The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) is delighted to announce the winners of the 2023 National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest: First Prize Ishaan Prasad (Harvard College) for "Confessions of a Former Sheep Thief: Ten Years of Exploration in Typography". Prasad first became interested in typography while designing arcade-style games for the iPhone, which led to a desire to understand the principles and reasoning behind typography and design. Second Prize Joshua Shelly (Duke University) for "Alte Bücher in Haifa: (Re)building a German Jewish Library in the 21st Century". Shelly came to collecting while working on a dissertation on German Zionist literature and became intrigued by the experiences of “a generation that continued to search for solace in the pages of German literature, even while its members packed their bags and set sail for far-off locales in search of refuge.” Third Prize Enrique Vazquez (Yale University) for "Tales of the Midwestern Northwoods". Minnesota native Vazquez grew up exploring the Boundary Water Canoe Area with family; his collection grew as a way to remain connected to the North Woods while being unable to visit. Essay Award Nichole Nomura (Stanford University) for "Classroom Editions of Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". Nomura's collection explores the evolving discourses around the teaching of race, the value of prose written in the vernacular, and perceptions of educators' obligations to students through ... [more 2023 NCBCC Winners]
J & J Lubrano Music Antiquarians LLC, established in 1977 and long-time members of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America, the Professional Autograph Dealers' Association, the Music Library Association, the American Musicological Society, &c., are internationally recognized dealers in rare printed and manuscript music, rare books on music, autograph letters of composers, and music-related iconography, 15th - 21st centuries. We pay special attention to the particular collecting interests of our clientele and over the last 46 years have helped to develop some of the most important antiquarian music collections, both institutional and private, in the U.S. and abroad. We aim to provide accurate and informed descriptions of material offered to best enable our customers to make the wisest decisions regarding their acquisitions. We operate from private premises in the township of Syosset, on the north shore of Long Island. The area is known for its attractive parks, pleasant villages, and proximity to the Long Island Sound, as well as very good schools, hospitals, and high-level healthcare. Syosset is approximately one hour by train from New York City. This is a full-time, on-site position, with compensation commensurate with qualifications and experience but in the range of $45,000-$60,000. Responsibilities - Create original cataloguing for rare music-related material utilizing an in-house music reference library of approximately 5,000 volumes together with online reso... [more J & J Lubrano Music Antiquarians LLC Seeks Cataloguer]
The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair (BIABF) returns to the Hynes Convention Center in Downtown Boston, October 27-29, 2023. Celebrating its 45th year, this three-day event features fine and rare printed materials from around the globe, including illuminated manuscripts, modern first editions, children's books, ephemera, photographs, maps and autographs, as well as antiquarian books on a vast array of topics. For more information, visit www.bostonbookfair.com... ABOUT THE FAIR More than 100 rare-book dealers from Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, the UK, and the US will exhibit an alluring treasure trove for seasoned bibliomaniacs and first-time attendees. Prices range from the millions to the eminently affordable. Each item on view, whether immaculately preserved or intriguingly weathered, tells its own story. Each bookseller holds a seemingly bottomless wealth of knowledge, both artistically and historically, about each item in their collection. “This is one of the most important annual events in the country for rare book enthusiasts,” says Julie Roper, CEO of Capricorn Event Management, LLC, who has managed the Boston Book Fair since 2015. “After the height of the pandemic, we are seeing resurgent demand for in-person fairs, where a global community of the top dealers offer the most sought-after collections of books, maps, illustrations, and ephemera on the market.” Whether browsing or buying, the Fair offers something for every taste and bud... [more 2023 Boston Book Fair]
