Monday, March 12, 2007
GalleyCat Poll Results
Last week, the folks at GalleyCat asked "What's the most likely way a book gets on your reading list?" They've now posted the results. Not particularly surprising, and the numbers are probably too low (and the sample far too unscientific) to mean anything, but there they are nonetheless.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Links &c.
- Joyce passed along this story from today's New York Times, which suggests "As more museums and archives become digital domains, and as electronic resources become the main tool for gathering information, items left behind in nondigital form, scholars and archivists say, are in danger of disappearing from the collective cultural memory, potentially leaving our historical fabric riddled with holes."
James Hastings, director of access services at the National Archives, told the Times "If researchers conclude that the only valuable records they need are those that are online they will be missing major parts of the story. And in some cases they will miss the story altogether." And researchers who think like that are shoddy researchers indeed.
It is not, in my view, the responsibility of archives and museums to make their collections digital (though if they can, more power to them); rather, the institutions should focus on making records of their holdings available (as they are indeed doing) so that researchers can find out what's where and use it as they need to/are able to. Mounting online public access catalogs will spur reference questions and non-local visits (I can personally vouch for that), without incurring the high costs of large-scale digitization efforts.
It's an interesting article on digitization efforts, but the 'historical fabric' will only be 'riddled with holes' if we succumb to the ridiculous idea that only digitized materials matter.
- The New Yorker's "Shouts and Murmurs" column this week takes on the controversy over the inclusion of the word 'scrotum' in this year's Newbery-award-winning children's book. Slightly raunchy, but quite hilarious.
- Off the Shelf (and many others) have posted on the ongoing theBookseller.com poll (at the lower right) to determine "The Oddest Book Title of the Year." The nominees this time:
Tattooed Mountain Women and Spoon Boxes of Daghestan;
How Green Were the Nazis?;
D. Di Mascio's Delicious Ice Cream: D. Di Mascio of Coventry: An Ice Cream Company of Repute, with an Interesting and Varied Fleet of Ice Cream Vans;
The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification; Proceedings of the Eighteenth International Seaweed Symposium;
Better Never To Have Been: The Harm of Coming Into Existence.
My vote went to the shopping carts, although the spoon boxes were a close second. BBC also has a story up about this, eh, contest (via Shelf:Life)
- Over at Upward Departure, Travis has several posts worth reading: in one, he very nicely comments on the work that this blog and others do in exposing and publicizing thefts of books and maps. He's also got a pair of entries (here and here) on Constantin von Tischendorf's discovery (and theft) of an ancient Old Testament manuscript (the Codex Sinaiticus) at St. Catherine's monastery near Mt. Sinai.
- Paul Collins has posts about a writer's fellowship where you can live - for free - in Jack Kerouac's Florida home (apply here), and about the 1861 game "The Checkered Game of Life" by Milton Bradley.
- Ed at Bibliothecary posted a very interesting omnigatherum on William Blake, which is worth checking out.
- If you haven't yet made the AbeBooks blog Reading Copy part of your regular blog-reading schedule, I encourage you to do so. Their posts are always timely and of interest.
- Bytown Bookshop has one of the best "borrower beware" notes I've ever seen.
- Michael Lieberman comments on what appears to be a rather suspicious book-marketing scheme thought up by business 'guru' Richard Paul Evans.
- BibliOdyssey, feeing my endless appetite for natural history illustrations, has a beautiful selection of John Gould's hummingbirds.
James Hastings, director of access services at the National Archives, told the Times "If researchers conclude that the only valuable records they need are those that are online they will be missing major parts of the story. And in some cases they will miss the story altogether." And researchers who think like that are shoddy researchers indeed.
It is not, in my view, the responsibility of archives and museums to make their collections digital (though if they can, more power to them); rather, the institutions should focus on making records of their holdings available (as they are indeed doing) so that researchers can find out what's where and use it as they need to/are able to. Mounting online public access catalogs will spur reference questions and non-local visits (I can personally vouch for that), without incurring the high costs of large-scale digitization efforts.
