Here's some exciting bibliographic news to start the day! The Bibliographic Society of America has awarded member Joseph J. Felcone (Joseph J. Felcone Inc.) the 2014 St. Louis Mercantile Library Prize for outstanding scholarship in the bibliography of American history and literature for his book Printing in New Jersey 1754-1800: A Descriptive Bibliography (American Antiquarian Society, 2012). The prize, established in 2008 and awarded every three years, includes a cash prize and a year's membership in the BSA. From the BSA press release: Printing in New Jersey 1754-1800: A Descriptive Bibliography is a detailed catalogue of 1,265 books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers, and broadsides – all of the known products of every eighteenth-century New Jersey press. About of quarter of the imprints described are recorded here for the first time and the extensive annotations are full of new information gleaned from archival sources. The book also includes items that may have been printed in New Jersey, works which had been incorrectly attributed to New Jersey presses, and rich back-matter including three appendixes, an extensive list of sources, and three indexes. Thanks to the design by Jerry Kelly, this bibliography is both beautiful and easy to use. Joseph J. Felcone has spent a lifetime collecting, studying, and writing about New Jersey books and the early New Jersey book trade. To compile this comprehensive work, he visited and fully surveyed 115 libraries, from the major repo... [more Joseph J. Felcone Awarded 2014 St. Louis Mercantile Library Prize]
Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books & Manuscripts is seeking a detail-oriented individual with strong writing, organizational, and personal skills as well as sophisticated understanding of computer technology for full-time employment, working with a small staff. The person's chief responsibility would be to assist with writing catalogue descriptions of rare books and manuscripts (see pirages.com for examples); other tasks might include administrative office work (processing acquisitions, orders, and payments as well as preparing invoices and tracking inventory), responding to customer inquiries, handling general correspondence, assisting with the company's social media marketing, representing the business at book fairs, and other duties as assigned. We do not have a store front; client visits are by appointment. To apply, please email cover letter and CV to info@pirages.com. Required Skills and experience: • Significant writing experience, preferably for pay and/or publication • Knowledge of and/or interest in rare books • Strong editing and proofreading skills • Strong attention to detail in general • Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook/Exchange) • Experience with database and web searching Desired Skills: • Reading knowledge of languages besides English • Familiarity with Microsoft Access • Familiarity with QuickBooks • Experience with Adobe InDesign Required Education: • Bachelor's Degree (B.A. or B.S.) Desired Education: • Advanced deg... [more Philip J. Pirages Fine Books & Manuscripts Seeks Antiquarian Bookseller]
George Koppelman and Daniel Wechsler have been waiting for this day for six years– the day the world will discover they are in possession of a book they claim was owned by William Shakespeare. Koppelman and Wechsler purchased a copy of Baret's Alvearie, or Quadruple Dictionarie (1580), on eBay in 2008. While other books have more famously earned the designation of Shakespeare source texts, works by Florio and Holinshed's Chronicles of England (1587) among them, Baret's Alvearie has been somewhat overlooked. While they initially believed their dictionary to be important and valuable because of the Elizabethan-era annotations it contained, Koppelman and Wechsler soon found themselves making the case for Shakespeare himself as its owner and annotator. Knowing their find would be met with both excitement and skepticism at once, Koppelman and Wechsler spent the last six years researching the life and times of Shakespeare, studying his canon, and connecting with Shakespeare scholars. Through their devoted study, they have unearthed evidence through careful analysis of the paleography and “personal markers” of the annotator, such as stylized “W” and “S” letters, and biblical “IHS” monograms penned next to entries for yew tree. The majority of their case for Shakespeare's dictionary lies in their analysis of the annotations themselves, a dense network of interrelated references that show shocking parallels to the unique and inventive language of Shakespeare, the wo... [more Waiting for the Coming of Shakespeare]
UPDATE: We are pleased to report that the Robert Louis Stevenson items which we recently reported as lost or stolen in transit have finally reached their destination. Thank you all for your vigilance and concern. **** The following items have gone missing from the postal service on an international shipment to Scotland: 1. STEVENSON. ROBERT LOUIS. Moral Emblems. A Collection of Cuts and Verses. Moral Emblems. A Second Collection of Cuts and Verses. Illustrated, 3 1/4" X 5" (83 X 127mm) and 3 1/2" X 4 3/4" (89 X 121mm) respectively, original printed self-wrappers, sewn as issued. Davos-Platz : S.L. Osbourne & Company, n.d. . First editions. These small excessively rare and fragile "original juvenile toy-books by Stevenson" were printed by his young stepson, Lloyd Osbourne. Each booklet features 5 woodcuts with verses printed on the opposing pages. According to the George Barr McCutcheon sale catalogue (New York, American Art Association, Inc.,1926, lot 555) "he cuts were executed by Stevenson with a pen-knife." Both booklets have some wear, but are generally in very good state. The Second Collection is a presentation copy from Stevenson, inscribed in ink on the front cover: "S.E.P. from / R.L.S." Accompanying this inscribed copy is an autograph letter signed (one page, on embossed stationery of the Board of Trade, S.W.,17 November 1896; a little torn) from Edmund Gosse to "My dear Foote." In his letter Gosse tells of having secured the booklet from the original owner and repor... [more Missing: Robert Louis Stevenson Material]
