Even if you didn't have the experience I had as a teenager going to summer camps where they sang the Internationale, the May Day demonstrations of 1886 and the subsequent Haymarket Riot have touched your life in ways you might not realize. The then-radical demand for an eight-hour workday gave rise to massive confrontations between activists and police, which exploded into violence on the third and fourth days of the strike. Like many romanticized events in our history, there are multiple angles of approach to understand what happened, and a wealth of material from which to build a reference library or collection. First, a quick recap: An amalgamation of anarchists, syndicalists and trade unionists had called for a strike to commence on May 1st in Chicago in support of demands for the eight-hour day. The strike involved tens of thousands of workers and shut down much of Chicago. On May 3rd a rally was held outside the McCormick Harvest Works, where strikers amassed outside to confront a group who had undermined the strike by going to work for the machinery manufacturer despite the strike. As the closing whistle blew and the strike-breakers emerged from the plant, words became heated and scuffles broke out. Police fired into the crowd, and after the dust had cleared two unarmed strikers lay dead from police bullets. August Spies, editor of the German-language Arbeiter-Zeitung ("Workers' Times") and one of the Chicago anarchists most involved in organizing the strike, fumed: "I... [more What’s May Day All About?]

To commemorate the day of Shakespeare's birth, and death, April 23rd, The Folger Shakespeare Library will host an international live streaming event from the historic Paster Reading Room at the Folger. Broadcast live via C-SPAN and live streamed at Folger.edu, a diverse array of actors, community leaders, artists and scholars will share their connection to Shakespeare through compelling performances and personal stories. Confirmed presenters include Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, Jane Chu; Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, William "Bro" Adams; actor and President Obama's appointed Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, Kal Penn; Guggenheim Fellow and author, Francisco Goldman; Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Clarence Page; and the Reduced Shakespeare Company, the hilarious comedy troupe behind The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). #MySHX400 [more Celebrate Shakespeare: The Wonder of Will Live!]

The 56th Annual New York Antiquarian Book Fair returned to the Park Avenue Armory from April 7-April 10, 2016. From April 7-10, 2016 book lovers will find a fascinating treasure trove at the Park Avenue Armory. Over 200 American and international dealers will exhibit at The ABAA New York Antiquarian Book Fair, bringing a vast selection of rare books, maps, manuscripts, illuminated manuscripts and ephemera. The diversity of specialties includes art, medicine, literature, photography, autographs, first editions, Americana, and much more. This book fair is officially sanctioned by the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers. This means that the consumer can rely upon the experience and professionalism of participating dealers and the authenticity of the items available for purchase. Simply stated, all books, manuscripts and related material have been carefully examined for completeness and bibliographic accuracy. Preview: Thurs, April 7, 5pm-9pm Fri, Apr 8, noon-8pm Sat, Apr 9, noon-7pm Sun, Apr 10, noon-5pm Tickets are available for purchase in advance or at the door. (Preview Ticket: $50, Run-of-Show: $40, Daily: $25) Discovery Day Sunday, April 10, 1pm-3pm Featured Items A few of the items ABAA members will be exhibiting at the 2016 New York Antiquarian Book Fair: Drawings, Jean-Michel Basquiat NY/Zurich: Edition Bischofberger and Boone, 1985. #757 of 1000cc Signed by Basquiat on the verso of the title page. Ver... [more 56th Annual New York Antiquarian Book Fair]

The schedule for the 49th California International Antiquarian Book Fair (Pasadena, February 12-14, 2016) has been announced, and it promises to be fascinating. Although the main attraction of the California Book Fair is, as always, the opportunity to search through the collections and rare treasures brought to Pasadena by the more than 200 exhibiting booksellers from over 30 different countries -- and buy a few rarities to complete your own collections -- the organizers have planned a host of interesting and educational activities for the fair weekend. Focus on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Lecture: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: How One Small Girl Changed the World -- An Illustrated Talk by Chris Loker. On February 13th, the Bibliographical Society of America will host ABAA-member and author (One Hundred Books Famous in Children's Literature) Chris Loker (Children's Book Gallery) when she talks about Lewis Carroll's landmark book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The lecture will be illustrated with numerous photographs showing how Alice, one of the most enduring characters of our time, has indelibly marked children's literature, illustration and popular culture. (Saturday, February 13 at 1:00 pm) Panel discussion on collecting Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Participants to be confirmed, moderated by Patt Morrison. (Saturday, February 13 at 3:00 pm) A Wonderland of Books: A special exhibit at the 49th California International Antiquarian Book Fair will be a selecti... [more California Book Fair 2016]