It's an interesting article on digitization efforts, but the 'historical fabric' will only be 'riddled with holes' if we succumb to the ridiculous idea that only digitized materials matter.
- The New Yorker's "Shouts and Murmurs" column this week takes on the controversy over the inclusion of the word 'scrotum' in this year's Newbery-award-winning children's book. Slightly raunchy, but quite hilarious.
- Off the Shelf (and many others) have posted on the ongoing theBookseller.com poll (at the lower right) to determine "The Oddest Book Title of the Year." The nominees this time:
Tattooed Mountain Women and Spoon Boxes of Daghestan;
How Green Were the Nazis?;
D. Di Mascio's Delicious Ice Cream: D. Di Mascio of Coventry: An Ice Cream Company of Repute, with an Interesting and Varied Fleet of Ice Cream Vans;
The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification; Proceedings of the Eighteenth International Seaweed Symposium;
Better Never To Have Been: The Harm of Coming Into Existence.
My vote went to the shopping carts, although the spoon boxes were a close second. BBC also has a story up about this, eh, contest (via Shelf:Life)
- Over at Upward Departure, Travis has several posts worth reading: in one, he very nicely comments on the work that this blog and others do in exposing and publicizing thefts of books and maps. He's also got a pair of entries (here and here) on Constantin von Tischendorf's discovery (and theft) of an ancient Old Testament manuscript (the Codex Sinaiticus) at St. Catherine's monastery near Mt. Sinai.
- Paul Collins has posts about a writer's fellowship where you can live - for free - in Jack Kerouac's Florida home (apply here), and about the 1861 game "The Checkered Game of Life" by Milton Bradley.
- Ed at Bibliothecary posted a very interesting omnigatherum on William Blake, which is worth checking out.
- If you haven't yet made the AbeBooks blog Reading Copy part of your regular blog-reading schedule, I encourage you to do so. Their posts are always timely and of interest.
- Bytown Bookshop has one of the best "borrower beware" notes I've ever seen.
- Michael Lieberman comments on what appears to be a rather suspicious book-marketing scheme thought up by business 'guru' Richard Paul Evans.
- BibliOdyssey, feeing my endless appetite for natural history illustrations, has a beautiful selection of John Gould's hummingbirds.
Book Review: "Children in Colonial America"
Children in Colonial America, edited by Marquette University's James Marten, is a new anthology of some of the most recent historical scholarship on American children and childhood during the colonial period. Marten notes that he tried with this book to bring a cross-regional and cross-racial perspective into the discussion, at which he's succeeded perhaps to the extent possible. By interspersing the historical essays with documents of relevance to each section of the collection, Marten provides some necessary primary source context (not to mention some amusing and thought-provoking selections).
Of particular interest to me were the essays on Indian childhood in traditional and "praying" contexts during the early colonial period in southern New England, the raising of upper-class children in eighteenth-century South Carolina, a very interesting discussion of youth education in Philadelphia, and some thoughts on the role of Boston's youth in the pre-Revolutionary riots against British authority.
A useful, current and largely impressive anthology on an under-studied topic.
Of particular interest to me were the essays on Indian childhood in traditional and "praying" contexts during the early colonial period in southern New England, the raising of upper-class children in eighteenth-century South Carolina, a very interesting discussion of youth education in Philadelphia, and some thoughts on the role of Boston's youth in the pre-Revolutionary riots against British authority.
A useful, current and largely impressive anthology on an under-studied topic.
Update: Civil War Documents Returned
In early September I posted about some Civil War records which had been stolen from a display at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library (NC). Today there's good news to report: a McClatchy wire service dispatch notes that the exhibit curator, Shelia Bumgarner, said the documents had been placed anonymously in her mailbox and were discovered on Friday.
"Bumgarner said she was recently approached by someone who said he knew where the documents were, and that they had been taken by someone who believed the exhibit glorified the Civil War - which wasn't her intent, she said. 'I'm sorry the person was offended,' she said. 'I wish they had come to me and talked to me about it and we had tried to work it out.'"