J & J LUBRANO MUSIC ANTIQUARIANS LLC is seeking an ANTIQUARIAN MUSIC CATALOGUER Primary duties would be to research and catalogue: - rare printed music and books about music and dance - original autograph musical manuscripts and letters of composers - music- and dance-related iconography Our firm, established in 1977, has an international clientele of both private and institutional collectors of original source material dating from the 15th through 21st centuries. The ideal candidate will possess the following attributes: - a graduate degree in music history - a Masters degree in Library Science or previous employment experience in the rare book and manuscript trade - some experience in original antiquarian music and/or rare book and manuscript cataloguing and a good knowledge of relevant bibliographical resources - an appreciation of, and enthusiasm for handling, original sources - an interest in the history of music printing and publishing - an interest in the commercial dimension of antiquarian bookselling - a good reading knowledge of one or more European languages, preferably German, French or Italian - strong writing and oral communication skills - good computer skills - good organizational skills - the ability to adapt to changing work priorities - the ability to work well both individually and as part of a team - the ability to occasionally lift and carry boxes weighing up to 30 pounds We are located in private premises on the north shore of Long Island, approximatel... [more J & J Lubrano Music Antiquarians LLC Seek Cataloguer]
Start spreading the news: the 54th Annual New York Antiquarian Book Fair opens tomorrow! As I type, over 200 American and international exhibitors are converging on the historic Park Avenue Armory, unpacking crates of rare books, ephemera, maps, prints, manuscripts, and other gems. If you've never attended, you'll be amazed at the amount and range of material that our exhibitors have in each booth, their mini-stores for the weekend. The fair has been referred to as a treasure trove and it's an apt description. Exhibitors spend countless hours curating their most interesting material and arranging their booth displays in the most enticing manner. As the Armory slowly fills up with the most knowledgeable specialists in the trade and their extraordinary material, each booth becomes a unique, not to be missed exhibit in a truly living museum. Living, you see, because at ABAA fairs you have the chance to look at and to hold items that you can't otherwise find outside of a museum or special collections library. What's even more remarkable is that you are afforded the opportunity to speak with the curator of each exhibi who would love to send you home with a priceless souvenir. This is my fifth NY Book Fair, and I have some advice for first time attendees. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer size of the event and intimidated by the material on display. I felt this way myself during my first visit to an ABAA fair. But push past these feelings, walk the show floor, and enjoy y... [more New York, New York!]
ABAA Member Marc Selvaggio recently spoke at the opening of an exhibition he curated at Southern Methodist University's DeGolyer Library on Parables of Promise: American Advertising Fiction, 1856-2014. The exhibit aims to cover how American companies have used fiction and storytelling in this genre to sell "material goods, whether plows, windows, patent medicines, cereals, the telephone, bicycles, railroad travel, or insurance". The exhibit will be on view until May 23, 2014. More highlights are here. [more Marc Selvaggio Curates Exhibit on Advertising Fiction at SMU’s DeGolyer Library]
We were excited to see Catherine Opie name Andrew Cahan as one of the un-sung heroes of the photography world in Aperture's Photography As You Don't Know It series. As a monograph collector, Ms. Opie was struck by Cahan's focus on Japanese monographs from the 1970's. From that point onward, she was hooked and they became fast friends. Cahan has moved back to his hometown of Akron, Ohio and still seeks out the best in books by and for photographers. More on their relationship here. [more Andrew Cahan Featured in Aperture’s Winter Issue]
UPDATE: RECOVERED The following item has been reported missing: Graham, Benjamin. The Intelligent Investor. First edition in pristine condition and original dust jacket. Contains the following inscription from Warren Buffett: “To Jason Zweig, who ably carries the torch that Ben lit.” The book also includes a personal letter from Mr. Buffett congratulating Mr. Zweig on the publication of the 2003 revised edition. If you have any information on this item, please contact Jason Zweig at jason.zweig@gmail.com. [more Missing: Inscribed Copy of ‘The Intelligent Investor’]
The ABAA is delighted to welcome the following new members to the Association: Kara Accettola, Little Sages Books; John D. Kehoe, John Kehoe Bookseller; Michael Laird, Michael Laird Rare Books LLC; Thomas F. Nealon, Pazzo Books; Kurt A. Sanftleben, Read 'Em Again Books; Daniel Whitmore, Whitmore Rare Books. Read a little more about each member below. Full Members Kara Accettola, Little Sages Books (Cooper City, FL) A self-proclaimed perpetual optimist and student of life, Kara Accettola was looking for her life's work when she stumbled into the antiquarian world and started Little Sages Books in 2008. With a penchant for oddities and a love of beauty, she remains a generalist bookseller and ephemerist with favor for the visually captivating and culturally relevant. She balances a busy fair and travel calendar with the comfort of home and family. John D. Kehoe, John Kehoe Bookseller (Norwalk, CT) John Kehoe's introduction to bookselling came the old fashioned way, as a scout in the pre-Internet era. While working as a crane operator (IUOE, Local 478) and a magazine editor and writer (bylines in Rolling Stone, Cigar Aficiando and Pest Control Technology Magazine, among other publications), his travels took him throughout the country, where he began to scout for resalable books (or at least those he thought were resalable). With impeccable timing, in October 2008 he opened John Kehoe Bookseller at the Antique and Artisan Center, in Stamford, CT. Defying both the trends and the o... [more New Members Admitted to the ABAA]