At Pazzo Books, the shop that I kept for years in the outer neighborhoods of Boston, MA and now run out of a two-story in-law addition in my home, I've learned that old books are funny things. Often you catch them looking at you sideways, across a room, and it occurs to you to wonder what they've seen; where they've been; and what odd parade of owners they've survived. Typically you can only imagine, but once in a very long while a book wanders through with enough information stored in it, in bookplates, inscriptions, and ephemera, that you can piece together a narrative. Évrard Titon du Tillet, great patron of the arts, son of Maximilien Titon de Villegenon, secretary to Louis XIV and alleged Scotsman, plotted to build a vast sculpture garden to celebrate the great writers, dramatists, artists, and musicians of France. Originally planned around a bronze statue, a model and description of which was executed in 1718, the project soon incorporated dozens of artists, growing to resemble a great folly (a penchant for which ran in the family; the Titon family mansion was called La Folie Titon). The budget swelled to 2 million livres and Tillet was forced to abandon the project. Instead he turned his Parnassus into a book, Le Parnasse François, the first and largest installment of which appeared in 1732. Additions, often occasioned as artists died or gave up their craft, appeared in 1743, 1755 and 1760. This particular copy has the 1732 edition bound together with the 1743, and a... [more History Between the Pages]
'Deckle edges' are the rough, untrimmed edges of a sheet of handmade paper (the deckle, from the German Deckel, 'little cover,' being the thin wooden frame around the mould on which the pulp is placed). John Carter's ABC for Book Collectors notes that deckle edges are 'much prized by collectors, especially in books before the age of edition-binding in cloth, as tangible evidence that the leaves are uncut; for the deckle edge normally would be—and indeed was meant to be—trimmed off by the binder.' I should note here the distinction made by booksellers between the terms 'uncut' (or 'untrimmed'), which means the deckle edges have not been cut off, and 'unopened,' which is used to describe a book where the conjoined leaves of a gathering have not been cut open with a paper knife, in preparation for reading. Carter has a separate entry for 'deckle-fetishism,' which he defines as 'the over-zealous, undiscriminating (and often very expensive) passion for uncut edges in books which were intended to have their edges cut.' Collectors (and, naturally, booksellers) have always particularly prized copies with ample margins. Size often does matter when comparing copies of books from the hand-press period. Deckle-fetishism seems to be a peculiarly Anglo-American affliction. I know French and Italian collectors, for example, who would prefer a book to be in a contemporary binding, rather than having it uncut in the original printed wrappers. Each to their own. Of course, one could argue ... [more Deckle-Fetishism]
The ABAA has recently admitted three new members, Don Myers, of Pacific Coast Books, Ezra Tishman of Aardvark Books, and Nicole Reiss of Brattle Book Shop. Full Members: Don Myers (Pacific Coast Books) Don Myers established Pacific Coast Books in 2000 and actively sells books at west coast book fairs. In 2009, after a 25 year career serving as Executive Director for national non- profit organizations, he opened a book store store three blocks from the Pacific Ocean in Lincoln City, Oregon. Don's specialty is Pacific Voyages and Exploration, Zamorano 80 titles along with west coast history. He looks forward to participating in ABAA Book Fairs and issuing several catalogues in the near future when not chasing grandchildren down the beach with his wife Merilee. Ezra Tishman (Aardvark Books) Beset by chronic bibliophilia in his early twenties, Ezra Tishman (aka Ezra The Bookfinder) did not let the ailment take him down. Like so many of his colleagues, he took to selective scouting to feed the insatiable hunger that this ailment exacts from its sufferers. Then, from the parted sky, came the Internet and around 1995, he found himself to be one of a dozen or so booksellers plying their wares online. A workshop with Dick Weatherford, founder of Interloc, then Alibris, gave him the idea that he could propel the many-month AB booksearch-cycle into the instantaneous future, and he became full-time bookfinder, and bookseller to individuals, universities, museums, corporations, and even b... [more New Members: December 2014]