Friday, Bumgarner found an envelope in her box. Inside was a copy of "Philadelphia Trumpet" magazine. A note was on the front, telling her to look through the entire magazine. The documents were in a manila envelope between the pages."
The documents - "a hand-written furlough for a Confederate soldier and a certificate of medical examination of a slave" - are owned by author Walt Hilderman, who believes their theft was connected with his controversial book They Went Into the Fight Cheering: Confederate Conscription in North Carolina.
"Bumgarner said she was recently approached by someone who said he knew where the documents were, and that they had been taken by someone who believed the exhibit glorified the Civil War - which wasn't her intent, she said. 'I'm sorry the person was offended,' she said. 'I wish they had come to me and talked to me about it and we had tried to work it out.'"
Friday, Bumgarner found an envelope in her box. Inside was a copy of "Philadelphia Trumpet" magazine. A note was on the front, telling her to look through the entire magazine. The documents were in a manila envelope between the pages."
The documents - "a hand-written furlough for a Confederate soldier and a certificate of medical examination of a slave" - are owned by author Walt Hilderman, who believes their theft was connected with his controversial book They Went Into the Fight Cheering: Confederate Conscription in North Carolina.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Today's Mysterious Book-Theft Story
Shelf:Life links to this odd little story, a transcript from an Australian t.v. news program in which Macquarie University professor Don Barker tells a reporter that he discovered an apparent theft from the United Theological Seminary (in Dayton, OH) back in December.
"DON BARKER: It's a page from a codex, which is, ah, like our books today that we know today, not a roll, but a codex with pages and it's the first page of a book of what was probably a book of psalms.
BRENDAN TREMBATH: The Macquarie University academic recommended the police be called in.
DON BARKER: I said, 'do you know how much it's worth?' They said, 'no'. I said, 'well it's worth about $600,000'. Well they started to take a lot of interest in the manuscript then.
(laughs)
And I suggested that they get the police involved because I've got a feeling it was stolen. They made a real search of the whole library and everywhere else and couldn't find it."
Unfortunately the story contains no further information on the missing item, and I was unable to find any news reports noting the discovery of the theft or the investigation. There is an article in the Dayton Daily News from 30 November 2006 describing Barker's visit to the UTS, but it must have appeared before it was noticed that the codex leaf wasn't where it should be. So questions about this case remain unanswered. If anyone has any further information, feel free to pass it along.
"DON BARKER: It's a page from a codex, which is, ah, like our books today that we know today, not a roll, but a codex with pages and it's the first page of a book of what was probably a book of psalms.
BRENDAN TREMBATH: The Macquarie University academic recommended the police be called in.
DON BARKER: I said, 'do you know how much it's worth?' They said, 'no'. I said, 'well it's worth about $600,000'. Well they started to take a lot of interest in the manuscript then.
(laughs)
And I suggested that they get the police involved because I've got a feeling it was stolen. They made a real search of the whole library and everywhere else and couldn't find it."
Unfortunately the story contains no further information on the missing item, and I was unable to find any news reports noting the discovery of the theft or the investigation. There is an article in the Dayton Daily News from 30 November 2006 describing Barker's visit to the UTS, but it must have appeared before it was noticed that the codex leaf wasn't where it should be. So questions about this case remain unanswered. If anyone has any further information, feel free to pass it along.
Montesquieu's Library
The International Herald-Tribune has an article today on the continuing impact of Montesquieu (in France, at least): "You can hardly turn around in the Bordeaux area without bumping into a plaque, a statue or some other reminder of Montesquieu, a great thinker whose books inspired the American Constitution. The Lycée Montesquieu is around the corner from my home and I often have business on the rue Esprit des Lois, a street named for his masterwork, 'The Spirit of Laws.'
The whole piece is quite good, and worth reading, but the relevant paragraph for our purposes comes near the end:
"Montesquieu's library of 3,800 volumes, then one of Europe's largest private libraries, is preserved in the rare books department of Bordeaux's City Library. When I visited the collection recently and leafed through the works it was breathtaking to find scraps of paper inserted here and there with comments written in his own hand. 'He rarely made notes on the margins of the books themselves,' the curator, Hélène de Bellaigue, told me. 'He was a confirmed bibliophile.'"
