ABAA members will be exhibiting any number of rare and highly sought-after items at the 51st annual California International Antiquarian Book Fair (Feb. 9-11, 2018) in Pasadena, CA next month. Here is a small sampling to whet the appetite. Ward, Lynd. Signed block print from Gods' Man , . An original print from Ward's first and most famous wordless novel. Printed from the original woodblock on Japanese paper, the image measures 10 cm x 13 cm. Signed in pencil by Ward under the image in the right corner, with "Gods' Man" printed in pencil opposite. Fine. (Offered by Ken Sanders Rare Books) The Best Edition of the Poetical and Prose Works of Shelley, in a Superb Cosway-Style Binding by Bayntun (Rivière) SHELLEY, Percy Bysshe. The Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley. Edited by Harry Buxton Forman. In Four Volumes. London: Reeves and Turn... [more 2018 California Book Fair: Preview (Part 1)]
Get your new year off to a good start by examining a few highlights from around the abaa.org website or found within the pages of our members' latest rare book catalogs. Cassic orange Penguins are always eye-catching. This one is was also an influential part of early science fiction. The Quatermass Experiment: A Play for Television in Six Parts by Nigel Kneale Description: : Penguin Books, .. Small octavo, printed wrappers. First edition. Prints Kneale's revised script for the first of the three BBC Quatermass serials aired in 1953, 1955 and 1958/1959 respectively. Includes film stills. "Effective melodrama and social satire for its time." - Anatomy of Wonder (1987) 3-231. "Excellent scripts." - Pringle, The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction, second edition (1995), p. 294. "With hindsight, there is a clear pattern in Kneale's work in whic... [more Books of the Week]
Lately, the online world is alive with discussion of Blade Runner 2049, which releases this weekend. Following the success of Amazon's Man in the High Castle television series, Philip K. Dick is once again the go-to science fiction novelist for Hollywood. ABAA members have many interesting items related to Philip K. Dick and this infamous film (which is something of a love-it-or-hate-it phenomenon) available, some of which reveal the tortured path this story took from novel to finished film. One of the most-exciting items is an original script for Blade Runner from 1980, before revisions and re-writes. I'd love to read that to see how the vision changed during the adapting process and before direct Ridley Scott came on board! Blade Runner: The Original Screenplay Hampton Francher & David Peoples Los Angeles: Brighton Productions, Inc./Sun... [more Blade Runner: Scripts, First Editions, & Sequels]
The annual National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest aims to encourage young collectors to become accomplished bibliophiles. The 2017 contest winners have built up fascinating collections on topics as diverse as teaching mathematics, the literary history of the Maine woods, and seminal cyberpunk novels. We asked the winners a few questions about their collections. 1st Place Alexander M. Koch, The Breath and Breadth of the Maine Woods Unity College ABAA: Could you give us a brief description of your collection? AK: My collection, The Breath and Breadth of the Maine Woods, is an examination of the manners in which the Maine woods has influence. These numerous books, as well as related ephemera, are the breath of the Maine woods. They are the exhalations of centuries of life in Maine, and love for its forested lands. From mid-19th Century ... [more Meet the 2017 NCBCC Winners]
Book collectors and fans of experimental musician and artist Bill Drummond (The KLF, The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu) are engaged in a fascinating scavenger hunt for 32 copies of a limited-edition book hidden around Ireland. Among Drummond's many, many projects is The Curfew Tower, a 19th-century tower originally built as a jail in the town of Cushendall in Country Antrim, Northern Ireland. Drummond owns the tower and has run it as an artist's residency since 1999. He originally purchased the tower intending to use it to house the one and only copy of his book Bad Wisdom; intending that would-be readers would need to travel to the tower in order to read the book as a sort of secular pilgrimage. That project was eventually published more traditionally by Penguin Putnam in the UK, so Drummond had to find another use for his tower. In 2015, ... [more A National Scavenger Hunt for 32 Books]
