The following notebooks were stolen from a car in Lithia, Florida. They belonged to a collector/scholar and contained 40 years of research. If you have any information on either the notebooks or the ephemera they contained, please contact Loy Glenn Westfall at 813-990-9847 or Keywestrfall@aol.com. Inside the first  black three-ring notebook  is a one-of-a kind collection of Key West cigar labels. There is a white tagon the binding with "KEY WEST, A-K" on it. Along with the labels are  photographs and documentation on a number of the labels. They were filed alphabetically from a (A) AFRICORA to  "J"  and include rare labels such as CORTEZ, some factory  litho  labels (photo of a lector at a podium from a 1917 TOBACCO LEAF article), as well as  an 1853-1903 green  backdrop EL PRINCIPE DE GALES label. There are also  some GATO labels, including LA VISTA DE GATOVILLE. The second white three ring notebook has over 50-60 rare Key West duplicate labels. There are a number of SAN CARLOS  labels as well as others with the Key West name on them. All the labels are in plastic sleeves, and a number of them have documentation on a white sheet attached, some with the name Loy Glenn Westfall on the information sheets. [more Stolen Notebooks]

Below is the list of the books that De Caro has allegedly stolen from the Library of the Abbey of Montecassino. If you have any information about this material, please contact: Colonello Raffaele Mancino Carabinieri Comando Tutela Patrimonio Culturale Reparto operativo via Anicia 22 00155 Roma Italia tel. +39 06 585631 fax +39 0658563200 e-mail raffaele.mancino@carabinieri.it INCUNABLES Aliaco, Petrus de Concordantia astronomiae cum theologia... Augustae vindelicorum, Herardus Ratdolt, 1490 Aristoteles Opera Venetiis, per Aldi Manucii, 1495 Gaza, Theodorus Introductionae grammatices libri quator Eiusdem de mensibus opusculum sanequam pulcrtum Apollonii grammatici de constructione libri quator Herodianus de numeris Venetiis, Aldus Manutius, 1495 Lucretius Titus Carus De Rerum Natura. Studio Hieronymi  Avancii Venetiis, apud Aldum, 1500 Regimontanus, Johannes Astronomicon epitoma Venetiis, M. Romanurum, 1496 Regimontanus, Johannes Kalendarium magistri Joannis de Monteregio Augustae Vindelicorum, E. Ratdolt, 1489 16th CENTURY Platone Apanta ta tou Platonos. Omnia Platonis opera (Venetiis, in aedib. Aldi, et Andreae soceri , mense Septembri 1513) Alberti, Leon Battista Leonis Baptistae Alberti, viri doctissimi, de equo animante: ad Leonellum Ferrariensem principem libellus: Michaelis Martini Stellae cura ac studio inuentus, & nunc demum per eundem in lucem editus Basilea , 1556 Copernico, Niccol? Nicolai Copernici Torinensis De reuolutionibus orbium coelestium, libri 6 Basileae,... [more Books Stolen from the Library of the Abbey of Montecassino]

The following was reported missing: FitzGerald, Edward. Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.  London: George G. Harrap & Co., . 8vo, (110) pp. With 15 tipped-in illustrations by Willy Pogany. Full green morocco inlay binding by Riviere and Son. The top cover with central inlay (measuring 2.75 x 5.5-inches) depicting Eve in the garden beneath an apple tree, the serpent lurking behind. Gilt grape vines and grapes surround the image. The bottom cover bears a large gilt stamped serpent coiled around a chalice, again surrounded by gilt-stamped grapes and grape vines. Gilt extra backstrip. Gilt edges. Slipcase. Price, code, and the date 10/12 in the back. If you have any information regarding this item, please contact John Windle at 415-986-5826 or johnwindle@aol.com [more Missing Rubaiyat]

