A quick roundup of the news about rare books and collectors from around the world. (Regularly updated, with the latest news items added at the top.) Biography of Texas Bookman Johnny Jenkins Michael Vinson's biography of legendary Texas bookman Johnny Jenkins, Bluffing Texas Style: The Arsons, Forgeries, and High-Stakes Poker Capers of Rare Book Dealer Johnny Jenkins, will be published by the University of Oklahoma Press in March 2020. New ABAA President Brad Johnson of johnson rare books & archives based in Covina, California has been elected as new president of the ABAA. (Learn more...) Upcoming Events of Interest: The 60th New York International Antiquarian Book Fair opens at the Park Avenue Armory on March 5! The Booksellers documentary, featuring a great many ABAA members, opens in NYC on March 6 at the Quad Cinema. Joan Ryan (wife of ABAA-member Howard Rootenberg) opens her new one-woman show at The Green Room 42 on March 7. Nathan Raab (The Raab Collection) launches his new book, The Hunt for History, at Main Point Books, Wayne, PA on March 10. Learn more about The Hunt for History... ABAA-Member Miranda Garno Nesler is a Bright Young Bookseller Miranda Garno Nesler, the Director of Women's Literature and History at Whitmore Rare Books, was profiled recently in Fine Books & Collections' Bright Young Booksellers series. Locals Rally Around Ken Sanders Rare Books Following reports that ABAA-member Ken Sanders may have to close or relocate his rare-book store in Salt Lake... [more Rare Book News]

The ABAA has launched a program where seasoned ABAA members act as mentors, i.e. business advisors and guides, to novices in the rare book field and/or those not currently in the trade but whose background and interest in the vocation would make them good candidates to enter the field. The goals of this program are to: • Provide dealers early in their careers with the opportunity to advance their professional development • Build a recruitment pipeline for the Association that enhances the number of qualified applicants and diversifies the membership • Afford mentees the opportunity to build a relationship with an ABAA member • Educate potential candidates about a career in the trade (for example, graduate students looking for a profession outside of academia) Structure ABAA Headquarters is responsible for coordinating and implementing the program. Mentors and mentees will be paired with consideration of a variety of factors such as any specific requests, specialization/area of focus, and business structure. Location could also be a point of consideration but, with the availability of technology like Skype, need not be a requirement. Once paired, mentors and mentees will be introduced via ABAA Headquarters and, if both felt that it was a suitable fit, would commence a one year period of mentorship. Over the course of the year, mentors and mentees are required to have face to face communication for a minimum of 1-2 hours each month (this could be completed electronicall... [more ABAA Launches Mentorship Program for Novice Book and Manuscript Sellers]

JAMES CUMMINS BOOKSELLER of New York City is seeking an experienced antiquarian bookseller and rare book cataloguer familiar with the full range of material handled by the firm: printed books from incunables to modern literature, as well as manuscripts, autographs, archives, ephemera, and illustration art. The ideal candidate will have strong writing skills, as well as practical, demonstrable knowledge of descriptive cataloguing (including collation, bibliography, and knowledge of reference sources) from an antiquarian bookselling perspective, with suitable foreign language skills (at least one classical or modern European language beyond English). Sales experience is essential, including the ability to engage new customers (private and institutional), conclude sales, and maintain relations with existing customers. The ideal candidate will enjoy working collaboratively as a member of a small team in cataloguing, buying, researching, and selling rare books, and will have areas of particular expertise or specialization. This is a full-time position. Some travel will be required. Salary: $70,000 plus benefits, or commensurate with experience. Please send CV and references to Henry Wessells, henry@jamescumminsbookseller.com (e-mail only). [more Position Opening at James Cummins Bookseller]