ABAA member and children's book expert Chris Loker, owner of San Francisco's Children's Book Gallery, has curated a new exhibition opening on December 10th at the Grolier Club in New York City. One Hundred Books Famous in Children's Literature showcases seminal books that have proven to be landmarks in children's publishing. The exhibition includes such beloved books as Robinson Crusoe, Grimm's Fairy Tales, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Tom Sawyer, Treasure Island, Peter Rabbit, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, Winnie-the-Pooh, Charlotte's Web, The Cat in the Hat, Where the Wild Things Are, and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Curator and children's book authority Chris Loker has secured loans from major institutions throughout North America for this exhibition, including the American Antiquarian Society, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University, Cotsen Children's Library, Princeton University, the Houghton Library, Harvard University, and The Morgan Library & Museum -- as well as numerous distinguished private collections. A page from Orbis Sensualium Pictus The oldest book in the exhibition, Orbis Pictus, published in Nuremberg in 1658, is a bilingual schoolbook in simple encyclopedic form for young students of Latin (the text is in both Latin and German.) Used for two centuries throughout Europe, it is an early effort at integrating text and pictures. The most-recent book is one of the first 300 copies of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and t... [more Exhibition: 100 Famous Children’s Books]
ABAA members are not only experts in their fields, but also very involved in scholarship and philanthropy. Here are some of the many ways members have been in the headlines this past month. New Mark Twain Plagiarism Scandal Exposed Antiquarian bookseller and scholar Kevin Mac Donnell uncovered unacknowledged copying in a new book about Mark Twain from the Library of Congress. McDonnell identified numerous passages copied from another book on Twain, and other scholars following up on his work have identified further instances. Read more... What Makes Rare Books Rare? During the recent Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, members Ken Gloss & Seth Kaller discussed rare books with WGBG. Listen to the interview... PEN America-Fundraising Auction ABAA members Between the Covers, Aleph-Bet Books, The Captain's Bookshelf, and Jo Ann Reisler, Ltd., contributed to an upcoming auction of very special books to benefit PEN America. 'First Edition, Second Thoughts' is a special collection of first and fine editions of significant books which their authors have annotated and marked up to create truly unique artefacts. Learn more... How Paperback Books Helped Win World War II Member Michael Hackenberg provided some historical perspective for this Wall Street Journal piece on a new book about Armed Services Editions, and how these humble paperbacks brought about a sea-change in post-war publishing. Read more... [more Members in the News]
Ken Sanders Rare Books released Rare Books Catalogue #48, which features new acquisitions in the fields of Utah & the Mormons, Native & Western Americana, Maps & Photographs, and Illustrated Books & Wordless Novels. Catalogue 48 also offers some fantastic original artworks for sale and an exciting Charles Bukowski archive. The Lawbook Exchange is pleased to announce the publication of Catalogue 78: Recently Acquired Books, Manuscripts & Ephemera. Tavistock Books just published their 2014 Holiday Catalogue. Kuenzig Books offers their latest catalog of 150 items in the areas of science, technology, and photography (especially technical processes). The Philadelphia Rare Books & Manuscripts Company has a number of new arrivals. Margolis & Moss is offering an annotated list of 19th century books on American education and various texts for young students. Email them directly if interested in the list. Walkabout Books' latest list contains a selection of 32 interesting and uncommon books relating 19th and early 20th century photographic methods. R & A Petrilla recently released a catalogue entitled "USA: State by State". Ken Lopez Bookseller announced a new list, "Books Into Film, Books About Film, and Some Cinematic Souvenirs", which includes books, screenplays, typescripts, photographs, posters, a film prop and various other assorted film-related items. Golden Legend Inc. issued a short list of 18th century rare books and prints devoted to spectacle. Bolerium Books offers their la... [more November Catalogue and List Announcements]
On September 25, 1789, as the momentous first Federal Congress drew to its close in New York, the new national capital, Representative Elias Boudinot introduced a resolution calling on President Washington to “recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer . . . acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.” A leading opponent of the resolution, Thomas Tudor Tucker, asked, “Why should the president direct the people to do what, perhaps, they have no mind to do?” The skeptical congressman noted that the people “may not be inclined to return thanks for a constitution until they have experienced that it promotes their safety and happiness.” He also argued that it was a religious matter and thus proscribed to the new government. Regardless, the House passed the resolution — one of their last pieces of business before completing the proposed Bill of Rights. The Senate concurred three days later, and a delegation was sent to meet the president. Washington, who had in fact anticipated the question in a letter to James Madison a month earlier, readily agreed. On October 3, President Washington signed the document offered here, America's first Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamation. Washington employed the exact language of the resolution to begin his proclamation, though he went furth... [more The First Thanksgiving Proclamation]