The ABAA is pleased to announce the winners of the 2017 National Collegiate Book Collecting Competition. 1st Place Alexander M. Koch, The Breath and Breadth of the Maine Woods Unity College 2nd Place Mark Gallagher, A New Spirit of Truth: The Writings of the American Transcendentalists UCLA 3rd Place Xavier González, “Books That Count” Books and DVDs Calculated to Inspire Children and Young Adults to Explore the Wonderful World of Mathematics Harvard University Essay Winner Sarah Linton, “THE FICTION WE HAVE BECOME” William Gibson's Uncertain Future and the Cyberpunk Revolution Johns Hopkins University The judges were very impressed with the submitted collections and wish to thank all who participated. The Awards Ceremony will take place at the Library of Congress, James Madison Building, Montpelier Room on Friday, October 20th a... [more 2017 NCBCC Winners]
Q: What stopped me in my tracks as I perused this week's batch of new catalogs? A: Everything from the national importance of a presidential inaugural address to the particulars of a menu from a dinner in 1959. Menu: A Dinner in Honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (1959) Given that I am a sucker for The Crown, Downton Abbey, and most other British television shows, spotting a menu from a formal dinner with Queen Elizabeth II in Rabelais' Books latest e-catalog instantly evoked various celluloid memories. This would be an nice addition to any collection focused on the British monarchy or culinary pursuits. "This is an unforgettable day - a day I will never forget." ; Queen Elizabeth II; Mayor Richard J. Daley. A Dinner in Honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and His Royal Highness the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Given by the ... [more Books of the Week]
Over the course of my week, I read through most of the new catalogs published by ABAA member and survey items newly listed on abaa.org. The books detailed below are the ones that caught my eye this week for various reasons. Le Temple de Jérusalem et la Maison du Bois-liban : Restitués d'Après Ézéchiel et le Livre des Rois Chipiez, Charles; Georges Perrot Paris: Librairie Hachette, 1889. First edition. Hardcover. Elephant folio (28 1/4" x 23"). , 86, p., leaves of plates. Contemporary 3/4 calf over marbled paper covered boards, with gold lettering on spine. Top edge gilt. Marbled endpapers. Ribbon marker. Original wrappers bound in. Decorative head- and tailpiece. Remarkable work by architect and architectural historian Charles Chipiez and archaeologist georges Perrot which shows a theoretical reconstruction of the Temple of Jerusalem... [more Books of the Week]
ABAA members will be exhibiting at the upcoming Brooklyn Book Fair in Greenpoint, September 8-10, 2017. Although not sponsored by the ABAA, this is a fast-growing book fair which attracts an eclectic range of active collectors. This year, ABAA associate member Rebecca Romney (you might know her from the History Channel's “Pawn Stars”) will give a talk on “The ABC's of Starting a Rare Book Collection," and will sign copies of her newly published book, Printer's Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History. Some of the highlights ABAA members are bringing** to the fair include: One of the Largest Private Collections of Vintage Luggage Labels Sheryl Jaeger (Eclectibles) will be showcasing labels from the private collection of Jane Goodrich, world traveler and co-founder of Spectrum Publishing. This collection of 3,550 labels, dating fro... [more Featured Items: What ABAA Members are Taking to Brooklyn]
We're debuting a new recurring feature this week, in which I detail the top items that caught my eye as I perused new listings on the website and new catalogs announced by members. This is no more than a reflection of my idiosyncrasies, interests, and unfailing ability to be distracted by colorful photos and vintage adverts, but hopefully they will highlight the range of amazing books and other items you will find when you examine our members' listings carefully. Let's lead off with something I think is utterly spectacular: an original copy of Alexander Hamilton's infamous “Reynolds Pamphlet” (featured in the latest catalog from Nick Aretakis). From the catalog copy: The Infamous “Reynolds Pamphlet,” in Which Alexander Hamilton Admitted to Adultery in Order to Preserve His Public Virtue Hamilton, Alexander: OBSERVATIONS ON CERTAIN... [more Books of the Week]