Southern & Northern California Chapters of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America have announced the second annual California Young Book Collector's Prize! Most great collectors started when they were young, and most great collections started with a passion for a particular object or subject. When these objects are books and manuscripts, the collectors are called bibliophiles, or lovers of the book. The purpose of The California Young Book Collector's Prize is to nurture the next generation of bibliophiles. The competition is open to collectors aged 35 and under who are living in California. All collections of books, manuscripts, and ephemera are welcome, no matter their monetary value or subject. The collections will be judged on their thoroughness, the approach to their subject, and the seriousness which with the collector has catalogued his or her material. The winner of the competition will be awarded: A gift certificate of $500 to spend at the 2020 California International Antiquarian Book Fair An exhibition of the winner's collection to be presented in a showcase at the book fair A stipend of $250 towards exhibition expenses (to help cover travel costs, showcase labels, and insurance) A year's membership to the Book Club of California A year's membership to the Bibliographical Society of America A year's subscription to The Book Collector A year's subscription to Fine Books & Collections magazine The deadline for receipt of submissions is December 1st, 2019... [more Second Annual California Young Book Collectors Prize]

In 1995, longtime ABAA-member Ben Kinmont started the Antinomian Press. His focus was (and has remained) on project art, both by others and himself. Sometimes, the Press has published exhibition catalogs on artist ephemera and alternative artistic practices; at other times, Kinmont has used it as a teaching tool in the classroom to publish his collaborative projects with students. The Antinomian Press is also an art project by Kinmont, the archive of which is in MoMA's Drawings & Prints Collection, and to which archive addenda are continually being added. “Ben Kinmont, Bookseller” was initially started as an art project in 1998, so all of Kinmont's bookseller catalogues have been issued by the Antinomian Press -- see the colophon page (below) of his catalogs for the title of the business as an art work. Although these catalogues have circulated within the antiquarian book world and, in some cases, have been retained and catalogued by research libraries, many of the other publications from the Antinomian Press are very difficult to find. This is because most of them were printed and distributed in unusual locations, such as out on the street, in a parked van, or in strangers' homes. In these cases, the publications were given away to anyone passing by or participating in a project. These publications usually spoke to the values (and complications) surrounding their specific making and what happens when you displace an art discourse into a non-art space. When an Antinomian ... [more The Antinomian Press]

Meet the latest members of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America. New Full Members Reagan Bisharat, Reagan's Rare Books (Midlothian, VA) Starting as a hobby collector nearly twenty years ago, Reagan Bisharat, of Reagan's Rare books, has built a business out of his passion. Reagan's Rare Books is a purveyor of antiquarian books and ephemera dating primarily from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th century. Specializing in fine leather and decorative cloth bindings, Reagan has hand selected each piece in his inventory. Subject matter includes History, Literature, Theology, Biography, Travel and Exploration, as well as Americana. Timothy J. Stevenson, Carlson and Stevenson (Manchester Center, VT) As an antique dealer since 1976, Timothy Stevenson started out knocking on doors in Vermont and nearby New York State. All manner of interesting and saleable material was found almost everyday. A Vermont town turned up the Rev. Lemuel Haynes' library from a direct descendant -- the first Afro-American minister in the U.S, he held forth in Manchester, Vermont. He ministered to the Boorn Brothers in the famous murder case that ended requiring a body for a murder trail. The material was sold for the family to a historical society where Haynes also ministered. Stevenson's interest in antiques became centered on School Girl Art of the period 1780 to 1840. Stevenson and his wife were invited to shows in Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Houston, San Francisco, Nantucket,... [more New Members]

In an effort to assist in the recovery of materials missing as a result of the Carnegie Library theft, the ABAA would like to bring to the public's attention the list of items believed stolen. Click this link to view the list. Update 8/20/18: The following list includes more details. Should any member of the public identify having purchased or otherwise having knowledge of the disposition or current location of any items from the Carnegie Library—whether on this list or not—please contact one of the following detectives from Allegheny County District Attorney's Office: · Det. Fran Laquatra (412) 388-5305 flaquatra@alleghenycountyda.us · Det. Perann Tansmore (412) 388-5307 ptansmore@alleghenycountyda.us ` · Det. Lyle Graber (412) 388-5316 lgraber@alleghenycountyda.us Please note, the detectives do not have reason to believe that anyone who may have purchased any of these items was necessarily aware that the material had been reported stolen. The ABAA appreciates your attention and assistance with respect to this grave matter. Please check our post from March for further details, including additional information on collection markings. Sincerely, Vic Zoschak President, ABAA Brad Johnson Chair, ABAA Security Committee Susan Benne Executive Director, ABAA [more Carnegie Library Theft]

