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| AE Monthly Archives -- January, 2010
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AE Monthly
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Letters to the editors
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By Bruce McKinney
On December 3rd, at 10:30 am or a bit after at Bloomsbury's New York second floor gallery on 48th Street, Stephen Massey opens the bidding on the first of 81 lots in the de Orbe Novo Collection of material relating to the new world. The responsibility for calling the sale is to be divided between Mr. Massey and Peter Costanzo. Stephen will call the first 51 lots and Peter the final 30.
As consignor
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By Bruce McKinney, in this case both writer and consignor
The recent sale of early printed material relating to the new world at Bloomsbury on December 3rd presented intriguing evidence about the current state of the rare book business. The material offered was the de Orbe Novo Collection, 81 early items with a new world perspective. Condition, rarity and subject divided the material into categories and subcategories
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By Bruce McKinney
The world of books, manuscripts and ephemera enters a new stage and you can tell it is life changing by the anxiety it causes. What continues to emerge is clarity on the buy-side that is as comforting to buyers as it is discomforting to sellers because it clarifies price, value and rarity. It turns buyers into negotiators and introduces skepticism into relationships that have long been characterized
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By Bruce McKinney
Two thousand and nine was a difficult year. What began as a succession of acute financial problems experienced around the world has become a chronic condition that dims, by degree, our views and expectations for the next few years. For people who live and die with books it was been particularly unsettling to see committed collectors and institutions struggle with budgets. The will is strong, the capability
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By Michael Stillman
No one will accuse 2009 of being the greatest year ever for matters of finance, but as we look back at auctions in the field of books and ephemera, we find it wasn't all that bad either. Perhaps we have reached a bottom. The AE Top 500 for 2009 reveals that there was still a lot of activity at the high end of the book world. Each year, the Americana Exchange looks at several hundred thousand books
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By Michael Stillman
Another year for book auctions is about to begin, which is a perfect time to remind everyone of the amazing search and informational tools the Americana Exchange provides for free. Auctions are an outstanding source for collectible books and ephemera, often at great prices, but only a small percentage of book collectors take advantage of the opportunity. They don't know how. AE is here to help.
The
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By Michael Stillman
In 2009, AbeBooks regularly had around 110 million books posted for sale on their website. We don't have the figures, but estimate something in the 8 to 10 million area were sold, mostly used books, intended for reading, reference or school. The average price was probably in the $20 range. This story is not about the average Abe book. It's about the very best. Occasionally, the site is host to the sale of
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By Michael Stillman
An organization known as the Primary Research Group recently took a look at the political leanings of university faculty who use rare book rooms or historic document collections. The results were surprising, or at least counterintuitive. One might expect more conservative faculty to be using these more traditional resources, while the liberal members would be focused on modern, higher technology sources.
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By Michael Stillman
Developments in the proposed settlement involving Google Books are on hold until the next court hearing scheduled in February. We will use this temporary halt to explain a few of the issues and why this case is of such groundbreaking importance to those interested in books.
Q. What is the cause of the controversy?
A. Google has been scanning millions of old books in various libraries, and
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The New Year looks to be a busy one for book catalogues, as we start 2010 with 24 new reviews. David Lesser Fine Antiquarian Books offers rare Americana, while Almagre Books focuses on America's Indians. Libreria de Antano offers rare Hispanica, while Krown and Spellman feature early English books. Harbeck Rare Books is focused on the niche of German Australiana and Pacifica.