Max Beerbohm: The Price of Celebrity The New York Public Library Stephen A. Schwarzman Building Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III Gallery Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, NY October 20, 2023–January 28, 2024 Today we live in a world of celebrity culture. Celebrity became an international industry in the late-nineteenth century, and the English artist and author Max Beerbohm (1872–1956) was at the center of it. From the 1890s through the 1920s, to be a celebrity meant the hope—and fear—of turning up in a drawing or a parody by “Max,” as he was known in both Britain and the U.S. His brilliant skewering of famous people in his visual caricatures and of their writing styles in his satirical works made him a celebrity himself. This was an identity he enjoyed, but later shrank from. In essays and fiction, he explored the price in human terms of achieving and maintaining celebrity status in ways that still resonate with us now. This exhibition maps the career of Sir Max Beerbohm (knighted in 1939) in relation to the idea of celebrity, following him from his early days in the Decadent circles of Oscar Wilde and Aubrey Beardsley through his late career as a radio performer on BBC broadcasts during World War II. Along the way, he knew, drew, and wrote about many other celebrities, from Henry James to Virginia Woolf and George Bernard Shaw to members of the Royal Family. The New York Public Library is the perfect place for this show. A wit and a dandy, renowned for always b... [more Max Beerbohm: The Price of Celebrity at the NYPL]
The California International Antiquarian Book Fair returns to San Francisco in 2024! The fair will take place February 9-11 at Pier 27, a new venue located on the Embarcadero between Fisherman's Wharf and the Ferry Building. The building is well-appointed, with remarkable views of the San Francisco Bay and downtown San Francisco. There is easy access for visitors, ample parking, and nearby public transportation, including San Francisco's historic street cars. The neighborhood is bright and open, frequented by tourists, and well-loved by locals. There are numerous restaurants in the neighborhood and a wide range of hotels. In addition, the Exploratorium, Coit Tower, North Beach, and City Lights Bookshop are all within a short walk. The new venue promises to be popular, and we strongly encourage you to register soon! The dates of the fair are: Friday, February 9, through Sunday, February 11, 2024. ABAA and ILAB members can register here: https://www.tfaforms.com/5059424 Information for exhibitors can be found here: https://www.abaa.org/cabookfair/exhibitor-information-sf-2024 [more 2024 California Book Fair Registration Open]
One thing that distinguishes the book collector from the casual reader is a preference for owning first editions. What is a First Edition? A first edition is the format a book took when it was first made available for sale. The ABAA glossary of book terms states: First Edition: “All of the copies printed from the first setting of type; can include multiple printings if all are from the same setting of type.” Collectors distinguish between a first edition (the first printing of a book) and a modern first edition (which more-or-less applies to books printed from 1900 on -- although, the exact definition is open to debate between dealers). What is a First Printing? The first printing is the first batch of books printed from this first setting of type. For a small press, this might be the only printing a book gets, so all copies are first edition, first printings. The ABAA glossary is a master of understatement when it says “Every printed book has a first edition, many never have later editions.” For others, there might be dozens of printings, especially if a book becomes wildly successful. (Witness the recent trend to keep popular young-adult novels -- Veronica Roth's Allegiant and John Green's Turtles All the Way Down, for two examples -- in hardcover for several years, rather than replace the hardcover with a paperback edition a year after first publication.) How Can You Tell if a Book is a First Edition? In general, books before 1900 did not indicate first or subseque... [more Identifying First Editions]
When I hear contemporary politicians invoke Churchill, I usually feel like I'm watching King Louie, the Orangutan who wants to be a man, sing “I wanna be like you” in the 1967 Disney version of The Jungle Book. “You!” sings King Louie, “I wanna be like you I wanna talk like you Walk like you, too” Yeah. Not so much. If you happen to draw a comparison between King Louis and another loud, big-headed, oddly orange, wanna-be-king with impulse control issues and destructive inclinations, well, that's up to you. I refer you to another Disney movie. Cinderella. If the shoe fits… But I digress. “I'm tired of monkeyin' around!” Sure, there's a lot of ways in which most of those who self-flatteringly invoke Churchill fall short. Intelligence. Eloquence, Historical perspective. Foresight. Principle. Conviction. Courage. General capability. But, to me, none of these are the biggest shortcomings of the chorus of King Louie/wannabe Churchills. In my book, here's the most important and most regrettable thing the Louies typically lack – a presumption of shared purpose and the primacy of decency. Churchill could be fiercely partisan and relentless in pursuit of a policy or cause. And he was a true combatant by nature, whether on the battlefield, at the rostrum, on the backbenches, in Cabinet, leading a Government, or leading the Opposition. But Churchill did not confuse mere opponents with actual enemies. He regarded sincerity of convictions that he did not share. He was a... [more Two Pugnacious Personalities]