Summary of a report by Terry Belanger on the conference “Acknowledging the Past, Forging the Future: National Colloquium on Library Special Collections” Organized by the Kelvin Smith Library at Case Western Reserve University 21-22 October 2014 Rare book and special collections librarians tend to be creatures of habit, with traditional migratory patterns. They flock (1) to the annual Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) pre-conference, generally held in late June, shortly before (2) the annual conference of the American Library Association (ALA); and – especially for mid-level members of the profession – (3) to ALA's midwinter conference, generally held at the end of January, when it sometimes annoyingly competes with the various tribal shrieks of (4) Bibliography Week in New York City. Those on the archival side of the roost tend (5) to gather at the late-summer annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists (SAA), and there is always a substantial flight of librarians attending (6) the annual summer conference of the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading, and Publishing (SHARP) and the annual fall conference of the American Printing History Association (APHA). Library salaries and institutional travel budgets being what they are, most members of the profession must pick which conferences in this clutch of treats they will attend, since few of them receive sufficient funding to go to everything, and fewer still wish to take the time off to do so, ... [more Acknowledging the Past, Forging the Future]
The Vietnam War was America's most influential event from 1950 to 2000. The conflict, more than any other contemporary occurrence, changed American society, foreign policy, politics and the military. Although I grew up after the war ended, I have always had an interest in the conflict and how it affected the United States. I wrote my college thesis on the use of Old Glory before, during, and after the Vietnam War era. A rare Ho Chi Minh signed photograph, taken at a Soviet airport. Based on my curiosity, I have, for the past fifteen years, been collecting all aspects of the Vietnam War – posters, letters home written by soldiers and prominent people, photographs, books, flags, buttons, medals, pamphlets, and much more. There are now thousands of items in my archive and growing daily. A few highlights of my collection include: A rare Ho Chi Minh signed photograph A John Kerry letter inviting a Congressman to the ceremony where he threw his war medals A first edition of the Port Huron Statement put out by the Students For A Democratic Society A letter by Senator Pat McNamara on the very day President Johnson signed by Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, defending the bill A signed photograph of the legendary Marine sniper Carlos Hathcock who scored 93 kills in Vietnam A 1970 Bill Clinton letter discussing his draft number A book signed by many of last Marines rescued from the Saigon Embassy rooftop A President Nixon letter to Henry Cabot Lodge, the former ambassador to South Vietnam, ... [more Collecting Vietnam War Memorabilia]
It is circa 1788. An American lawyer, Archippus Seele (1765–1789) of Easton, Massachusetts, is apparently in a grumpy mood. The reasons could be many. Some in the community accused Archie's father, a sawyer, of employing the imps of Satan to keep things running. That could make you unhappy. If Archippus had been a precog perhaps he had a freak when he intuited his mother would become a distant ancestor to the creator of Tarzan, Edgar Rice Burroughs. Basically, and to the point, Archippus doesn't like women. We know this because he left behind a strange manuscript we've given a caption title of The Discription {sic} of the Female Sect. – A Woman Is As Full Of Failings As A Spider's Nest of Eggs. Why Did Esquire Seele write this manuscript and for whom? We may not ever know, but we surmise it was written in jest and we speculate his “essay” was shared in an exclusively male social sphere. Archippus thinks women are “deceitful crickets.” And he's not shy to elaborate: When a man is married, he had better be in a small cottage or cave in peace than in the statelyest palace in the world with one of these spendthrifts & diabolical conceited deceitful crickets which are much more destructive than the devouringst beast upon Earth {etc.}. Of course, this 18th Century-Man-About-Massachusetts wouldn't be a true misogynist unless being the son of the sawyer he pulled out this old saw against women: Among all the observation concerning women I have considered and observed that... [more What’s Eating Archippus Seele? A 1788 Lawyer’s Misogynistic Manuscript]