As I mentioned in my previous post, there was some extra buzz at this year's NY Antiquarian Book Fair due to a number of celebrity sightings. I know there were a number of important and influential scholars, authors, curators, etc. in attendance and I'm sorry that I didn't recognize more! I was, however, all over the pop-culture 'heavy hitters'. Below are my top five celeb sightings from the fair. 5. John Larroquette John Larroquette was the first familiar face I saw early on Friday (his face is etched in my mind from watching Night Court as a kid). Mr. Laroquette is a known collector and was also present at last year's fair. He spent quite a bit of time wandering the aisles but I'm unsure if he left with any purchases. He is currently starring in a Broadway revival of Gore Vidal's The Best Man. 4. Lucy Liu Lucy Liu enjoyed the fair two days in a row, attending on both Friday and Saturday, and spent quite a bit of time on the show floor on both occasions. Many will recognize Ms. Liu from her past roles in Kill Bill and Charlie's Angels or from her current work on the tv drama Southland, but people may be surprised to hear about her work outside of Hollywood. A native New Yorker, Ms. Liu attended Stuyvesant High School and later majored in Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan. In addition to acting, Ms. Liu is also an artist and a singer. She has been a U.S. ambassador for UNICEF since 2005 and has done much work to raise awareness about the plight of chi... [more Top 5 Celebrity Sightings at the NY Book Fair]
Events
This past weekend's NY Antiquarian Book Fair was a great success, with high attendance, eager buyers, and, most importantly, fantastic inventory from over 200 exhibitors from around the world. This was our largest NY Fair to datethere were so many enthusiastic dealers that the show floor was slightly expanded to accomodate the absolute maximum number of exhibitorsand dealers did not disappoint with the marvelous offerings they brought along. The weather was spectacularI heard it again and again throughout the fair and there truly is nothing like springtime in NYCbut that didn't stop people from exploring the cavernous space of the Armory all weekend long. There were also multiple celebrity sightings (more on that later) which only infused the show floor with additional excitement. As an employee of the ABAA, I spend most of my time during the fairs in the ABAA booth handing out literature about the organization and fielding questions from attendees and exhibitors. I enjoy the opportunity to speak with both attendees and dealers about the fair, and I'm particularly fond of the gusto book fair virgins have, the wonder and excitement they express at their discovery of the rare book world. This isn't to say that time in the booth doesn't drag on a bit at times. It does, but mostly because I get frustrated that I'm not exploring every nook and cranny in each booth. Preview night at the NY Fair allows me the chance to explore, and it's one of the many reasons I love this fair i... [more Springtime in NY + Antiquarian Book Fair = Success, Great Time Had By All]
There are only two days left before the NY Antiquarian Book Fair opens to the public! In addition to the more than 200 exhibitors coming in from all parts of the country and the world, collectors and book lovers will be coming to NYC for the fair. Refreshments will be offered on the show floor, but below are a few recommendations for a variety of nearby restaurants. Bon appetit! For a nice meal&.. Daniel 60 E 65th St New York, NY 10065 (212) 288-0033 Menus * Yelp Reviews JoJo 160 E 64th St New York, NY 10021 (212) 223-5656 Menus * Yelp Reviews Bistro Chat Noir 22 E 66th St New York, NY 10065 (212) 794-2428 Menus * Yelp Reviews Uva 1486 2nd Ave New York, NY 10021 (212) 472-4552 Menus * Yelp Reviews The Modern 9 W 53rd St New York, NY 10019 (212) 333-1220 Menus * Yelp Reviews David Burke Townhouse 133 E 61st St New York, NY 10065 (212) 813-2121 Menus * Yelp Reviews Sushi of Gari 402 E 78th St New York, NY 10021 (212) 517-5340 Menus * Yelp Reviews A quick bite&.. Luke's Lobster 242 E 81st St New York, NY 10028 (212) 249-4241 Menu * Yelp Reviews Shake Shack 154 E 86th St New York, NY 10128 (646) 237-5035 Menu * Yelp Reviews The Candle Cafe (good for vegetarians and vegans) 1307 3rd Ave New York, NY 10021 (212) 472-0970 Menu * Yelp Reviews Pret A Manger 400 Park Avenue New York, NY 10022 212-207-4101 Menu If you have little ones with you&.. Alice's Tea Cup (Chapter II) 156 E 64th St New York, NY 10021 (212) 486-9200 Menus * Yelp Reviews Serendipity 3 225 E 60th St New York, NY 100... [more NY Book Fair: Where to Eat]
The NY Antiquarian Book Fair is only 9 days away (!) and the eager anticipation is palpable. The Americana Exchange calls the Fair "the signal event for book, maps, manuscripts and ephemera collectors in America" as it "attracts the most important dealers, institutions and collectors from across the United States and around the world." AE couldn't be more right on—the NY Fair should not be missed by any lovers of books, art, history, music, popular culture…there's truly something there for everybody! Click here for a few exhibitor highlights. NY Antiquarian Book Fair April 12-15 Park Avenue Armory Fair Hours: Preview: Thursday April 12, 5-9 pm Friday, April 13: 12-8 pm Saturday, April 14: 12-7 pm Sunday, April 15: 12-5 pm [more NY Book Fair Countdown: 9 Days]
On Wednesday, a rare book collection that would leave any modern art enthusiast drooling is set to be auctioned in Paris. The collection comes from a French couple identified only by their initials, R. & B.L., and is comprised of various works by countless modern masters- Picasso, Matisse, Miró, Braque, Chagall, and Toulouse-Lautrec, to name a few. "This collection, in which Picasso plays a key position, unites poetry, literature, painting and beautiful bindings," says Anne Heilbronn, the head of the book and manuscript department at Sotheby's Paris. A handful of the items that will be offered tomorrow: * Matisse sketchbook from 1930 * Matisse's exquisite 1947 artist book, Jazz * 32 books with illustrations by Picasso, dating from 1905-1960, and including a very rare copy of André Salmon's Poèmes, which contains an etching of two acrobats (only 10 copies of this print are known to have survived) * Blaise Cendrars's La Prose du Transsibérien et de la petite Jehanne de France (Prose of the Trans-Siberian and of the little Jeanne of France), illustrated by Sonia Delaunay. The book folds out like an accordion and is considered to be a major milestone in artists's books. (Check out photos at the link below.) * Paul Verlaine's Parallèlement with a mother of pearl binding by Eugène-Alain Séguy *Rose Adler's abstract, mosaic binding for Ovid's Metamorphoses, which contains 30 etchings by Picasso Did I mention that my birthday is this week? Please click here to view all the en... [more Amazing Rare Art Book Collection Goes to Auction]
We are pleased to announce that this year online ticketing is available for our flagship NY Antiquarian Book Fair, which will be held April 12-15 at the Park Avenue Armory. Click on this link to purchase your tickets now! Fair Hours Preview: Thursday April 12, 5-9 pm Friday, April 13: 12-8 pm Saturday, April 14: 12-7 pm Sunday, April 15: 12-5 pm [more Get Your NY Book Fair Tickets Now!]