This practice stands in stark contrast with our John Adams, who wrote so voluminously in his own books. If you haven't seen the new John Adams Library website, do stop by; you can examine digital and transcribed versions of most of his interesting and witty marginalia. It's interesting to me that Montesquieu opted for inserted notes, though - I do the same thing. I've never been able to comment inside the book itself; the only marks I generally make are light pencil corrections to errors I happen to notice.
At any rate, next time you're in Bordeaux, it sounds like Montesquieu's library might be a fascinating visit.
The whole piece is quite good, and worth reading, but the relevant paragraph for our purposes comes near the end:
"Montesquieu's library of 3,800 volumes, then one of Europe's largest private libraries, is preserved in the rare books department of Bordeaux's City Library. When I visited the collection recently and leafed through the works it was breathtaking to find scraps of paper inserted here and there with comments written in his own hand. 'He rarely made notes on the margins of the books themselves,' the curator, Hélène de Bellaigue, told me. 'He was a confirmed bibliophile.'"
This practice stands in stark contrast with our John Adams, who wrote so voluminously in his own books. If you haven't seen the new John Adams Library website, do stop by; you can examine digital and transcribed versions of most of his interesting and witty marginalia. It's interesting to me that Montesquieu opted for inserted notes, though - I do the same thing. I've never been able to comment inside the book itself; the only marks I generally make are light pencil corrections to errors I happen to notice.
At any rate, next time you're in Bordeaux, it sounds like Montesquieu's library might be a fascinating visit.
Ouch!
I'm sure this isn't "new news," but I just had to post it. In a short author profile of V.S. Naipaul, The Guardian has this little "Did you Know?" tidbit:
"Naipaul's friend and protégé Paul Theroux opened a rare-book catalogue to find one of his first editions, inscribed to his mentor, for sale at £1,500. When challenged about this act of 'betrayal', Naipaul apparently replied, 'take it on the chin, dear fellow, and move on'. The two have been at loggerheads ever since."
"Naipaul's friend and protégé Paul Theroux opened a rare-book catalogue to find one of his first editions, inscribed to his mentor, for sale at £1,500. When challenged about this act of 'betrayal', Naipaul apparently replied, 'take it on the chin, dear fellow, and move on'. The two have been at loggerheads ever since."
Friday, March 09, 2007
NBCC Award Winners
The 2006 National Book Critics Circle Awards were announced last night, and the winners are:
- Fiction: Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss (Atlantic Monthly Press)
- Autobiography: Daniel Mendelsohn, The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million (HarperCollins)
- Nonfiction: Simon Schama, Rough Crossings: Britain, the Slaves and the American Revolution (Ecco)
- Biography: Julie Phillips, James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon (St. Martin's Press)
- Poetry: Troy Jollimore, Tom Thompson in Purgatory (Margie/Intuit House)
- Criticism: Lawrence Weschler, Everything That Rises: A Book of Convergences (McSweeney's)
They've got all the roundups and other information (including the rest of the nominees) over here at Critical Mass.
- Fiction: Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss (Atlantic Monthly Press)
- Autobiography: Daniel Mendelsohn, The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million (HarperCollins)
- Nonfiction: Simon Schama, Rough Crossings: Britain, the Slaves and the American Revolution (Ecco)
- Biography: Julie Phillips, James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon (St. Martin's Press)
- Poetry: Troy Jollimore, Tom Thompson in Purgatory (Margie/Intuit House)
- Criticism: Lawrence Weschler, Everything That Rises: A Book of Convergences (McSweeney's)
They've got all the roundups and other information (including the rest of the nominees) over here at Critical Mass.
March 'Avid Collector' Released
The March edition of AbeBook's "Avid Collector" newsletter is now available here. It includes a spotlight essay on Bible-collecting by Scott Brown (the new issue of Fine Books & Collections is also great, by the way), a good Q&A, and all sorts of other worthwhile diversions.
