UPDATE: The item has been located by the dealer. The following book was packed and inadvertently left at the San Francisco Fair: Bible in Spanish. Pentateuch. Los Cinco Libros de la ley divina. Amsterdam, 1718. Bound in two volumes, small 8vo, each in crimson lea w/new ep. If you have any information regarding this book, please contact Jim Presgraves, (276) 686-5813 or bookworm@naxs.com. [more UPDATED: Missing Book from SF Fair]
On Monday, March 7th at the Salmagundi Club in Manhattan, James Cummins will be giving a lecture entitled, “Points of Issue: Appraising Rare Editions of 19th Century Literature”. This lecture is part of the Freeman's Lecture Series, and the Appraisers Association of America has graciously offered ABAA members free admission to the event. More details are below. Please attend if you are able and support a fellow ABAA member! Freeman's & the Appraisers Association of America cordially invite you to a presentation of “Points of Issue: Appraising Rare Editions of 19th Century Literature” Presented by James Cummins James Cummins Bookseller, New York Monday, March 7, 2011 6:00pm, Reception to follow at 7:00pm Lecture will be held at the Salmagundi Club 47 Fifth Avenue at 12th Street, NYC Free for AAA/ISA/ASA/RICS/ABAA/Salmagundi Members $20 General Admission Kindly RSVP one week in advance to 212.889.5404 x11 or online at www.appraiserassoc.org On Monday, March 7th at the Salmagundi Club in Manhattan, James Cummins will be giving a lecture entitled, “Points of Issue: Appraising Rare Editions of 19th Century Literature”. This lecture is part of the Freeman's Lecture Series, and the Appraisers Association of America has graciously offered ABAA members free admission to the event. I have included more details below, as well as attached an informational flyer. Please attend if you are able and support a fellow ABAA member! Freeman's & the Appraisers Association of America c... [more James Cummins Lecture]
Last weekend at the 44th California International Antiquarian Book Fair in San Francisco, the ABAA held a raffle in support of the Elisabeth Woodburn Fund. For those who are unfamiliar, the Elisabeth Woodburn Fund is non-profit charitable fund established by former ABAA President Elisabeth Woodburn in 1990. It is overseen by the Trustees of the Benevolent Fund and the Executive Director of the ABAA, and gives financial assistance for scholarly research and education relevant to the antiquarian book trade, such as scholarships to the Colorado Antiquarian Bookselling Seminar and the California Rare Book School, contributions to the ILAB Bibliographical Prize, and support of the Bibliographical Society of American and the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia. The Elisabeth Woodburn Fund also houses the National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest Fund, which was created to encourage and educate new book collectors and to support the National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest, which is now cosponsored by the ABAA. The raffle prize was a photo collage celebrating 50 Years of ABAA Fairs. Emeritus member Barney Rosenthal supplied the photographs, which were taken at the 1961 New York Fair, and he also compiled and signed the collage. Barney was also kind enough to come to the Fair on Sunday to draw the winning ticket and present the collage to the winner. ABAA member Sam Hessel was the lucky winner, and he generously donated the piece to Headquarters for archival purposes... [more San Francisco Raffle Photos]
Eight years ago, Paul Ryall and Ed Smith made this documentary for the ABAA. It was shot at the 36th Annual California International Book Fair held in San Francisco. Here is the link. Enjoy! [more 'Bibliomania' Now on YouTube In Its Entirety]
Strayed away from Booth 614-- I am missing a signed photograph of Ruth St. Denis which I had in my glass case, as part of a collection. The photograph is approx 11 x 14-- a studio portrait of the dancer, inscribed by her to "Lady Stern" and dated, 1924. It may have been mistakenly picked up with some other papers when someone was looking at said collection atop the case. If you have any information regarding this item, please contact Marc Selvaggio at (510) 548-8009 or dsbooks@comcast.net. [more Missing Photograph from SF Fair]
A book was purchased at the Pier show in NYC this past January (22nd-23rd), and was subsequently lost. Leather spine marked "Winchendon, Central Stations" (or possibly Winchenden) Likely a unique copy, with typewritten pages of a course taught by Winchendon at MIT in the 1890-1910 time frame about power stations and engineering approaches. Would appreciate leads from anyone who might see it in the marketplace. If you have any information regarding this book, please contact John Kuenzig, (978-887-4053) or orders@kuenzigbooks.com [more Book Lost at the NYC Pier Show in January]
