Back, after a wonderful trip to Scotland and Iceland followed immediately by a move. I'm taking a break from unpacking (so, so much unpacking) to get caught up here, though I'm sure there are many things I completely lost track of while I was gone. Feel free to let me know what I missed!
- Next Friday and Saturday (6–7 April) will be the Virginia Antiquarian Book Fair, in Richmond. Do visit if you can!
- One of the bookshops I visited in Edinburgh, Golden Hare Books, is featured in the Guardian's "Browse a bookshop" column.
- Pittsburgh-area police are investigating thefts from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and request any assistance. See a PDF list of some items believed stolen. More from Michael Stillman for Rare Books Monthly and from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Video of the panel discussion at the New York Book Fair on women and collecting is now available via the ABAA blog.
- Quite a garage find, highlighted in the Fine Books Blog.
- From Francis Morrone in The Hopkins Review, "Bookshop Memories."
- Over at Reading Copy, an interview with Heather O'Donnell and Rebecca Romney. As a reminder, the second Honey & Wax Book Collecting Contest (open to women collectors under 30) is now accepting applications!
- The National Library of New Zealand has received a collection of twenty important books printed between 1472 and 1512.
- From the Princeton Graphic Arts collection blog, "How much did a wood engraving cost in 1862?"
- The Library of Congress is running a webinar series highlighting the Mesoamerican manuscripts in their collections.
- A bookseller has been convicted of stealing a signed copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire from Hatchards in December. He was recognized by staff since he had sold items to the shop in the past.
- The University of Edinburgh has acquired a much-annotated copy of Ben Jonson's works, after the UK government instituted an export ban.
- From the University of Rochester, "The myth—and memorabilia—of Seward's Folly."
- Blake Morrison asks in the Guardian, "should an author's dying wishes be obeyed?"
- From the BL's Medieval Manuscripts blog, "Cracking a medieval code."
- At The Binder's Ticket, "Bookplates or book labels?"
- Daniel Richter posts for the Huntington Library blog on "John Ogilby's English Restoration Fantasy."
- A bit on Isaiah Thomas' library (now on LibraryThing) from yours truly as Past is Present.
- Isabel Planton is featured in the FB&C "Bright Young Librarians" series. Ditto Rebecca Baumann.
- Katarzyna Lecky writes for The Collation on "The Strange and Practical Beauty of Small-Format Herbals."
- Rich Rennicks has posted a number of links to coverage of this year's New York Antiquarian Book Fair. The NYTimes focused on fashion.
- Rebecca Romney covers book curses for Mental Floss.
- Kurt Zimmerman notes the publication of John R. Payne's Great Catalogues by Master Booksellers.
- The Guardian reported on the sale of various Sylvia Plath items at Bonhams last month. Peter Steinberg has a full rundown of the auction, and some additional analysis.
- The April Rare Book Monthly includes Bruce McKinney's "Enigma, Seeking a Eureka," about a tantalizing French manuscript (do help with that if you can!).
- At Medieval Manuscripts Provenance, another fascinating provenance hunt, this time with some cuttings from the collection of the Free Library of Philadelphia.
- From Adam Schachter, "Adventures of an Absent-Minded Treasure Hunter."
- The Guardian highlights some of the great Tolkien material on show as part of the major Bodleian exhibition.
- I missed the Clements Library post about "Battle Estrays" in February, so I'm grateful to J.L. Bell for noting it as he digs into one of the examples cited.
Reviews
- Lucy Mangan's Bookworm; review by Kathryn Hughes in the Guardian.
- Julia Miller's Meeting by Accident; review by Barbara Adams Hebard for BookArtsWeb.
- Jo Nesbø's Hogarth Shakespeare Macbeth; review by Alexander Larman in the Guardian.
- Daniel Kalder's The Infernal Library; review by Ernest Hilbert is in the WaPo.
Upcoming Auctions
- Antique Scientific Instruments, Globes and Cameras at Dorotheum on 4 April.
- Fine & Rare Books at PBA Galleries on 5 April.
- Entertainment Memorabilia at Potter & Potter on 7 April.