Promotional literature is an underappreciated area full of fascinating ephemera and colorful images of a golden age that may never quite have existed except in the minds of civic boosters and advertising executives. Now that the campaign for tourism dollars is largely fought online, the tools of promotional literature are changing; but collectors can find a fascinating bric-a-brac of tri-fold brochures, postcards, glossy pamphlets, and colorful posters if they know where to look. Elizabeth Svendsen of Walkabout Books in Laguna Hills, CA, specializing in the literature of travel and adventure, is an enthusiastic collector of California promotional material. I'm new here in the Golden State. I didn't come here for the climate, or for my health, or to chase dreams of wealth by mining for gold or growing oranges or olives or grapes. Mine is a typical 21st century tale—my spouse got a new job, and I packed up my Ohio-based book business and came along for the ride. But ever since I arrived and started poking around in bookstores, antique malls, and the many wonderful flea markets in the greater Los Angeles area, I've been captivated by the literature and images that drew people here a hundred or more years ago. Once people arrived, it seems they couldn't stop showing off how lucky they were to live in a place where every day is warm and sunny and—as long as there's water—flowers and fruit grow in abundance all year round. Every town—from rural farming community to growing ... [more Collecting California Promotional Literature]

Alice is 150 years old, so of course, she deserves to be celebrated all over the world. Among the fetes is a special exhibit at the 49th California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena, CA (February 12-14, 2016). Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is arguably one of the most-influential children's books. It certainly has inspired a diverse group of writers, artists, filmmakers, collectors, and the like. Among those collectors are Dr. George Cassady and his wife Linda, who donated and endow The G. Edward Cassady, M.D., and Margaret Elizabeth Cassady, R.N., Lewis Carroll Collection at the University of Southern California. Named for his parents, the collection includes more than 3,000 rare books, manuscripts and objects created by or about beloved children's author, mathematician, and writer Charles Dodgson (1832-98), better known by his nom de plume Lewis Carroll. Highlights from their collection will be featured at the upcoming book fair, including rare Alice books, the novel in translation, and a variety of artists' interpretations from Salvador Dali's surrealist Alice to Mary Blair's 1951 concept drawings for Walt Disney Studios. Of course, the most beloved illustrations of Alice were those created by John Tenniel in black and white for the first edition. Although most people think of Alice's puffed sleeve dress with pinafore as being blue, did you know that this was not the original color of the dress? The first colored versions of Tenniel's illust... [more Alice at 150]

Over the course of a year, the various ABAA bloggers write frequently about the significance of individual books, their rarity, their historical significance, and occasionally their value. However, far more often the significance of a rare book is much more personal and idiosyncratic. For many of us, the thrill of the hunt or the surprise of the find makes books memorable, and book collectors are far more likely to have stories of books unexpectedly found in unlikely places than items of great value. Rebecca Rego Barry's new book, Rare Books Uncovered, is dedicated to the stories of the favorite finds, the books discovered in unlikely places that collectors remember years, even decades later. Barry -- whose day-job is as editor of Fine Books & Collections Magazine -- has interviewed dozens of collectors and booksellers -- including a great many ABAA members -- about their most-memorable finds. The stories are all short essays, and I imagined I might dip into the book from time to time and read it over a week or two. In fact, I read it cover to cover in a single sitting. Barry conveys the enthusiasm of each collector and their excitement about their discoveries is palpable. The pages turn easily, and left me with the urge to trawl through used bookstores and estate sales instantly. While there are many tales of obscure 16th-century manuscripts kept under sofas or found in estate sales, Barry's correspondents also also provide many examples of valuable or rare books being found... [more Rare Books Uncovered: True Tales of Fantastic Finds]

