NYPD, Art Loss Register Seek Owners Of Book Collection
The New York Police Department (NYPD) has recovered a collection of rare Civil War-era books in the possession of a known thief. The books are believed to be stolen, though the loss has not been reported to the Art Loss Register or the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America. All nine books likely came from the same collection.
The recovered books are: Nehemiah Adams , South-Side View of Slavery , 1855; Albert Barnes , The Church and Slavery , 1857; Silas Casey, Infantry Tactics , 1862; Dean Dudley, Officers of our Union Army and Navy , 1862; William J. Hardee, Rifle and Infantry Tactics , 1863; Hinton Rowan Helper, The Impending Crisis of the South , 1860; Frederick Law Olmstead, The Cotton Kingdom , two volumes, 1861; James Redpath, The Public Life of Captain John Brown , 1860; and Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin , two volumes, 1862.
Anyone having information about this collection is asked to contact Detective Michael McFadden of the NYPD at 212-923-1188 or email michael.mcfadden@nypd.org , contact the Art Loss Register at 877-ART-LOSS or email stolen@alrny.com .
Signed Copy of Emma by Jane Austin Sells for 350,000 EU
An original signed copy of Jane Austen’s classic novel Emma has been sold by a [Briish] bookshop for £325,000.
Published in 1816, the hardback was presented by Austen to her friend Anne Sharp, the model for Mrs Weston in the novel, and has a handwritten inscription inside. READ MORE HERE
[Top]The Ninth Gate - Watch Online Free
The Ninth Gate starring Johnny Depp is a 1999 movie about a "semi sleazy" rare book scout hired to locate a copy of a rare test said to give extraordinary powers. It has been a long time favorite of book collectors as it portrays the elaborate search for a rare book (which many of us can relate to... You can watch it HERE
[Top]Preservation Box Design - Library of Congress
When The Library of Congress considered the undertaking the conservation and restoration of all the collections which needed immediate attention, they saw a daunting task. Lacking finds and trained staff, they determined to create an in-house Phased Preservation Boxing Program. The details, complete with in depth instructions and diagrams for building the preservation boxes can be found online at the Hathi Trust Digital Library.
The first Phased Preservation Boxing Program at the Library was designed to save a collection of about eight thousand rare European law books dating chiefly from the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries, the majority of which were in un-restored, stiff-board vellum bindings. This collection, subjected for many years to an adverse environment (high temperatures and fluctuating humidity), had been shelved in the conventional manner regardless of size.
Over the years the larger volumes, which were free to move, expanded and contracted in response to changes in temperature and humidity. Severe dam-
age to book structures and bindings was the inevitable result. Other types of mechanical damage were also widespread. Some immediate form of protection was urgently needed while awaiting the time when conservation treatment could be undertaken, perhaps within a decade or two.
This prgram is target primarily for books that do not see a lot of regular use as a way to stop or retard the damage done by time and light to the rare collections. A simple adaptation of this program by book collectors could protect and preserve their collections.
The Library stresses that phased boxes, being somewhat awkward to open and close, are not suitable for frequently used collections and are designed for valuable book collections which need stabilizing but are not handled very often.
I located this valuable resource online and want to share it with you. The first part of the publication consists of very detailed instructions to build the boxes from one or at most two pieces of archival boared. Detailed diagrams can be located at the end of the publication.
I hope you will find this information useful and at the very least will serve to turn your mind towards the important topic of preserving your valuable collections. The program has been very successful for the Library.
[Top]A Century for the Century - Book for Book Collectors
A Century for the Century
Product Details
• Hardcover: 110 pages
• Publisher: David R Godine; Rev Exp edition (November 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567922201
• ISBN-13: 978-1567922202
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
Any serious book collector (and the most serious belong to The Grolier Club, that pre-eminent New York shrine) harbors a latent penchant for lists.
These lists are usually generated in neat doses of one hundred titles. Here then (at least in the opinions of Messrs. Hutner and Kelly) are the hundred greatest printed books of the twentieth century. Given another pair of editors, you d probably be offered a different list, but this one serves and serves well, for it concentrates not only on the recognized chestnuts, but also lesser-known, and often exceedingly rare volumes that have left their mark. It is noteworthy that only two books in the survey were printed by offset; the rest are all letterpress. And although America is strongly represented, there are also selections from Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, England, Wales and Switzerland. Every book is illustrated in fine line duotone, many in color, and best of all, the captions that accompanied the original Grolier exhibit have been transcribed intact. In their two prefatory essays, Hutner has provided a convincing defense of his choices (1900 1948), and Kelly, a spirited apologia for his (1949 1999).
Joe Blumenthal ended his survey of fine printing in America with the observation that the art of the book, one of the slender graces of civilization, works its charm on each new generation. This survey, while admittedly neither comprehensive nor definitive, provides an excellent overview of fine printing over the past hundred years. Despite Morison s contention that typography is the most conservative of all the arts, the form of the book continues to mutate, evolve, and advance. If we are to overcome the complexities of a digital age, we would do well to appreciate, if not embrace, that heritage.