There is much in the
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By Michael Stillman
The Manhattan Rare Book Company has issued a catalogue with the simple title 83 Books. That's what it contains. No particular type of book is featured, other than important ones in exceptional condition. There is literature, art, photography, history, science, politics, economics, poetry, and children's books represented. The Manhattan Rare Book Company focuses on special copies of books in
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By Michael Stillman
This month we have received our first catalogue from Krown and Spellman, Booksellers, of Culver City, California. However, they are hardly new to the trade, having been in the book business for over 30 years. Krown and Spellman can certainly be described as an "antiquarian bookseller," as they specialize in titles printed before 1750. With such early books, it could be hard to fill the shelves with
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By Michael Stillman
Acorn Books Northwest of Silverdale, Washington, has sent out their Catalog Five. Signed, Inscribed, and Association Copies. You will find books of fiction and nonfiction, with topics as diverse as one might find in a library. There are, however, two threads which connect these various books. One is the obvious connection mentioned in the title. They have been signed if not inscribed by their
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By Michael Stillman
We recently received our first catalogue from Rare Illustrated Books of Sydney, Australia. It is a collection of...well...rare illustrated books. These aren't ordinary illustrated books, but some of the finest examples of printed and manuscript illustrations. If you are thinking that they must all be books about kangaroos and the Bee Gees, this is not an Australian catalogue, but a worldwide one. Most
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By Michael Stillman
This month we review our first catalogue from Harbeck Rare Books of Brisbane, Australia. It comes with the unusual title German Australiana & Pacifica (1702-1971). I will admit that I don't usually associate Germany with Australia. The most notable early explorations were by the Englishman James Cook, Matthew Flinders did some of the most extensive explorations, and it was Britain that originally
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By Michael Stillman
Kenston Rare Books has published a Winter 2009 catalogue (and it is still winter, even if technically no longer 2009). The title is Fine Books on Texas and the American West. Offered are 227 items mostly from the Lone Star State, though some concern New Mexico (and old Mexico), Oklahoma, Colorado, Montana, and the environs. Stories of the Old West are never boring, and this catalogue
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By Michael Stillman
We have a new catalogue from Libreria de Antano of Argentina, entitled Rara Hispanica. Though the title is in Spanish, we are confident English-speakers will understand the meaning without a translation. Actually, there is more good news for people whose primary language is English. Though most titles in this catalogue are in Spanish, Libreria de Antano had provided descriptions both in Spanish
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By Michael Stillman
Garrett Scott, Bookseller, has issued his 25th catalogue, and as we have come to expect from Scott, it is filled with the unusual, bizarre, and unbelievable. The title, appropriate enough for a strange catalogue, is American Sermons and American Sex. Those two topics would seem to have little in common, except that both are the source of much misinformation and craziness, and sex is often the
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By Michael Stillman
Hordern House recently published their 2009 Special Catalogue, a conclusion to a year perhaps less special than this catalogue. Despite only containing 34 items, Hordern House still managed to come up with a large, thick catalogue. Their catalogues are always special, befitting the works they offer. These are some samples.
If you ever do a word association for the word "mutiny," almost
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By Michael Stillman
The Raab Collection of Philadelphia has issued their Catalog 62 of documents signed by major, historic figures. Included are both the most important of American names, such as Washington, Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Hancock and Twain, along with those from across the sea, including Churchill, Napoleon, Queen Victoria and Renoir. Many of these documents provide notable insights into the personalities
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By Michael Stillman
Seth Kaller, Inc., has issued a catalogue devoted to Abraham Lincoln and his legacy. It begins with an unknown Lincoln preparing documents in his law office and concludes with Theodore Roosevelt citing Lincoln as an example of promoting independent views within a political party, rather being forced to tow the party bosses' line. Within this collection you will find numerous Lincoln signed documents,
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By Michael Stillman
Joe Rubinfine has issued his List 164 of American Historical Documents. Offered is a group of signed documents such as letters, photographs, and legal papers. Basically, they come in two forms. Some are documents signed by important American figures, such as Washington, Jefferson, Hancock, Jackson and Lincoln (two Lincolns including Revolutionary War General Benjamin Lincoln). Others
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By Michael Stillman
David M. Lesser Fine Antiquarian Books has issued their 111th catalogue of Rare Americana. Lesser specializes in "significant and unusual imprints relating to America," and there is much you don't see everyday to be found here. This issue includes a few uncommon but outstanding items written by Abraham Lincoln in his pre-presidential days. They provide great insight into the man. However, there
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By Michael Stillman
Raymond M. Sutton, Jr., has issued Catalog No. 198 of Natural History, with a Large Selection of Horticultural Books. If your collecting interests run to plants, animals, geology, paleontology, or just explorations, there are books guaranteed to pique your interest. Sutton has broken the catalogue down into sections on various classes of flora and fauna for convenience, helpful since there are
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By Michael Stillman
Almagre Books of Santa Fe has issued a catalogue titled American Indians. It contains almost 500 items pertaining to America's first inhabitants. Dozens of tribes are represented, as are printings of government treaties and other documents concerning the natives (many of which were means of taking more of their land). There are accounts of wars, removals from ancestral lands east of the Mississippi,
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By Michael Stillman
Michael Thompson Books has released a Winter Miscellany Consisting of 100 or So Books [Editor's note: 101], Mostly Recent Acquisitions, including a large selection of titles on printing history and bibliography. It's always easier for a reviewer when the title describes the catalogue, as it allows us to proceed directly to the books inside.