ABAA member Ken Karmiole (Kenneth Karmiole, Bookseller, Inc.) has generously given UCLA's Graduate School of Education & Information Studies (GSE&IS) a $100,000 endowment to support Archival Studies and Lectures. “This wonderful gift will greatly enrich our work by supporting a variety of high-profile programs such as symposia and visiting lecturers that will bring leading expertise from around the globe to UCLA,” said Anne Gilliland, Professor of Information Studies and Moving Image Archives and Director of the Center for Information as Evidence. “It will also highlight the ground-breaking contributions of our own faculty and students to the field of Archival Studies.” Ken said he wants to "see UCLA become a place for people interested in rare books and manuscripts and historical materials." "Archival material is going to become more and more significant," he continued. "University libraries want to differentiate themselves from one another by the unique material they have. Because UCLA already has a great facility in this area, they are one of the in the country." Ken is an alumnus of the GSE&IS's MLS program, and this is not the first endowment he's made to his alma mater. In 2002, he provided funds to establish a fellowship in his name that annually supports one student in the study of rare books and manuscripts. Ken then established the Kenneth Karmiole Endowment for Rare Books and Manuscripts in 2006, a gift that helps finance UCLA's acquisitions for special col... [more Member Ken Karmiole Founds Endowment Fund to Support UCLA's Archival Studies Programs and Lectu]

The following item was reported stolen on the weekend of December 1 in Seattle: Near fine copy of Maria Ward's THE MORMON WIFE: A LIFE STORY OF THE SACRIFICES AND SUFFERING OF A WOMAN. 1873. Hartford Publishing Company. Green cloth. 449 pp. Gilt on spine somewhat faded. Gilt on front board especially bright. Penciled price top corner of front free endpaper. If you have any information about this item, please contact Ezra Tishman at Aardvark Books at 1-800-434-6033 or thebookfinder@gmail.com. [more Stolen: THE MORMON WIFE: A Life Story of the Sacrifices and Suffering of a Woman (1843)]

Residents of Malton, a market town located in North Yorkshire, banded together and raised funds for the purchase of a rare inscribed copy of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. A number of the characters in the classic tale, which Dickens wrote in 1843, are believed to be based upon residents of Malton. Dickens was very close friends with Charles Smithson, a respected Malton lawyer, and the author spent time in the town visiting with Smithson's family. According to local legend, Scrooge's office was even based on Smithson's office on Chancery Lane. Dickens presented this particular copy of the novel, which at the time was in its seventh edition, to Mrs. Smithson; Charles Smithson had recently died of tuberculosis. Dickens simply inscribed the novel, "To Mrs. Smithson from Charles Dickens April 18 1844", but the book was sent with a longer note. (Over the years the letter and the book were separated and the accompanying letter now resides at the Free Library of Philadelphia.) Writer and presenter Selina Scott, who lives near Malton, heard that the book was coming up for auction and decided that it should return to the town that helped inspire it. "We had the vision that this book could be a touchstone for Malton and offer a lasting literary legacy for the town," Scott said. Scott joined with local businessmen to spearhead a campaign to raise funds for the purchase and, after just two weeks, residents had chipped in $32,500 (�20,270). Unfortunately, the reserve price on the bo... [more Yorkshire Residents Purchase Rare Copy of 'A Christmas Carol']

The appeal of natural history books and prints is twofold, as they are both of scientific and artistic interest. They present a snapshot in time of scientific understanding of the natural world and the meticulous, often boldly colored illustrations are spectacular. The video below provides a glimpse into the American Museum of Natural History's rare book collection. It was produced as a promotional piece for the museum's recently published book, Natural Histories: Extraordinary Rare Book Selections from the American Museum of Natural History Library, which sounds like a delightful book. The prints in the video are gorgeous, but Library Director Tom Baione makes a great point: you really need to see these illustrations in person to fully appreciate the detail and artistry that goes into each image. You can see this kind of material by visiting a special collections library or an ABAA book fair and see these fantastic items in person (the plus of coming to a book fair of course is that you have the option to take the item home with you!). On my recent visit to the New York Academy of Medicine's Library I was able to see a copy of Robert Hooke's Micrographia and I can attest that there's no comparison between seeing it in the video (or online) and in person; for instance, one can't appreciate the size of the inky dot Hooke magnifies and details. The importance of physicality can be difficult for some to comprehend, but once you are able to make a similar comparison you'll get it... [more American Museum of Natural History's Rare Book Collection]

