Well it's been quite a rollercoaster, these last few weeks. And things are going to continue to be a bit tumultuous for the next month-and-a-bit, so please pardon any lengthy radio silences that may result. I am delighted to say that in early December I will undertake a new adventure as a Special Collections Librarian at Binghamton University, so I'm in the midst now of packing and preparing for my move home to upstate New York. I'm very much looking forward to being at Binghamton, being closer to my family, and having snowy winters again!
Of course this change also means I'm trying to get things as buttoned up as possible for my successor at Rare Book School before I finish up there just before Thanksgiving. I'm glad to be able to have this year's Boston Antiquarian Book Fair as my sort of "last hurrah" at the RBS table, and look forward to seeing many of you there. This will, I realized the other day, be the fifteenth consecutive Boston fair I've attended ... with many more to come, I hope!
I'm sure I've missed a great deal of biblio-news over the last little while, so please don't hesitate to let me know what I haven't included here and I'll be sure to include it next time.
- ILAB has prepared a summary of its understanding of how new (and utterly ridiculous) tariffs will impact the book trade.
- Swann Galleries have posted a short video highlighting their history as an auction house for books and manuscripts.
- Two excellent writers and biblio-humans have launched newsletters that I've signed up for: Jen Howard and Sarah Werner.
- The owners of the Strand are planning to sue New York's Landmarks Preservation Commission over the agency's designation of the bookshop as a historic building.
- Stephen Grant has Part I of Henry Clay Folger's Deltiological Profile over at The Collation.
- A great story of biblio-kindness (and a fabulous association copy) from Kurt Zimmerman over at American Book Collecting.
- A book on rifles signed by John Wilkes Booth goes to auction this week.
- The story about Dirk Obbink and the sale of biblical papyrus fragments to Hobby Lobby has advanced a great deal recently. From the ARCA blog, "A Scandal of Biblical Proportions" and a followup post containing among other things a statement from Obbink. Katie Shepherd covers the story for the WaPo. See also the EES statement.
- The Chesapeake and Northern California Chapters of APHA have produced collaborative 2020 calendars for your time-keeping and typographical enjoyment.
- From Eric White at Notabilia, "Two 16th-Century Cambridge Bindings by Garrett Godfrey."
- Zoe Abrams has posted a version of her February 2019 Philobiblon Club talk, "What's New in Antiquarian Bookselling?"
- Over at Medieval Manuscripts Provenance, two posts on the Patou Bible in the collections of the Free Library of Philadelphia: Part One, Part Two.
- The course lineup and registration are now available for the 2020 Australasian Rare Books Summer School (Sydney, 3–7 February 2020).
- Christiane Gruber writes for Prospect about the continuing breakup of Islamic manuscripts for the art market. A very important piece.
- "60 Minutes" will air a segment tonight on the theft and forgery of copies of the Columbus Letter.
- Over at LitHub, "The Role of Librarians in a Historical Age of Obsession," by Mark Purcell.
- The Morgan Library & Museum has acquired Jayne Wrightsman's exceptional collection of French manuscripts and fine bindings.
- Yale has, for reasons entirely passing understanding, stopped funding for the excellent Native Northeast Research Collaborative.
- From Unbound, a look at the work being done at the Smithsonian Libraries' book conservation lab to save Caribbean materials damaged during Hurricanes Maria and Irma.
Review
- D.W. Young's new film "The Booksellers"; review by Owen Glieberman in Variety.
Upcoming Auctions
- Fine Books and Manuscripts, Including the Dodge Family Autograph Collection, Natural History, Travel and Americana at Bonhams New York on 23 October.
- Historical Manuscripts Featuring the Bret J. Formichi American Civil War Rarities Collection at Heritage on 23 October.
- Americana – Yosemite – Travel & Exploration – World History – Cartography at PBA Galleries on 24 October.
- Early Printed, Travel, Scientific & Medical Books at Swann Galleries on 24 October.
- Estate of John and Elaine Steinbeck Manuscripts at Heritage on 24 October.
- Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts Including Americana at Christie's New York on 25 October.
- The George F. Kolbe Library at Kolbe & Fanning on 26 October.
