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| AE Monthly Archives -- July, 2009
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AE Monthly
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Letters to the editors
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By Bruce McKinney
These days the world of collectible books is a warren of categories - on line listings, shops on Main Street, catalogues on line and through the mail, presentations at trade shows, and auctions, both traditional and eBay. These categories function independently. They sell to different customers - dividing the world of rare and collectible books into a mosaic of hundreds if not thousands of pieces.
The
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By Bruce McKinney
On June 19th the most recent and certainly not final chapter of the Graham Arader story was written in the auction rooms at Sotheby's, as they conducted a 202 lot sale of selected inventory from the storied archives of W. Graham Arader of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and Madison Avenue in New York. The sale realized $3.26 million. No doubt, many dealers wished for the sale to fail and were deeply disappointed
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By Bruce McKinney
I'm using Google Books to identify additional early [or old if you prefer] material for the Rondout & Kingston Wiki Bibliography that I'm building on AE. The subject and purpose are unimportant. You can search for anything for any purpose; for research, collecting or whatever. I am hopeful of finding additional material to add to the one hundred eleven items I've already identified, and given the magnitude
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By Bruce McKinney
Every 18 hours, more or less, a documented traditional auction completes somewhere in the world. The sale may be in North America, Europe, Central America or Australia; in New York, Sydney, London, Paris, Los Angeles or in any of the other places documented book auctions are conducted. A few days later the sold and unsold lots are confirmed and realized prices added, the sale then archived in the Americana
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By Bruce McKinney
We now live in the internet age. This is the same age that just ten years ago was called the television age, which wrested the title from the "age of print" in the 1960s. The "age of information" of course scoffs at all these distinctions which it points out is just putting data in one pocket or another of the pants they have been wearing from the beginning of time. Where there is information there
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By Renee Magriel Roberts
I can't seem to make the same dinner twice. Can't do it. I know that homemaker skills may have traditionally had the pot roast night or the fish night, with well-honed recipes, perfected over the years. I just can't get my arms around that kind of planning. I like to look at the available ingredients in an ad hoc way, sort of re-invent the meal as a one-time-only event. It is a standing joke at my house
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By Michael Stillman
A couple of the more notable cases involving books and bookselling have been delayed or deleted. The case of Raymond Scott, of Durham, England, was postponed until August when his attorney informed the court that Mr. Scott was in the hospital, recovering from an unspecified operation. Scott is the gentleman who walked into the Folger Library in Washington last year with a copy of a Shakespeare First Folio
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By Michael Stillman
Opera, the somewhat obscure Norwegian internet browser and software designer, recently announced the development of a browser that also lets your computer function as a server. Yes, this article is related to books. Stay tuned. We will not get technical! A browser is the software on your computer that lets you access the internet and view all of those countless sites and web pages out there. A server is the
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By Michael Stillman
What the FBI has described as a "literal treasure trove of artifacts," 1,600 relics including over 1,000 books and manuscripts, has been returned to Italy. The collection was discovered in a small suburban Chicago home two years ago. Meanwhile, another 2,000 items whose origin or ownership could not be determined have been returned to the estate of the man possessing this amazing trove. As described by the
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By Michael Stillman
An interesting Lincoln letter, missing from the National Archives for many decades, perhaps longer, made its way home recently, a gift from a collector who purchased it from an online auction in 2006, unaware of its history. The letter was written on November 14, 1863, just five days before the President delivered his Gettysburg Address. While this letter is not so momentous, and is even briefer still than
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By Michael Stillman
This has been a tough year for the book trade. Our own figures, gathered from auction results around the world, indicate a drop of 30%-plus in prices since the peak a little over a year ago. Not that this is specifically related to books. One look at your mutual funds or 401k portfolio will tell you this represents the state of the economy more than the state of books. Just try to sell your house! So, it
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By Michael Stillman
A book has been published that is an absolute must for anyone who collects L. Frank Baum, the Oz books, or anything closely related. The title is The Book Collector's Guide to L. Frank Baum and Oz, written by Paul R. Bienvenue with Robert E. Schmidt, and is published by March Hare Books of El Segundo, California. It even contains a foreword from the author's great-grandson, Robert A. Baum, who knew
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By Karen Wright
I had been trying to download my antiquated Access book inventory to Bookhound 7c through Biblio.com off and on for months. Bibliopolis, creators of Bookhound, allows the bookseller to download Bookhound 7c free through Biblio.com. I really liked the features and the way it worked, but every time I tried to download my inventory into it, I ran into a snag. Biblio couldn't download from my inventory either,
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This month, we review 19 new bookseller catalogues. Literature is the focus of the William Reese Company, while James Pepper Rare Books features literature and film, James Cummins Bookseller literature and Americana. David Lesser Antiquarian Books offers strictly Americana.