Google Books Goes Europe
Reuters reports that Germany's Bavarian State Library will join the Google Books Project; about one million of the library's 9-million book collection will be digitized. Most of those scanned will be in German, but a library spokesperson said that books in "Italian, French, Spanish, Latin and English" will also be included. Only items whose copyright has expired will be scanned.
Google Germany spokesman Steve Keuchel: "This is a very important step for us, particularly in view of the criticism that's been levelled at the project. And it's pleasing not just for us, but also for Google users, particularly in the German-speaking world, because the deal means that we'll be able to significantly raise the number of German books in the Google Book Search."
Other European libraries involved with the Project include the Bodleian at Oxford, Complutense University in Madrid and the National Library of Catalonia.
[via Shelf:Life]
Google Germany spokesman Steve Keuchel: "This is a very important step for us, particularly in view of the criticism that's been levelled at the project. And it's pleasing not just for us, but also for Google users, particularly in the German-speaking world, because the deal means that we'll be able to significantly raise the number of German books in the Google Book Search."
Other European libraries involved with the Project include the Bodleian at Oxford, Complutense University in Madrid and the National Library of Catalonia.
[via Shelf:Life]
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Dorchester Auction Update
The Dukes of Dorchester Rare books sale (mentioned here and here) went off without a hitch today, reports the Dorset Echo. The Kelmscott Press edition of Chaucer's works sold for £74,000 (a new record for a Kelmscott Press book); it was beat out for the top price by a first edition of Newton's Principia Mathematica, which went for £75,000 (or over £90,000 with the added premium).
A Newton Euclid sold for £62,000, and a first edition of Darwin's On the Origin of Species hammered in at £42,000. Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations fetched £34,000, and a subscriber's edition of T.E. Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom was had for £22,000.
Auctioneer Guy Schwinge "said the majority of books would go to private collectors and dealers though he believed some would go to museums." All told, nearly a million pounds was realized in today's sale.
A Newton Euclid sold for £62,000, and a first edition of Darwin's On the Origin of Species hammered in at £42,000. Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations fetched £34,000, and a subscriber's edition of T.E. Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom was had for £22,000.
Auctioneer Guy Schwinge "said the majority of books would go to private collectors and dealers though he believed some would go to museums." All told, nearly a million pounds was realized in today's sale.
Censoring Swimsuits
A coworker forwarded me this post from The Consumerist blog, which led me to an article in the newest Library Journal on the same topic. Apparently the publishers of Sports Illustrated (Time, Inc.) decided, without discussion or notification, not to send this year's swimsuit issue to any libraries which have subscriptions to the magazine. Spokesman Patrick McCabe told LJ "Over the course of time, we've received feedback from some of those institutions saying it wouldn't be an acceptable thing for them to have or to share with their constituents, and the decision was made that this was one way to hopefully alleviate that issue."
No differentiation was made between different types of libraries, and apparently Time is allowing libraries to specifically request the issue using a toll-free number or a web interface. The 'block' has been dropped for future years.
The Comsumerist post includes a quote from one serials librarian and links to the SERIALST listserv, which is abuzz with comments on the matter.
My questions are these: were all "institutions" subject to this ban, or just libraries? Did office buildings and reception rooms receive their copies? Did individual subscribers? Presumably (unless it disappeared in the mail).
I agree with what seems to be the library-consensus on this issue: all issues paid for should be received (especially if they are part of the regular volume sequence, as this is), and it's up to the individual library to decide how or if to display the swimsuit issue.
No differentiation was made between different types of libraries, and apparently Time is allowing libraries to specifically request the issue using a toll-free number or a web interface. The 'block' has been dropped for future years.
The Comsumerist post includes a quote from one serials librarian and links to the SERIALST listserv, which is abuzz with comments on the matter.
My questions are these: were all "institutions" subject to this ban, or just libraries? Did office buildings and reception rooms receive their copies? Did individual subscribers? Presumably (unless it disappeared in the mail).
I agree with what seems to be the library-consensus on this issue: all issues paid for should be received (especially if they are part of the regular volume sequence, as this is), and it's up to the individual library to decide how or if to display the swimsuit issue.
