A reminder to register for the upcoming Booksellers' Seminar in Seattle, which will take place Thursday, June 28 from 9am to 4pm at the Seattle Public Library. The event is sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the ABAA and will feature lectures on reference sources for researching rare books, rare book photography, how to maintain control over your digital assets, and the importance of social media for rare booksellers. There will be a question and answer session for attendees, and the day will end with a small reception. The event is free but space is limited and pre-registration is required. Please click here for more detailed information. To register, please contact Priscilla Anne Lowry at (360) 221-0477 or rarebooks@lowryjames.com. I attended a similar seminar last fall and can assure you that the speakers are fantastic and will impart a wealth of information, so be sure to take advantage and reserve a spot today! [more Reminder: Booksellers' Seminar in Seattle 6/28]
Events
Over the weekend the original cover artwork for Tintin in America (1932) sold at the Paris Artcurial auction for $1.6 million (1.3 million Euros), setting the new record for comic book art. The previous record had been set in 2008 by the sale of the same artwork for $973,000. The record for American comic book art was set last year when a splash page from The Dark Knight Returns (1986) sold for $448,125. Tintin in America is the third volume of the Tintin adventure books by creator Herge, and the aforementioned drawing was done in Indian ink and gouache. Only five covers are known to exist and two of them are owned privately. Tintin Art Sale Sets Record with $1.6 Million [more "Tintin in America" Cover Art Sets New Record]
William Haley, the son of Malcolm X's biographer Alex Haley, is asking Syracuse University to return a letter to his family and plans to make a legal claim if the request is denied. Alex Haley co-authored The Autobiography of Malcolm X, which he based on a series of in-depth interviews with the famed leader (Haley is also the author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family). Mr. Haley died in 1992. Malcolm X penned the letter in question to Haley while in Saudi Arabia after a pilgrimage to Mecca in April of 1964, only ten months before his assassination. In it Malcolm X spoke of his changing views on race relations, prompted by his journey and spending time with Muslims "whose skin was the whitest of white." He wrote, "In fact, what I have seen and experienced on this pilgrimage has forced me to 're arrange' much of my thought patterns, and to toss aside some of my previous conclusions." The letter was forwarded on to Grove Press, the publisher of the autobiography, so that it could be included in the 1965 first printing. Grove subsequently donated the archive related to the book to Syracuse University in 1969. Gregory J. Reed, William Haley's attorney, claims the publisher never had legal title to the letter, rather that Haley only lent it to Grove for inclusion in the autobiography. Reed believes the letter is worth at least $650,000 and plans to make a legal claim if Syracuse is unwilling to return it to the Haley family. The senior director of Special Collections Research... [more Legal Dispute Over Malcolm X Letter]
Ok, I'm putting it out there. I love literature, art, and music, and I am lucky enough to be a part of the fascinating world of rare books, but my guilty pleasure is what many colleagues would categorize as decidedly lowbrowI love the Real Housewives franchise. Imagine my excitement, then, at seeing my cultural worlds collide in the following promotional video for the Great River Shakespeare Festival. (Even if you're not a fan of the Bravo series, you'll likely get a chuckle.) The Real Housewives of Shakespeare Great River Shakespeare Festival [more Watch: The Real Housewives of Shakespeare]
A rare watercolor of the Brontë sisters is scheduled to be auctioned on Thursday by JP Humbert Auctioneers in England. The painting was originally set to be sold last month, but was pulled at the last moment as auctioneers tried to establish a more direct link to the supposed artist, Sir Edwin Landseer. The painting had been previously attributed by the National Portrait Gallery after four years of research by the vendor, but the auction house wanted to make certain that the link between the artist and the Brontë sisters was as solid as it seemed. John Humbert, of JP Humbert Auctioneers, says that experts have now confirmed the painting was done by Sir Edwin Landseer and is strongly believed to be of the famous sisters. "We have spent quite some time trying to establish a link between Landseer and the Brontes and after cross referencing with other known pictures by Landseer, we are confident that we have a strong argument that this picture is as important as we hoped," Humbert said. Mr. Humbert went on to say that thre has been international interest in the item and it is expected to raise between �20,000 and �30,000 ($31,580-$47,370). Brontës watercolour up for auction [more Watercolor of Brontë Sisters to be Auctioned]
The ABAA's Pacific Northwest Chapter is pleased to announce that it will be sponsoring a Rare Booksellers' Seminar on Digital Tools and Tricks for the Bookselling Trade. The seminar will be held in Seattle on Thursday, June 28 from 9am-4pm. ABAA members and booksellers in the Pacific Northwest region are invited to attend this free event, but space is limited and pre-registration is required. Digital Tools and Tricks for the Bookselling Trade Featuring via Skype: * Joel Silver, Associate Director and Curator of Books, The Lilly Library, Indiana University: My Favorite Reference Sources for Researching Rare Books * Dan Gregory from Between the Covers Rare Books: Rare Book Photography for the Busy Book Professional * Luke Lozier, from Bibliopolis: Don't Trust the Cloud: Maintaining Control over your Digital Assets * Joachim Koch, from Books Tell You Why: The Ins/Outs and Importance of Social Media for the Rare Bookseller: Twitter, Blogs, Facebook, et al. Thursday, June 28th: 9am to 4 pm Reception courtesy of the PNW Chapter to follow. Seattle Public Library, Level 4, Conference Room 2 (also known as the Howard S. Wright Family and Janet W. Ketchum Conference Room) For directions and parking information: http://www.spl.org/locations/central-library/cen-getting-there-and-parking To register for the seminar, please contact Priscilla Lowry-Gregor at rarebooks@lowryjames.com. Remember, space is limited, so register now! [more Seattle Rare Booksellers' Seminar, 6/28/12]