Every four years the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) awards the $10,000 Breslauer Prize for Bibliography to the author(s) of the most original and outstanding work on the history of the book. From the ILAB website: Its purpose is to draw attention to the best academic work being done in the field, to reward and honor it in appropriate terms, and to publicize the League's support for the original scholarship on which the book trade so much depends. The first ILAB Prize for Bibliography was awarded in 1967 to Jean Peeters-Fontainas, followed by famous scholars like Claus Nissen, Wytze Hellinga, I. C. Koeman, Francois Weil, Gerhard Dünnhaupt, Anthony Hobson, and Lucas Heinrich Wüthrich. The next prizewinner will be announced in 2014, and submissions of bibliographies or books about books will be accepted until April 2013. They may be written in any language, but must be have been published between 2009 and 2012. You may submit your work by sending a single copy to the Prize Secretary Arnoud Gerits (Distelvlinderweg 37 d, 1113 LA Diemen, Netherlands). Any aspect of bibliography (e.g. enumerative, textual, history of the book, design, binding, book trade, etc.) is admitted. Manuscripts, catalogues of books intended for sale and translations of works appearing in another language are not eligible. Any book submitted to the Prize must be a published book and available for sale. For more information, including current submissions, visit the official website w... [more $10,000 Prize for ILAB Breslauer Prize for Bibliography]
Pssst! We're less than a month away from the incredible NY Antiquarian Book Fair (April 12-15), held annually at the historic Park Avenue Armory, and we have a small preview of just a few of the exciting items that will be offered for sale. Click here for a sneak peak! [more NY Book Fair Sneak Peak]
The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America is delighted to announce that Sid Lapidus and Jay and Jean Kislak have been awarded the ABAA and ILAB Patron of Honor. The ABAA feels these individuals demonstrate how the printed word materially affects history, scholarship, and cultural intelligence and the importance of collections to institutions and the public. A ceremony and celebration will take place at the ABAA's annual meeting on April 14, 2012 at 10am at the Park Avenue Armory's Tiffany Room. All are welcome to attend, but should RSVP to hq@abaa.org. Sid Lapidus has generously given his time and support to numerous charitable pursuits, including the American Antiquarian Society, of which he is currently chairman. An alumnus of Princeton University, Mr. Lapidus has donated and exhibited materials, including pamphlets, books, and broadsides from his collection on Liberty and American Revolution, at his alma mater. Jay and Jean Kislak have built a collection which is composed of rare maps and books, including a comprehensive collection on early Florida, the Caribbean, and Mesoamerica. They have kindly donated the collection to the Library of Congress. The Kislaks also created the Jay I. Kislak Foundation for the purpose of preserving and advancing knowledge of past cultures, civilizations, and explorations. The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America was founded in 1949 to foster and encourage interest in rare books and manuscripts and to maintain the highest... [more ABAA and ILAB Patrons of Honor Announced]
Today, Swann Galleries in New York will be offering an original manuscript from the Salem witch trials as part of the Eric C. Caren Collection auction, entitled 'How History Unfolds on Paper'. The manuscript is the court indictment of Margaret Scott, a widow in her 70s who was accused and found guilty of "certaine detestable arts called witchcraft and sorcery." Scott was one of the last eight residents executed for crimes of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials. She was hanged on September 22, 1692. The pre-auction estimate for the manuscript is $25,000-$35,000, a figure that Richard Trask, a leading expert on the trials, says is too low. Trask has been in the field since 1963 and says that he has "only seen witchcraft documents sold twice during professional life." He continues, "They are very valuable, and this is an indictment — it's an important document. ... This kind of document comes along so infrequently." Rick Stattler, Swann's Director of printed and manuscript Americana, agrees about the rarity of the manuscriptno similar items have come to auction since 1983. Trask is town archivist for what was formerly Salem Village, and laments that he will be unable to procure the manuscript due to budgetary restrictions. "Anybody who has money could buy it," he said. "The problem with these documents is they're really public records. They should be in a public institution." The auction will take place today at 1:30pm. Rare witch document expected to sell for thousands ... [more Manuscript from Salem Witch Trials to be Auctioned Today]