San Francisco’s Bookstores and Readings reflect a Lively Literary Scene

By Susan Benne

An interesting New York Times article on Litquake and the literary scene in San Francisco; several ABAA firms are mentioned- Bolerium, Libros Latinos, Meyer Boswell- and there's a nice paragraph on John Durham, proprietor of Bolerium. Thanks to Joe Luttrell from Meyer Boswell for bringing this to our attention! San Francisco's Bookstores and Readings reflect a Lively Literary Scene [more San Francisco’s Bookstores and Readings reflect a Lively Literary Scene]



Several Items Stolen from the Complete Travel and Antiquated Bookstore in NY, NY

By Susan Benne

On November 18, 2010, the following items were stolen from the Complete Travel and Antiquated Bookstore: -3 Volume set of Richard Burton's Journey to Mecca and Medina -Limited, signed edition of The Holy Land AMC Black publishers -2 Polish volumes of Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell -First edition of Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell with dust jacket and slipcover -Revolt in the Desert by T.E. Lawrence The suspect was described as a white male, approximately 40 years old, medium build, dark hair, possibly Eastern European but spoke fluent English. If you have any information, please contact: Detective James M. Knight, NYPD 212-826-3217 James.Knight@NYPD.org [more Several Items Stolen from the Complete Travel and Antiquated Bookstore in NY, NY]



Books Missing from the "Botanical Library of Harrison G. Yocum"

By Susan Benne

These books were still reported missing as of May 29, 2019. Over the last few months books belonging to the "Botanical Library of Harrison G. Yocum" have gone missing from Tucson, Arizona. These range in age from seventeenth century botanical works to modern books on plants and gardening. They can be identified by the owner's name "Harrison G. Yocum" and/or the statement "Botanical Library of Harrison G. Yocum" on a Front endpaper in a flowery handwriting. To the best of our knowledge NO Books from this collection have as yet been legitimately deaccessioned by the current owners. At least one ABAA member has already been contacted concerning one or more volumes. We would appreciate any information concerning books from this Collection and the individual(s) offering this material. Thank you for your assistance. Michelle G. Conklin, CFRE Executive Director Tucson Botanical Gardens 520.326.9686 ext 15 email: execdirector@tucsonbotanical.org [more Books Missing from the "Botanical Library of Harrison G. Yocum"]



Michael Ginsberg ABAA Video Archives

By Susan Benne

Take a moment to check out some of the interviews from Mike Ginsberg's Video Archive Project. With the help of Taylor Bowie and Kara McLaughlin, Mike produced almost 100 interviews with ABAA members, and hoped to eventually complete 200-250 videos. These interviews provide a wonderful snapshot of the rich history of both the ABAA and the rare book trade. We thank Mike for his hard work on the project, which continued until his passing in 2023. You can also view ILAB Booksellers on Video [more Michael Ginsberg ABAA Video Archives]



Very Rare Mormon Text Offered on eBay

By Susan Benne

An extremely rare Mormon book, an 1837 first edition Parley P. Pratt's A Voice of Warning, has been offered for sale on eBay with a buy-it-now price tag of $75,000; at auction, the book would be expected to bring in between $75,000-$100,000. The Library of Congress, the Community of Christ (formerly the RDLS Church), the LDS Church and Brigham Young University all have at least one first edition copy of A Voice of Warning, but there have only been three public sales of the edition in the past two decades. After his baptism as a Mormon in 1830, Pratt delved into the religion and was called to be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1835, and soon thereafter became the most influential writer in early Mormonism (he was dubbed "the Father of Mormon Pamphleteering"). A Voice of Warning "established the basic arguments and expository formulas for Mormon missionary tracts", and is a very influential piece of work, considered by some bibliographers to be "the most significant book in all of Mormon literature after the canonized scripture." The seller says that "all offers will be reviewed" and is not charging for shippinghe or she will personally deliver the book to anywhere in the world. One of the Rarest of the Rare Mormon Antiquarian Books on eBay for the First Time Parley Parker Pratt A Voice Of Warning 1837 Mormon Pratt LDS Rare Book [more Very Rare Mormon Text Offered on eBay]