot's system he was able to begin translating. The annotations are largely French translations of Greek words and phrases. Metilli will continue to work on completing the translation in hopes to discover who the author may be. Met... [more Contest Identifies Enigmatic Annotations in 1504 Edition of Homer’s ‘Odyssey’]
Registration for the 2014 Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar is in full swing! In its 36th year, CABS "provides an opportunity for leading specialists tot share their expertise and experience with booksellers, librarians, and collectors in a comprehensive survey of the rare book market, both antiquarian and modern." I've attended myself and can attest that it is a wonderful program, lovingly referred to in the trade as "bookseller boot-camp". This year the seminar runs from August 3-8th. The keynote speaker is Michael Zinman and the speciality dealer is ABAA member Brian Cassidy (Brian Cassidy, Bookseller). The rest of the faculty this year includes ABAA members Lorne Bair, Nina Musinsky, and Rob Rulon-Miller, Jr., Terry Belanger, Sally Burdon, Daniel De Simone, Dan Gregory, and Steven Escar Smith. It's been said time and time again: CABS is a must for anyone entering the antiquarian book trade or those interested in taking their bookselling business to the next level. Interested in attending but money is tight? There's a $250 savings for participants who enroll prior to 5/31. In addition, there are a number of scholarships offered including the ABAA Woodburn Fund's Ed Glaser Scholarship, which you can apply for at apply.abaa.org. [more 2014 Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar]
The literary world has been buzzing all week about ABAA members George Koppelman and Dan Wechsler's possession of a dictionary, John Baret's Alvearie, they believe was owned and annotated by William Shakespeare. There has been considerable press on Shakespeare's Beehive, and Dan has had the opportunity to chat about their scholarship with a number of outlets. Dan Wechsler sat down with Amy Eddings of WNYC yesterday& …and chatted with fellow ABAA member Dan Dwyer this afternoon. ABAA member Garrett Scott is keeping an updated list of news and information on this thrilling news on his blog, Bibliophagist. [more More Buzz on Shakespeare’s Beehive]