The ABAA Gender Equity Initiative Committee is proud to announce the second round of the ABAA Mentorship Program. In an effort to further the Association's mission, the mentorship program builds relationships between ABAA dealers and early-career booksellers, provides professional development opportunities for prospective ABAA members, and creates a recruitment pipeline that increases the number and diversity of qualified applicants to the ABAA. Apply as a Mentor (ABAA Members only) Apply as a Mentee During the year-long mentorship period, with support from ABAA Headquarters, mentors and mentees meet monthly to discuss aspects of their individual businesses and the trade as a whole. Knowing that “fit” is key to a successful mentorship, ABAA Headquarters and the Gender Equity Initiative Committee carefully match mentors to mentees, taking into consideration special requests, areas of focus, and business models. Location may also be a factor, but with the availability of technology like Zoom, need not be a requirement. ABAA Headquarters will be available throughout the entire process, from applications to mentorship pairings through the completion of the program, to address any questions or concerns that may arise. More information including a full list of requirements for mentee and mentor applications can be found here... Please feel free to pass this opportunity along to employees, colleagues, or others who may be interested. Don't hesitate to reach out to Xin Yi Zhao, t... [more 2023-2024 ABAA Gender Equity Initiative Mentorship Program]
Recently, I got the opportunity to contribute a short article about the multi-talented architect, engraver, collector, writer, and naturalist Simon Schijnvoet (1652-1727) to the website of the Panpoëticon Batavûm (in Dutch). Schijnvoet not only was a moralistic and witty writer with great knowledge of history and natural philosophy, but he also designed the cabinet called the Panpoëticon Batavûm. So what is the Panpoëticon Batavûm? Many people know the most famous painters from the Dutch Republic, for instance Rembrandt and Vermeer. Besides that, however, around 1700, the painter and engraver Arnoud van Halen (1673-1732) thought that Netherlands' most famous poets and writers also deserved a place of honor. Therefore, he decided to initiate a cabinet in which these writers could be united, and he painted their portraits encasing them with list in the form of a golden laurel. The collection was very progressive for its time, also containing portraits of female and Flemish writers. Even decades after Van Halen's death, his successors kept organising elections to add more authors to the growing collection. In the end it contained over 350 portraits. Unfortunately, in 1807 a catastrophe happened: close to the room in which the Panpoëticon was housed in Leiden, a ship full of gunpowder exploded, ruining a large part of the town. Although the Panpoëticon survived the disaster, it was severely damaged. The explosion financially ruined its owners, so there was no money to res... [more Simon Schijnvoet in the Panpoëticon Batavûm]
Meet the antiquarian booksellers accepted as members of the ABAA in 2022. Full Members: Scott Brasseur, gallerybfa Scott Brasseur originated in central West Virginia but now resides in western Pennsylvania. After graduating from WVU with a marketing degree in 1984, he spent the next 20 years travelling the U.S. in corporate sales and marketing. After collecting and selling antiques “part time” for most of his life, he finally succumbed to the antiques lure and traded in his job in 2003 to start his business full time. Operating the business under the name gallerybfa, Scott conducts his sales both online and as an exhibitor at shows. His focus is on unique items and historic Americana which includes photography, archives, manuscripts, ephemera and U.S. flags. He particularly enjoys researching an archive, often giving the subject a chance to finally be heard after so many years of obscurity. James Cummins III, James Cummins Bookseller James began work at Maggs Bros in London after college and continued at Bloomsbury Auctions as the head of Bibliophile sales in New York. He joined the fold in 2009 and runs day-to-day operations in New York. James is a member of both the ABAA and Grolier Club. Norman Graubart, Cleveland Book Company Norman Graubart is a second-generation book dealer, the son of 5-decade ABAA veteran Cliff Graubart of the Old New York Book Shop in Atlanta. In his father's tradition, Norman is a generalist with wide-ranging interests, ever on the trail of good... [more The Latest Members of the ABAA]