[Top]Book Collecting - A Filthy Habit Got Too Clean
I just read a fantastic post on Reality Studio, A William S Burroughs Community. The author, Jed Birmingham, laments the sanitary nature of Internet book collecting with eloquence and wit : "For centuries, a book dealer and a book collector would work together to build a meaningful collection. The relationship was not one of a john and a high-priced call girl, but that of an old married couple. No more. Now a book collector feels that he is a mark if he pays the asking price and a fool if he expresses loyalty to a small handful of dealers."
This an intelligent look at what has been lost and what is found woefully wanting in today's book collecting market. I highly suggest a thoughtful read... READ MORE HERE
[Top]Book Collecting is...
Book collecting is an obsession, an occupation, a disease, an addiction, a fascination, an absurdity, a fate. It is not a hobby. Those who do it must do it. Those who do not do it, think of it as a cousin of stamp collecting, a sister of the trophy cabinet, bastard of a sound bank account and a weak mind.
— Jeanette Winterson
Brodart - The Place For Book Supplies
We all know the importance of maintaining good condition for our books. And, I think we can agree that the dust jacket is the most fragile part of our collection. Keeping them out of direct sunlight is always a good start but covering them with plastic is the best way to protect and uphold value of our books. One of the first places I "discovered" as a book collector was the website of Broadart. They sell a wide range for both the institutional (libraties, schools, etc) and the private book collector. You can find them HERE. I prefer a glossy, midweight, jacket cover and generally order them in sheets (though if you have many covers to work on, a roll may be more economical).
One of the "tricks" to working with jacket covers is to form a nice sharp crease at the edge of the jacket. Broadart sells a few tools to accomplish this. My favorite is the bone folding tool. A less expensive plastic one can be bought but it is inferior to the heft of the bone one and just doesn't do as good of a job.
There are other supplies that are available on Broadart from erasers, to book cleaners to cotton gloves for handling valuable books. A package of 12 disposable gloves can be had for $5.15 and can be a great investiment in the preservation of your collection.
I have no financial relationship with Brodart - I don't make a commission if you buy anything from their site. I am providing this information because I wish it had been readily available to me when I first started collecting.
Here is a trick I picked up for dealing with books that smell. You know the ones - they come from houses where smokers lived or they were stored in a garage and smell a bit musty... I have a large plastic container with a tight fitting lid. I put kitty litter in it (no need to get fancy with this - just ordinary kitty litter will do). I place the smelly book on a wire rack on its back or for really smelly ones, I stand them on the bottom edge and fan the pages open. The lid is closed and they are left for 3 days to 3 weeks - depending on how bad the smell was. This make huge improvements in book odor. Do not expect miracles, however. If you come across a book that has been stored in a damp cellar for years and reeks of mold - DO NOT buy it at any cost. You do not want to introduce that mold into your collection, do you?
Do any of you have resources to share or tips and tricks that we will find helpful? If so, please leave them in the comment section of this post.
[Top]Want An Original Philip K. Dick? It Could Cost You $6500
Posted on i09 by Cyriaque Lamar, March 18, 2010.
The first editions of Philip K.Dick's novels saw limited runs and Dick rarely attended signings. As a result, early and signed copies of Dick's books fetch top dollar on the rare book circuit. Guess which Dick novel sold for $6.5K?
AbeBooks has compiled a list of the most expensive Dick sales ever to grace the site. Note that these are only the books that sold - there are plenty of pricey books still up for grabs. You can still pick up a first edition of Dr. Bloodmoney if you have $1500 lying around.
Here's the 15 most expensive rare Dick novels AbeBooks ever sold. Note the darkly screwball autographs from Dick himself:
1.) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - $6,500
2.) Deus Irae - $4,470
3.) The Man in the High Castle - $2,000 ("To Terry - To whom I admit (which I've never admitted to anyone else) that the second umlaut is left off the word Gotterdammerung in TMITHC. With all good wishes. Philip K. Dick")
4.) A Scanner Darkly - $2000 ("Philip K. Dick / Dope will kill you")
5.) The Game-Players of Titan - $1500 READ MORE
Most Beautiful Bookstore In The World?
Published by Cory Doctorow on Boing Boing
March 13, 2010
Bueno Aires's Librería El Ateneo Grand Splendid used to be a beautiful movie palace. Saved from the wrecker's ball, it is now one of the most majestic bookstores I've ever clapped eyes upon, a veritable temple to books.
Marilyn sez, "El Ateneo Grand Splendid in downtown Buenos Aires is a spectacular bookstore that retains all the glamour of its former life as a 1920s movie palace, with a original balconies, painted ceiling, ornate carvings and crimson stage curtains. Photo by Bob Krist for National Geographic Traveler. The Guardian named El Ateneo as one of the top ten bookshops in the world (along with Secret Headquarters):'Where else can you sit in a theater box and leisurely read a volume of Neruda, or sip a cortado where Carlos Gardel once performed?'"
Do you have another contender for the world's most beautiful bookstore? Let us know about it!
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