The 19th Century Shop has a collection of important books and manuscripts. The Raab Collection presents historic, signed
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By Michael Stillman
The 19th Century Shop has issued their 125th catalogue: Rare Books and Manuscripts of All Ages. They might have called it "Rare Books and Manuscripts for All Ages." This is a collection of important, sometimes unique material from some of the greatest names of the past three centuries. From politics and government we find Washington, Lincoln, Disraeli, Paine, and others; literature and poetry
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By Michael Stillman
This month we review our first catalogue from Peter L. Masi - Books, though for Masi, this is Catalog 200. It is hard to describe this assembly of over 500 items from this rural, western Massachusetts (Montague) bookseller. Masi describes it as "a very mixed bag, some interesting and amusing selections." I'd be tempted to say you might find anything here, but you won't. There's no Shakespeare
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By Michael Stillman
The George S. MacManus Company has issued their Catalogue 402. Civil War Part II. A while back, Clarence Wolf of the MacManus Company purchased much of the inventory of the late Civil War bookseller Douglas O'Dell of Chapel Hill Rare Books. Combining this southern-oriented inventory with his own has created a large collection of works pertaining to the conflict, including memoirs of many foot
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By Michael Stillman
Twelfth Street Booksellers, the Southern California specialist in gemology books, has published an unexpected catalogue. It is a combination 25th Anniversary and Tribute to Michael Hurley. As explained by proprietor Lillian Cole, it was the eccentric Los Angeles bibliophile Michael Hurley who gave her a start in the book trade. Not that she ever met Hurley, but then again, not that many
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By Michael Stillman
Samuel Gedge Ltd. Rare Books has issued Catalogue VI, a most interesting collection of antiquarian books and other items. Among the "other items" are various certificates such as ships' licenses, school notes, passports, maps, broadsides, architectural plans, account books, even a wallet. This is a fine collection of very old material from the British bookseller that will interest anyone fascinated
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By Michael Stillman
James Pepper Rare Books has issued a new catalogue, Catalogue 183, which follows their typical format, but is filled with new material we have not seen before. Literature, film and mystery are their primary subjects, with many of the items being one-of-a-kind, such as manuscripts or inscribed copies of books. There is even an unproduced, unpublished script from the Great Fitzgerald, whose attempts
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By Michael StillmanDavid M. Lesser Fine Antiquarian Books has now issued their 109th catalogue of Rare Americana. This is a collection primarily of 18th and 19th century pamphlets concerning what were the burning issues of the day. These are not works about history. They are history being made. Anyone with a love for Americana will appreciate a Lesser catalogue as these are eyewitness reports of America either before
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By Michael Stillman
The Raab Collection has issued Catalog 60 of autographs and signed documents. They are all signed by notable personalities, and most pertain to some event of historic significance. Raab's catalogues are particularly helpful as they provide a wealth of background for most items. You will learn a lot of history, along with being introduced to some of the documentation of the events described.
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By Michael Stillman
Marc Selvaggio, Bookseller, has issued Catalogue 129. On Paper. Photographs, Prints, Manuscripts, Books et al. If it's printed on paper, it might be here. Selvaggio finds many unusual items, along with some notable books, particularly on 19th century travel and exploration in continental America. However, we will admit to being drawn to the uncommon and unusual, so that will be our focus as
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By Michael Stillman
Helen R. Kahn and Associates has released a catalogue which will appeal to collectors of antiquarian books. The title is Books Printed Before 1700. This is a collection of 16th and 17th century books primarily in Latin, French and English (with some German and Italian) about many varied subjects. Quite a few pertain to the still new and relatively unexplored lands of the Americas. Many others
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By Michael Stillman
Burkhard Sulzen has issued Katalog 13 of Schone & Seltene Plakate (Fine and Rare Posters in English). This catalogue is in German, but the good thing about posters is they are usually about visuals, not words. These are essentially items of art with a few words of explanation. Mostly, they were intended to sell you something. Usually it is a commercial product, although in some cases
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By Michael Stillman
Bernard J. Shapero Rare Books has issued a catalogue entitled Rare Books and Photographs 2009. That is probably about as specific a title as one can use here, as there is a wide variety of types of material offered. There is literature, history, travel, classic works, natural history, children's books, art, architecture, costume books, anthologies, military works, and more. This is just for
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By Michael Stillman
Plaza Books has issued a brief, but nonetheless interesting List 29, with items primarily relating to Mexico and the American Southwest. Some items have much broader horizons, such as antiquarian maps of the United States, but these do cover the Southwest and border regions of Mexico, so they qualify. Additionally, there are several items that relate to Texas from a time when it was neither
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By Michael Stillman
James Cummins Bookseller recently published Catalogue 101. This selection of 280 items is divided into three segments: 20th Century Literature, 18th and 19th Century Literature, and Americana. This includes many items from names you know well, particularly among the literary works, with a few that are obscure, but perhaps witnessed important events. Here are a few of the 280 items we found
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By Michael Stillman
Just in time for the advent of summer is the latest catalogue from Leo Cadogan Rare Books: Catalogue Two - Summer 2009. Cadogan does not specialize in a particular field, but the overwhelming majority of their books are easily defined as "antiquarian," mostly from the 16th through the 18th century. Considering the time period and Cadogan's London location, you would expect primarily English
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By Michael Stillman
We have received the latest presentation from Rudi Thoemmes Rare Books, their 18th catalogue, History of Ideas. Thoemmes specializes in books of philosophy, covering the great thoughts, and the not-so great thoughts, of man. Most of these go back to the days when science, philosophy, and religion were more intertwined than they are today. Observation and the scientific method have made these
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By Michael Stillman
Gert Jan Bestebreurtje Rare Books has issued A Fine Selection of Books and Prints on the Dutch East Indies and Beyond. This, naturally, includes many works related to the land today known as Indonesia, the major Dutch colony for several centuries, but it also covers many other locations. Several of the books include long journeys, even around the world, so many lands find their way into this
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By Michael Stillman
The Ten Pound Island Book Company has issued its second catalogue composed primarily of material from the Laurence Urdang collection: Maritime List 184. Lawrence Urdang was the lexicographer who created the first dictionary composed with the aid of a computer, the 1966 Random House edition. Late in his life, he began work on a maritime dictionary. To find every seafaring word and phrase he
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By Michael Stillman
Catalogue 269 from the William Reese Company is entitled Literary Miscellany. This month Reese moves away from their typical nonfiction to a collection of literature, poetry, movie scripts, mystery, fine press works and such. There are 600 moderately priced items in all. Some are centuries old, others but a few years. There is certainly variety here to fit just about any collection of
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