"The Grolier Club Collects II" is an exhibition of books, manuscripts and works on paper drawn from the international membership of the Grolier Club, on show at The Grolier Club in New York City from December 9 through February 6, 2016. Terry Belanger, Founding Director of the Rare Books School, gave this poetic address at the opening of the exhibition, on which occasion he was also invested as the Poet Laureate of The Grolier Club. (Note: For each item Belanger cites, the lender's name can be found to the left, including quite a few ABAA members.) Proem Collecting isn't shopping. Discipline Is key: lack it and you're flying blind. What subjects are you interested in? Whatever they are, they need to be defined, The titles rare, perhaps one of a kind, Or printed skillfully, with illustrations, Or nicely bound in calf, and gilt, or signed: For what's the point of sprawling aggregations Of books that could be picked up cheap by one's relations? 1 Rare books can cost the earth – unless they don't: Taste, not cash, is crucial for cohesion. Want it? A modest checkbook balance won't Rule out an acquisition you believe in. Must-have books are never out of season; You're not required to be a millionaire. Collecting's rationalization over reason: Purchasing what you think's passing fair Resulting in a book to treasure and to share. 2 Jean Grolier was a royal tax inspector, Treasurer-General to the King of France, Celebrated as a book collector: A man of means, well-suited to enhance ... [more A Sentimental Library: Grolier Collects II]

The annual National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest aims to encourage young collectors to become accomplished bibliophiles. This year's winners have built up fascinating collections on topics as diverse as formalist Russian composers, women in the Spanish Civil War, and 20th Century Southern Literature. We asked the four winners to tell us more about their collections... 1st prize: Alexander P. Ioffreda (Harvard University) Formalists! Musical Scores of Repressed Soviet Composers ABAA: Could you give us a brief description of your collection? Alex Ioffreda: My collection explores the conflict between musical expression and state ideology in the Soviet Union through rare period sheet music and associated ephemera. Thematically and historically, it centers on the Zhdanovshchina, the traumatic 1948 campaign to repress “formalists” and instill the doctrine of Socialist Realism into music. The story is told through 70 items dating 1931-1971: 59 musical scores – nearly all first editions – representing 9 composers, and 11 articles of ephemera. ABAA: What first interested you in Soviet-era Russian composers? Alex Ioffreda: I discovered Soviet composers concurrently with my foray into Russian literature and history at age 13. I was captivated by the emotional depth of their music, which both encapsulates the Soviet experience and transcends it. I connected with their music further as I performed it in concert as a classical flutist, researched its history in an academic co... [more Interviews with the 2015 NCBCC Winners]

Friday, October 16 marks 161 years since the birth of Oscar Wilde. In that time be became the toast of the literary scene in 19th-century London, an international pariah, and finally, decades after he died, one of the most well-known poets and dramatists in history. No well-rounded collection of rare books should be without some of Wilde's work. Below, we collect some of the most-interesting items by Oscar Wilde currently being offered by ABAA members. Signed Books Anything with an author's signature is almost always more highly prized that something without a signature, and the general rule of thumb is the more writing by the author the better. (For example, a book annotated or inscribed by the author with a personal message would likely be more interesting to collectors than one with a simple signature.) There are several signed books and other items by Wilde currently available on abaa.org: An Ideal Husband London: Leonard Smithers and Co., 1899. First Edition. Hardcover. Slight browning to the endpapers, as customary, otherwise a clean copy with mild bumping to the corners and spine tips, some fading to the spine with a rather faint stain, and mild soiling to the covers. Near Fine. Small quarto (7-1/4" x 8-7/8") in original gilt-stamped and decorated lavender cloth with gilt designs by Charles Shannon. Copy #21 of only 100 SIGNED by the author. Wilde's third comedy, very scarce in the limited signed edition. The Balled of Reading Gaol London: Leonard Smithers, 1898. Third... [more Rare Items by Oscar Wilde]