by Anthony Marshall
The yak lay diagonally across the track in front of us, quietly chewing its tobacco, or its cud, or whatever it is that yaks chew. It made a pretty effective road block. On one side we had a steepling wall of slick rock, on the other a sheer drop of a thousand metres or two thousand metres, enough metres anyway to do us in if we slipped over the edge, which would not have been difficult. “Now we must wait,” said Tralick, our guide, smiling his dazzling smile. “I make tea.” ...more
by John Huckans
I've been reading Robert Massie's Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War (New York: Random House, 1991) for much of the winter – it's not because I'm a slow reader, but Massie's ability to breathe so much life into the history he knows so intimately makes the reader want to take plenty of time to absorb and reflect on what's been read. I wouldn't rush through one of Massie's books any more than I'd down a glass of the best oloroso or cortado Spanish sherry as if it were a pint of draft Yuengling. ...more
Book Fair Calendar
Ann Arbor Antiquarian Book Fair. Ann Arbor, MI. May 19, 2013. (See ad in May/June issue.)
New England Antiquarian Book & Ephemera Fair. Concord, NH. June 2, 2013. (See ad in May/June issue.)
PBFA Antiquarian Book Fair. London, England. June 9, 2013.
London International Antiquarian Book Fair. London, England. June 13–15, 2013.
PBFA Antiquarian Book Fair. London, England. June 14, 2013.
Rose City Used Book Fair. Portland, OR. June 14–15, 2013.
Cooperstown Antiquarian Book Fair. Cooperstown, NY. June 29, 2013. (See ad in May/June issue.)
Twin Cities Book Fair. St. Paul, MN. June 29, 2013. (See ad in May/June issue.)
Tennessee Antiquarian Book Fair. Sewanee, TN. July 20–21, 2013. (See ad in May/June issue.)
PulpFest 2013. Columbus, OH. July 25–28, 2013. (See ad in May/June issue.)
Searles Castle Antiquarian Book Fair. Great Barrington, MA. July 27, 2013. (See ad in May/June issue.)
Rocky Mountain Antiquarian Book Fair. Denver, CO. August 2–3, 2013. (See ad in May/June issue.)
Pasadena Antiquarian Book Fair. Pasadena, CA. August 10–11, 2013. (See ad in May/June issue.)
Vermont Summer Antiquarian Book Fair. Brattleboro, Vermont. August 11, 2013. (See ad in May/June issue.)
Baltimore Summer Antiques Show & Antiquarian Book Fair. Baltimore, MD. August 22–25, 2013. (See ad in May/June issue.)
Papermania Antique Paper Show. Hartford, CT. August 24–25, 2013. (See ad in May/June issue.)
Rochester Antiquarian Book Fair. Rochester, NY. September 7, 2013.
Sacramento Antiquarian Book Fair. Sacramento, CA. September 14, 2013.
Buffalo Niagara International Book, Paper & Ephemera Fair. Buffalo, NY. September 20–21, 2013. (See ad in May/June issue.)
New Hampshire Antiquarian Book Fair. Nashua, NH. September 21, 2013. (See ad in May/June issue.)
Papertown. Boxborough, MA. September 28, 2013.
Vancouver Book Fair. Vancouver, Canada. September 28–29, 2013.
Montreal Antiquarian Book Fair. Montreal, Canada. September 28–29, 2013.
Georgia Fine & Collectible Book Fair. Marietta, GA. September 28–29, 2013.
Long Island Book Fair. Hempstead, NY. October 12–13, 2013.
Pioneer Valley Book & Ephemera Fair. Northampton, MA. October 13, 2013.
Boston Antiques & Design: Book, Paper & Photo Room. Wilmington, MA. October 19–20, 2013.
Toronto International Antiquarian Book Fair. Toronto, Canada. November 8–10, 2013.
Boston Book, Paper & Ephemera Show. Boston, MA. November 16, 2013. (See ad in March/April issue.)
San Francisco Book, Print & Paper Fair. San Francisco, CA. February 1–2, 2014.
More Doings at the Morgan ...
The Morgan Library & Museum will continue its popular Treasures from the Vault exhibition series this spring with the presentation of thirty diverse works in its iconic 1906 McKim building. The great library was commissioned by museum founder Pierpont Morgan and completed in 1906, just seven years prior to his death in 1913. To commemorate Morgan’s life as one of America’s best known financiers and philanthropists, a selection of items will be exhibited in the library’s marbled rotunda. Included in the display will be Morgan’s high school essay on Napoleon Bonaparte (he considered Bonaparte’s tragic flaw to be placing “personal ambition” ahead of “the future welfare of his country”); a stock certificate from the United States Steel Corporation—an enormous undertaking which gave Morgan control of almost half the nation’s steelmaking capacity—signed by the company’s first president, Charles Schwab; the last surviving letter from Belle da Costa Greene, Morgan’s dynamic librarian, sent to her “Big Chief” shortly before his death; and the iconic portrait of Morgan by legendary photographer Edward Steichen.