On May 1, Emory University's Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Book Library (MARBL) opened the archive of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to the public. The SCLC was founded in 1957 by seminal civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King Jr. in response to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Black leaders in the southeast were cognizant that the boycott was the beginning of a much larger movement and formed the SCLC as a means to coordinate further protest activities. At the first convention, held in Montgomery in August of 1957, the SCLC developed some basic resolutions: the use of nonviolent mass action as a strategic foundation of the movement, affiliation with local community organizations throughout the region, and a commitment to keep the SCLC open to all who wanted to participate, regardless of race, color or creed. The archive is a collection of 981 boxes of materials that report on the SCLC's activities from 1968-2007 (the organization is still active today), and includes correspondence, memos, reports and meeting minutes in addition to photographs, flyers, and both audio and visual recordings. Audio recordings include transcripts and other materials from Martin Luther King Speaks, a radio show that aired from 1967-1979. Speeches and lectures by prominent civil rights leaders were aired on the program, but the show explored a range of social issues, including women's rights and the anti-war movement. The archive reveals the SCLC's involvement in a numb... [more Highly Anticipated Civil Rights Archive Opens to the Public]
As I mentioned in my previous post, there was some extra buzz at this year's NY Antiquarian Book Fair due to a number of celebrity sightings. I know there were a number of important and influential scholars, authors, curators, etc. in attendance and I'm sorry that I didn't recognize more! I was, however, all over the pop-culture 'heavy hitters'. Below are my top five celeb sightings from the fair. 5. John Larroquette John Larroquette was the first familiar face I saw early on Friday (his face is etched in my mind from watching Night Court as a kid). Mr. Laroquette is a known collector and was also present at last year's fair. He spent quite a bit of time wandering the aisles but I'm unsure if he left with any purchases. He is currently starring in a Broadway revival of Gore Vidal's The Best Man. 4. Lucy Liu Lucy Liu enjoyed the fair two days in a row, attending on both Friday and Saturday, and spent quite a bit of time on the show floor on both occasions. Many will recognize Ms. Liu from her past roles in Kill Bill and Charlie's Angels or from her current work on the tv drama Southland, but people may be surprised to hear about her work outside of Hollywood. A native New Yorker, Ms. Liu attended Stuyvesant High School and later majored in Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan. In addition to acting, Ms. Liu is also an artist and a singer. She has been a U.S. ambassador for UNICEF since 2005 and has done much work to raise awareness about the plight of chi... [more Top 5 Celebrity Sightings at the NY Book Fair]
This past weekend's NY Antiquarian Book Fair was a great success, with high attendance, eager buyers, and, most importantly, fantastic inventory from over 200 exhibitors from around the world. This was our largest NY Fair to datethere were so many enthusiastic dealers that the show floor was slightly expanded to accomodate the absolute maximum number of exhibitorsand dealers did not disappoint with the marvelous offerings they brought along. The weather was spectacularI heard it again and again throughout the fair and there truly is nothing like springtime in NYCbut that didn't stop people from exploring the cavernous space of the Armory all weekend long. There were also multiple celebrity sightings (more on that later) which only infused the show floor with additional excitement. As an employee of the ABAA, I spend most of my time during the fairs in the ABAA booth handing out literature about the organization and fielding questions from attendees and exhibitors. I enjoy the opportunity to speak with both attendees and dealers about the fair, and I'm particularly fond of the gusto book fair virgins have, the wonder and excitement they express at their discovery of the rare book world. This isn't to say that time in the booth doesn't drag on a bit at times. It does, but mostly because I get frustrated that I'm not exploring every nook and cranny in each booth. Preview night at the NY Fair allows me the chance to explore, and it's one of the many reasons I love this fair i... [more Springtime in NY + Antiquarian Book Fair = Success, Great Time Had By All]
There are only two days left before the NY Antiquarian Book Fair opens to the public! In addition to the more than 200 exhibitors coming in from all parts of the country and the world, collectors and book lovers will be coming to NYC for the fair. Refreshments will be offered on the show floor, but below are a few recommendations for a variety of nearby restaurants. Bon appetit! For a nice meal&.. Daniel 60 E 65th St New York, NY 10065 (212) 288-0033 Menus * Yelp Reviews JoJo 160 E 64th St New York, NY 10021 (212) 223-5656 Menus * Yelp Reviews Bistro Chat Noir 22 E 66th St New York, NY 10065 (212) 794-2428 Menus * Yelp Reviews Uva 1486 2nd Ave New York, NY 10021 (212) 472-4552 Menus * Yelp Reviews The Modern 9 W 53rd St New York, NY 10019 (212) 333-1220 Menus * Yelp Reviews David Burke Townhouse 133 E 61st St New York, NY 10065 (212) 813-2121 Menus * Yelp Reviews Sushi of Gari 402 E 78th St New York, NY 10021 (212) 517-5340 Menus * Yelp Reviews A quick bite&.. Luke's Lobster 242 E 81st St New York, NY 10028 (212) 249-4241 Menu * Yelp Reviews Shake Shack 154 E 86th St New York, NY 10128 (646) 237-5035 Menu * Yelp Reviews The Candle Cafe (good for vegetarians and vegans) 1307 3rd Ave New York, NY 10021 (212) 472-0970 Menu * Yelp Reviews Pret A Manger 400 Park Avenue New York, NY 10022 212-207-4101 Menu If you have little ones with you&.. Alice's Tea Cup (Chapter II) 156 E 64th St New York, NY 10021 (212) 486-9200 Menus * Yelp Reviews Serendipity 3 225 E 60th St New York, NY 100... [more NY Book Fair: Where to Eat]