ABAA-member Weller Book Works turns 90! Anniversary celebration for the Salt Lake institution, Saturday, August 17, from 4 - 6 PM! Who'd have thought a small used bookstore founded two months before the 1929 stock market crash would grow into one of the West's premier bookstores? Weller Book Works survived the Great Depression, World War II, a catastrophic fire (1971), big box chain stores, and the disruption of the internet. Founded in August, 1929, in Salt Lake City by Gustav Weller, the store began as Zion's Bookstore. It has gone through many changes and four generations of Wellers over the years, and it continues today as Weller Book Works. (Read the complete history...) Weller Book Works is the oldest bookstore in Utah, and one of the oldest in the country. For 90 years, Weller's has been cultivating ideas, challenging thoughts, and encouraging a little bit of anarchy. As part of their 90th-anniversary celebrations, they are going to look back on that history, and discuss what the next 90 years may hold in store. A celebration will be held on Saturday, August 17, from 4- 6pm. Remarks by Tony Weller, Rocky Anderson, and Brooke and Terry Tempest Williams begin at 4:30pm; music will be provided by Philip Miller; and, there will be cake -- and hors d'oeuvres, too! Weller Book Works have also created an exclusive reusable tote bag featuring a one-of-a-kind design by Pat Bagley made especially for this occasion! You'll get a chance to meet up with old friends, and hopefully m... [more Weller Book Works Turns 90]

I was thrilled recently to learn, via John Windle, of the philanthropic activities of ABAA member Phillip Pirages and his wife Ellen Summerfield. The couple formed the Give a Little Foundation in 2007 with the mission to provide assistance to individuals and families in Yamhill County, Oregon who are experiencing financial adversity and to alleviate hardship and enhance the quality of life of those on very limited budgets. The foundation offers one-time grants of up to $500 to help residents in crisis, and it has other special outreach programs in place to help school children, job seekers, and seniors. Phil and Ellen were moved to give back to their local community after identifying a need through their professional acquaintances and social services organizations. From the beginning, they have worked with existing organizations who had the infrastructure in place to identify and evaluate individuals who were on the cusp—that is, people who perhaps needed equipment, tools, licenses, school supplies, or even rental deposits to bridge a gap to gainful employment, success in school, or other needs. Working with these front-line agencies allowed the foundation to respond quickly by assisting the neediest cases. To be certain that funds are used properly, grants are made directly to the vendor or service provider involved, rather than the applicant. In recent years, ABAA members John Windle, Chris Loker (of Children's Book Gallery), and Lawrence O'Shaughnessy (of Franklin Books)... [more ABAA Member Phillip Pirages Gives Back to his Oregon Community]

The ABAA's Woodburn Fund provides financial support for scholarly research and education relevant to the antiquarian book trade. This includes annual scholarships to Rare Book School, California Rare Book School, and the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar. Ezra Tishman of Aardvark Books/Ezra the Bookfinder was the recipient of a Woodburn Fund scholarship to Rare Book School this year and had the following to say about his experience. I wanted to take moment to officially thank the ABAA for the scholarship assistance I received to attend a Rare Book School course in Bloomington, Indiana. The assistance allowed me to take the time off from work, and I spent an amazing week at Indiana University's Lilly Library, learning from the legendary "Master of Bibliographical Resources", Joel Silver. His encyclopedic knowledge of available references -- and his folksy delivery of just a slice of his vast body of knowledge — rather blew me away. In the first two days of the course — despite twenty-five years fulltime in the trade, I truly wondered about what I really knew, and how I could have worked so long without the benefit of some of these resources. I've no doubt at all that what I gained from attendance at Joel's course will prove indispensable, in both my capacities as bookseller and appraiser. Again huge gratitude to our organization for its commitment to help members grow and thrive in the trade. Scholarships to Rare Books School and California Rare Book School are awarded ann... [more Woodburn Fund Scholarship Recipient on Rare Book School]