ABAA members James Bryan and Mary Hill, proprietors of Carpe Diem Fine Books, were featured in an article in the Monterey County Herald this past weekend. The link to the article appears to be broken, so I have posted it below. Congrats, James and Mary! ******************************************** First editions seize the day at downtown bookstore By DAVE DE GIVE Special to The Herald Posted: 02/06/2011 01:38:57 AM PST; Updated: 02/06/2011 01:38:57 AM PST Sixteen years ago, James Bryant and Mary Hill were living in Utah when they had the idea for selling books. Hill, previously from Monterey, followed a job that had moved to Utah, but Bryant, who was in the wine business, found that sales were slow in Salt Lake City. Eager for something new, "we took the opportunity to seize the day and start a book business," said Bryant. The couple eventually moved back to the Peninsula, and for the past five years have operated Carpe Diem Fine Books in a historic neighborhood in Old Monterey, specializing in first-edition, rare and used books. The location is fitting for a store that stocks rarities from the past. A segment of Monterey's Path of History winds its way along Pearl Street, passing Carpe Diem's 1930s Carmel-stone building before turning up Houston Street toward the Robert Louis Stevenson House, where the famous author lived in 1879. The location is fitting for a store that stocks rarities from the past. A segment of the Monterey's Path of History winds its way along Pearl Stre... [more Members in the News: Carpe Diem Fine Books]
The 44th California International Antiquarian Book Fair will be held this weekend, February 11th-13th, in San Francisco at the Concourse Exhibition Center. Over 200 members of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) will be exhibiting their diverse inventories, providing a rich selection of books, manuscripts, maps and other printed materials. The theme of this year's fair is music, and there will be a special exhibit of rare musical books and manuscripts from the Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library of the University of California at Berkeley. Additionally, there will be several lecture and seminars taking place during the fair; a schedule of events can be found here. If you are attending the fair, please drop by the ABAA booth! The 44th California International Antiquarian Book Fair Concourse Exhibition Center 635 8th Street at Brannan Street San Francisco, CA 94103 Hours: Friday, February 11, 2011 3 pm - 8 pm Saturday, February 12, 2011 11 am - 7 pm Sunday, February 13, 2011 11 am - 5 pm For more information, please visit sfbookfair.com. [more This Weekend: 44th California International Antiquarian Book Fair in San Francisco]
Last May, the Brooklyn Historical Society discovered a rare 1770 Ratzer map in its possession. The map was delivered to the society's office in May along with a shipment of other maps and prints from their warehouse in Connecticut. There was no catalog listing the map or any record of how the map was acquired, but the society was thrilled with the discovery nonetheless. Prior to this finding, it was widely believed that only three copies of this exact map, Bernard Ratzer's 1770 "Plan of the City of New York", were in existence. The map was in dismal condition, as it had been heavily shellacked, mounted onto linen and cut into strips so it could be easily stored. Jonathan P. Derow, a paper conversationalist, was commissioned with the monumental task of restoring the famous map. The map was so fragile that Mr. Derow was unable to move it to his Brooklyn office; instead, he had to set up shop in a makeshift tent in the society's office. Thus began the labor intensive process of restoration, which culminates with a private viewing party at the society tonight. In order to repair the map in areas where it had been ripped and white lines appeared, Mr. Derow visited the Argosy Book Store (ABAA member!) and purchased several obscure titles printed on cloth paper, which he subsequently baked and boiled. He then used the remaining substance to fill in the white lines to match the rest of the map. (Check out the before and after pictures in detail here.) Being unfamiliar with the proces... [more Rare Ratzer Map Discovered and Restored]
Please contact Susan Benne at ABAA Headquarters (212-944-8291 or hq@abaa.org) if you are offered or know the whereabouts of the following: The Hobbit, first impression with first state jacket. George Allen & Unwin 1937 Book is VF+ / F- Distinction of the jacket is a small chip approximately 1/8 inch deep that runs across the top spine. The jacket is otherwise complete with a few small nicks and the folds and a closed tear below Tolkien's name on the front side of the jacket. The Man in Black, Johnny Cash. Very personal inscription to the author of "Murder in Cowetta County" Johnny Cash signed it as myself and Sheriff Lamar Potts (the role he played in the movie) When We Were Very Young first impression. Book VG+ Distinction of the jacket is scotch tape affixed to the spine that reaches over the pooh bear illustration. The House on Pooh Corner first impression VG+/VG+ Now We are Six VG+/VG+ I, Robot VG+/G+ Distinction of the jacket is a large creezed but not torn through fold on the front face. The Great Gatsby VG+/- all points Huckleberry Finn VG first with all major and minor BAL points. [more Missing: High spots (Children's, Science Fiction, American Literature)]