Item 28 is The Tides and Kindred Phenomena
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By Michael Stillman
Frits Knuf Antiquarian Books has issued a Catalogue of Catalogues. There are all types of catalogues offered here, but nothing else - auction catalogues, bookseller catalogues, private and public library catalogues, even catalogues of forbidden books. Regardless of their original purpose, time turns all of these into unintentional bibliographies. They are a source of information about the books
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By Michael Stillman
James Cummins Bookseller has issued a catalogue entitled Literature, Travel & Exploration, Americana. This is something of three catalogues in one, divided into the aforementioned three categories. We will not so attempt to divide this review, but will offer samples from each of the sections.
Item 42 is one of the greatest pieces of historical literature ever written, The History
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By Michael Stillman
Peter L. Masi Books has released Catalog 203. Masi's catalogues are perennially hard to describe because there seems to be a bit of everything inside. He has broken the listings down by subject, so for example, there are books on agriculture, almanacs, Americana, amusements, architecture, art, and automotive. That's just the A's. There are over 500 items here, and if you want to spend a lot
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By Michael Stillman
Forest Books recently issued their Catalogue 109 Bibliography, Bookbinding and Reference. Forest is an English bookseller so it is not surprising that most titles come from the U.K., though by no means all. There are American and European items as well. There is a particularly outstanding selection of auction catalogues offered. Many of the greatest sales are represented here, an opportunity
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By Michael Stillman
The Ten Pound Island Book Co. has issued Maritime List 187. The Life & Times of "Wicked Ned." We'll get to that "Wicked Ned" part in a minute, but first, this is a collection of 110 nautical items. There are books, maps, charts, manuscript logs, images, commissions, all sorts of material related to the sea. Most are quite old, coming from a century which no one under 110 years old has personally
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By Michael Stillman
Kevin F. Kelly, Bookseller, issued a recent catalogue for The Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair and Book Arts Show. What he brought to the show was a varied lot. You can find anything from ancient children's fables to tales of mutiny and piracy. His booth must have been an enticing place, but since the show is now over, we will have to look at the catalogue instead. Here are a few of the books and
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By Michael Stillman
James Pepper Rare Books has whipped off their latest catalogue of books and related material, Catalogue 188. Pepper is one of the more prolific cataloguers, issuing a new collection virtually every month. The firm specializes in literature, film-related material, mystery and detective fiction. Each month brings a new group of interesting items. Here are some of the latest.
Item 9 is
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By Michael Stillman
David Schulson Autographs has issued their Catalog 143, a collection of 50 autographed documents, mainly letters and photographs. They come from American and European leaders in politics, war, music, art, literature, film, and science. These are people you know well, even if most died before you were born! Here are some of these signatures.
Winston Churchill is surely England's most
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