Click here to read this brief post about 20th century boys' serial fiction by ABAA member Vic Zoschak, Jr. of Tavistock Books! Collecting Rare Books and First Editions: "Every Boy Needs A Hero" [more "Collecting Rare Books and First Editions: 'Every Boy Needs A Hero'"]
On Collecting Books
Today is Bloomsday, the day of celebration for James Joyce's tome, Ulysses. (The novel follows protagonist Leopold Bloom through Dublin over the course of one day, June 16, 1904.) Below I have included some links to Bloomsday articles, posts and activities to commemorate Joyce's iconic work. Most of them are brief and include additional links, so they are definitely worth a glance. At the very least, I recommend listening to a rare recording of James Joyce reading from Ulysses or Irish actress Marcella Riordan reading of the last 50 lines of the book, often referred to as Molly's soliloquy, and taking a glance at Ulysses Unseen, an electronic comic book version of the novel. Happy Bloomsday! It's Bloomsday! Listen to Molly's Soliloquy! 8 ways to celebrate James Joyce and Ulysses Bloomsday: How to Celebrate James Joyce's Ulysses Tweeting Ulysses: Fans Put A Twist On Bloomsday What Would Joyce Do?: Ulysses RevisitedIn Comic Form Computer helps solve Bloom's riddle 'Ulysses' Leopold Bloom's Journey Through Dublin Photo Gallery [more Happy Bloomsday!]
Designer Nate Burgos has launched an ongoing video project called Rare Book Feast. In his description of the project, Nate writes: "This series is about the timeless character of books. Their message and what they look like are what is celebrated here. As our culture becomes digital in a lot of ways, it is all the more important (not to mention inviting) to revisit and learn from the early design challenges, creative solutions and general lessons that the “old” print world keeps relevant." The focus of the inaugural video is on “World Geo-Graphic Atlas” (1953) designed by Herbert Bayer with Martin Rosenzweig, Henry Gardiner and Masato Nakagawa. Without the proper knowledge, I can't determine for myself the 'rarity' of the book (at least in the eyes of our membershelp me out in the comments section, ABAA-ers!), but the video is short, informative and well done. It's a lovely look at the atlas with a specific focus on the elements of design. Although not technically 'in the business' myself, I always have our members' livelihoods in mind, and I think this sort of multimedia 'introduction' to an item is great. I know it would most likely be a timely and possibly costly procedure, but it may be prove to be a worthwhile way to showcase a high spot in your inventory or to introduce potential buyers to an area of specialization (like pochior, for instance). Celebrating Vintage Books: A stunning, $800 Atlas Rare Book Feast [more Launch of 'Rare Book Feast']
In early April, I posted about an amazing find that member Ken Sanders made at a charity event in Sandy, Utaha German language Nuremberg Chronicle from 1494. The owner had no idea what he possessed; it was passed down from a great uncle and has been sitting in his attic for decades, which impacted the condition of the book greatly (only about 1/3 of the full text is present). Despite its condition and the fact that it's not incredibly rare, with an estimated several hundred copies in circulation worldwide, the text is still quite a find and has significance for historians and bibliophiles alike. Heather O'Donnell, a book buyer at fellow ABAA member firm Bauman Rare Books, commented that the Nuremberg Chronicle is a "landmark of printing" and each individual page possesses a "genuine value". Collectors, she says, "see it as a part of western civilization and want to pass it on". Since he 'found' the book in April, Ken says that his shop has been flooded with calls and emails from interested buyers. It is now on sale at Ken Sanders Rare Books for $35,000. 500-year-old- book on sale in Utah for $35K [more Member in the News: Ken Sanders]
The British Library has just unveiled a new iPad application that allows users to peruse more than 60,000 19th century books. All of the titles are in the public domain and, unlike e-books, are scanned versions of the original texts and include maps and original illustrations. The British Library partnered with Bibliolabs to create the app. Bibliolabs is a development company that specializes in the digital distribution of antique and rare books. Mitchell Davis, the company's founder, commented that the "iPad allows for a level of intimacy with these antiquarian books that evokes a sense of engagement and curiosity that is not possible in a browser based experience." Many have been wringing their hands over the future of the rare book trade in the age of e-books and digitalization, but I think this project exemplifies that the two are not mutually exclusive. In my opinion, this app is so exciting because it expands the audience of rare book enthusiasts; it allows those who are interested but may be intimidated to handle the materials to have a closer look at the original texts (I currently fall under this category!), and it has the potential to be a great marketing tool for booksellers (I am thinking virtual, interactive catalogues). There is no question that holding an iPad, even when loaded with images of rare texts, does not compare to seeing and holding the actual book. It may, however, prompt people to want to see, hold or possess the actual textthe best of both worlds.... [more British Library Launches Rare Book iPad App]
Dan Gregory of Between the Covers~Rare Books Inc. provides a detailed answer to this question in the Between the Covers blog today. Click here to read! Do Rare Books Appreciate in Value? [more "Do Rare Books Appreciate in Value?"]
I was reading an article this morning about a South African man who, while on holiday in Ireland, found an American first edition of Wuthering Heights at a flea market for €3 (about $4.27). Realizing the value of the book, he brought it back home to South Africa and promptly sold it for over 77,000 rand (equivalent to more than €8,000 or $11,000)quite the souvenir! The article quoted ILAB member David Cunningham of Cathach Books Ltd. in Dublin, who commented that this was likely the only first edition of Wuthering Heights in the country. He went on to say that "you just don't know how books turn up and how it arrived in this country, but that's the nature of booksyou can find almost anything anywhere." This quote got me thinking about all the interesting stories book hunters everywhere must have. What has been your most interesting and/or profitable find? Tourist sells €3 first edition of Wuthering Heights for €8,000 [more What's Your Most Interesting and/or Profitable Find?]
Upon returning to London after exhibiting at the New York Antiquarian Book Fair, ILAB member Rick Gekoski of R. A. Gekoski Rare Books & Manuscripts posted a great entry to his blog in the Guardian, A Finger on the Page. The post answers some fundamental questions about the rare book trade and antiquarian book fairs. A fun read for those in the trade as well as novice collectors. Click here to read the post. An insider's guide to book fairs [more 'An Insider's Guide to Book Fairs' by Rick Gekoski]
The Columbia News Service published a brief article about the trade, which included quotes from Michael DiRuggiero of The Manhattan Rare Book Company and Michael Thompson of Michael R. Thompson Rare Books. Despite E-Books, Rare Books Aren't Endangered [more Members in the News: Michael DiRuggiero & Michael R. Thompson]
From the ACRL Insider: "Complete backfiles of Rare Books & Manuscripts Librarianship (RBML), the predecessor of RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage, are now available on the publication Web site. ACRL received a grant from the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation to assist in making volumes 1-12 of the publication discoverable and available online through the HighWire Press platform, completing the publication's online archive. The 24 back issues will join volumes 13 and 14 of RBML and the full run of RBM online. Access to all content, with the exception of the two most current issues, is freely available to all. Online access to the current two issues is available only to RBM subscribers." RBML Online Archives Now Available [more Rare Books & Manuscripts Librarianship (RBML) Online Archives Now Available]