The only confirmed photograph of the iceberg that sunk the Titanic will be offered at auction next month. The photo was taken by the captain of the S.S. Estonian two days before the infamous crash occurred. The caption in black ink reads, “Copyright. Blueberg taken by Captain W.F. Wood S. S. Estonian on 12/4/12 in Lat 41° 50 N Long 49° 50 W. Titanic struck 14/4/12 and sank in three hours.” ('Blueberg' refers to the tinting of the iceberg as a result of the sun's rays.) The photo measures 9.75” x 8” and is affixed to a 13” x11” mount. Photographs of icebergs in the vicinity of the collision have appeared over the years, but RR Auction, the firm offering the item, said that Titanic experts were able to confirm that this was the iceberg due to the noted position of the iceberg, the timetable of when the photograph was taken, and its correspondence to the sketches drawn by Titanic's crewman as well as a photo taken after the ship went down. The auction estimate is $8,000-$10,000. Over 400 items will be offered in the upcoming Titanic auction, including a painted cast bronze flag from a Titanic lifeboat; a deck chair from the rescue ship R.M.S. Carpathia; a letter written by Isidor Straus, the owner of Macy's department store and former U.S. Congressman, that references his intended voyage home to New York aboard the Titanic; and blank “On board RMS 'Titanic'” lettercard stationary. Bidding for the auction opens December 13 and ends December 16. ​Rare Titanic p... [more Photo of Iceberg That Sunk the Titanic Up for Auction]

I've been taking a fabulous course on rare books through NYU SCPS and the greatest part about it is that each session features a guest lecturer and/or a trip. We have visited the Morgan Library & Museum, Christie's auction house, a rare bookseller's store (thanks for having us, James Cummins Bookseller!), and the New York Academy of Medicine. One of the best aspects of living in NYC is that you are constantly discovering new places and things, whether they are new to the city or just new to you. The latter was the case for me when I 'discovered' the New York Academy of Medicine's Library. The Academy was founded in 1847 by a group of prominent physicians whose aim was to advance the art and science of medicine, maintain a public medical library, and promote public health and medical education. The NYAM's efforts led to the creation of the city's first sanitation and public health departments and over the years the Academy has become "the vanguard for urban health." The NYAM's library had already amassed more than 6,000 volumes when it was opened to the general public in 1878 (it was originally intended for fellows of the Academy). Over the years, the library's collection grew, largely through personal and institutional gifts, and historical texts became a central focus. Today, the library's holdings contain 32,000 rare volumes dating from the 15th through 18th centuries, as well as manuscripts, archives, and secondary reference materials about the history of medicine and the ... [more Rare Medical Texts & Manuscripts at NY Academy of Medicine]

The Atlantic recently featured a post on tintype photography and a short video about Harry Taylor, a modern professional photographer who uses the technique in his own work. I found the process interesting and the images striking, so I wanted to share a little of the history, and the video, with you. Tintype photography developed as an alternative to daguerreotypes and ambrotypes. The process was first described in France in 1853 and was patented three years later in both the U.S. and the U.K. by Hamilton Smith and William Kloen, respectively. The method produced a very underexposed image on a thin iron plate that is lacquered black or dark brown and then coated with collodion photographic emulsion (the wet plate collodion method was developed in 1851 and used collodion rather than egg white over glass photographic plates, which reduced the required exposure time to capture an image). In a negative image, the dark portions of the photographed subject appear lighter or more transparent and the “dark background gives the resulting image the appearance of a positive.” Click here to watch a short video that goes through the procedure from start to finish. The ability to use underexposed images meant that portraits could be produced much faster than before, which was a serious advantage over other contemporary photographic processes. In addition to shorter exposure time, tintypes did not need much time to dry after being taken and a photograph could be produced within minutes.... [more Tintype Photography: Then and Now]