Additional highlights from this season’s Treasures includeColm Tóibín’s manuscript of the short novel The Testament of Mary, the basis for his play that debuted in New York in April; a mid-fifteenth-century English cookery scroll containing nearly two hundred recipes in Middle English; autograph music manuscripts by Wagner, Verdi, and Britten; the first book printed in the English language; and writings by Jane Austen and Albert Einstein. The objects will be on view until October 6, 2013.
The very first book printed in the English language was a collection (recuyell) of courtly romances related to the city of Troy. The book, printed by William Caxton in Belgium, was intended for the English communities on the continent and for export to England. By 1476 Caxton returned to England to build the country’s first printing press.
For over three hundred years, Books of Hours were a popular means of assisting the faithful with their devotions, teaching children to read, and recording family histories. Some small and precious Books of Hours, however, functioned less like a book and more like a piece of jewelry. The ornamental quality of the sixteenth-century manuscript on view—illuminated by Simon Bening, the last and greatest Flemish illuminator of that century—was enhanced two centuries later when its owner commissioned its elaborate, detachable gilt silver filigree binding.
Jane Austen’s letters to her sister, Cassandra, offer valuable and entertaining glimpses into her private life. In the 1815 letter on view—written while Jane was living at the London home of her elder brother—she tells Cassandra of the delivery of “a brace of pheasants,” continuing, “We shall live upon Pheasants; no bad Life!”
For more information call (212) 685-0008 or visit www.themorgan.org
PulpFest 2013
“PulpFest” is an annual convention of readers, writers, publishers and collectors of pulp fiction in various formats. Every year, dealers from across the country assemble in Columbus to offer original rough-paper magazines by the tens of thousands. They also display related material including collectable hardcover pulp reprints (from such publishers as Arkham House, Gnome Press, Shasta, Fantasy Press, etc.), story papers and dime novels, vintage paperbacks, and newly published reprints of classic pulp stories. Unlike the science-fiction conventions that gave birth to pulp fandom, PulpFest has kept its focus on the written word, and the large sales room almost exclusively reflects that concentration. Even the few dealers who don't sell books or magazines bring related material, such as original pulp art and DVDs of pulp-themed movies. Rare material is also available at auctions held in the evenings after the dealers area closes. Additionally, PulpFest attendees may enjoy informative, entertaining, theme-driven programming – panel discussions, solo presentations, guest interviews, and film screenings.
The dual themes of this year's convention (July 25-28, at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Columbus) are the 80th anniversary of the 1933 explosion in single-character pulps (which ...more
Book Auction Calendar
Dreweatt’s & Bloomsbury. London, England. May 16, 2013.
Swann Galleries. New York, NY. May 16, 2013. (See ad in March/April issue.)
Jeschke van Vliet Auctions. Berlin, Germany. May 17, 2013.
Swann Galleries. New York, NY. May 23, 2013. (See ad in March/April issue.)
Dreweatt’s & Bloomsbury. London, England. May 30, 2013.
PBA Galleries. San Francisco, CA. May 30, 2013.
Skinner, Inc.. Boston, MA. June 1, 2013.
Sotheby’s. London, England. June 5, 2013.
Swann Galleries. New York, NY. June 6, 2013. (See ad in March/April issue.)
Dreweatt’s & Bloomsbury. London, England. June 12–13, 2013.
PBA Galleries. San Francisco, CA. June 13, 2013.
Swann Galleries. New York, NY. June 13, 2013. (See ad in March/April issue.)
Bonham’s. London, England. June 18, 2013.
Swann Galleries. New York, NY. June 20, 2013. (See ad in March/April issue.)
Bonham’s. Oxford, England. June 25, 2013.
Bonham’s. New York, NY. June 25, 2013.
Swann Galleries. New York, NY. June 27, 2013. (See ad in March/April issue.)
Sotheby’s. London, England. July 9, 2013.
Freeman’s. Philadelphia, PA. July 16, 2013. (See ad in May/June issue.)
Dreweatt’s & Bloomsbury. London, England. July 18, 2013.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. Chicago, IL. August 7, 2013.
Swann Galleries. New York, NY. August 7, 2013. (See ad in March/April issue.)
Dreweatt’s & Bloomsbury. London, England. August 15, 2013.
Swann Galleries. New York, NY. August 22, 2013. (See ad in March/April issue.)
Bonham’s. San Francisco (CA) & New York (NY). October 16, 2013.
Dreweatt’s & Bloomsbury. London, England. November 4, 2013.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. Chicago, IL. November 6, 2013.
Bonham’s. New York, NY. December 17, 2013.