How Do You Find Books?
GalleyCat wants to know. They've got a poll running with the question "What's the most likely way a book gets on your to-read list?" Stop by and vote, if so inclined.
Antique Quran Seized by Indian Police
Bangalore authorities have nabbed a man attempting to sell what he says is an Quran "written by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb," which would make it about 400 years old. The emperor's "supposed signature is found on the last page," The Hindu reports (or it's signed on every page, according to the Pakistan Times).
"Speaking to presspersons here on Wednesday, Police Commissioner N. Achuta Rao said the CCB police, on a tip-off, arrested M.G. Sukumar (44) from Thrissur, Kerala, at a hotel on M.G. Road where he was waiting for potential buyers. He said they were yet to ascertain whether the Koran and the painting were indeed antiques, as claimed by Sukumar." The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been called in to determine the antiquity of the book.
"Each page [of the Quran, which weighs 13 kg] is a copper plate coated with paper which is, in turn, coated with a chemical that has helped protect the beautiful calligraphy. Moreover, every page has a unique fragrance of its own. Gold and silver has been mixed with the ink and each of the 30 sections is written in a different calligraphic style."
The man also had a large Tanjore painting decorated with semi-precious stones.
"Speaking to presspersons here on Wednesday, Police Commissioner N. Achuta Rao said the CCB police, on a tip-off, arrested M.G. Sukumar (44) from Thrissur, Kerala, at a hotel on M.G. Road where he was waiting for potential buyers. He said they were yet to ascertain whether the Koran and the painting were indeed antiques, as claimed by Sukumar." The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been called in to determine the antiquity of the book.
"Each page [of the Quran, which weighs 13 kg] is a copper plate coated with paper which is, in turn, coated with a chemical that has helped protect the beautiful calligraphy. Moreover, every page has a unique fragrance of its own. Gold and silver has been mixed with the ink and each of the 30 sections is written in a different calligraphic style."
The man also had a large Tanjore painting decorated with semi-precious stones.
Rockford College to Sell Rare Books
The Rockford Rock River Times reports that Rockford College plans to auction off the institution's rare book collection, just months after selling thousands of pieces of art. "Liquidation of the rare books is the school’s latest attempt at reducing the sizable debt that’s plagued the private liberal arts college for decades," Stuart Wahlin writes for the paper.
Vice President for College Development John McNamara said of the plan "The Board of Trustees has thoughtfully looked at all of our strategies, and asset deployment is one of them. It’s been going very well." Asset deployment? Is that what they're calling it these days?
The sales will not include materials related to Jane Addams (Rockford's most notable alumna, according to the report) or "books that are critical to the history of the college." Two auctions will be held: one on 16 March for fourteen notable pieces, and another later in April. Among the items sold will be the Bertha Holbrook Collection of A-B-C books, containing some 2,000 items; this was donated to Rockford by the collector's husband after her death.
The supreme understatement of the article: "Some fear parting with such gifts may be sending the wrong message to potential donors." Or, as an ExLibris commenter put it yesterday afternoon, "Rather, they are sending the *right* message to potential donors. Don't
give us your books, because we can't take care of them."
Stories like this are really painful to see. I know firsthand after sitting on the budget committee of my own small liberal arts college how fiscally tight things can be. But thankfully our administrators and trustees knew and cared about our institutional treasures, working to enrich them rather than sell them off for a little bit of short-gain financial gain. In the long run, this maneuver can only do harm to Rockford College, and I hope the institution's leaders realize that before too much more time passes.
Vice President for College Development John McNamara said of the plan "The Board of Trustees has thoughtfully looked at all of our strategies, and asset deployment is one of them. It’s been going very well." Asset deployment? Is that what they're calling it these days?
The sales will not include materials related to Jane Addams (Rockford's most notable alumna, according to the report) or "books that are critical to the history of the college." Two auctions will be held: one on 16 March for fourteen notable pieces, and another later in April. Among the items sold will be the Bertha Holbrook Collection of A-B-C books, containing some 2,000 items; this was donated to Rockford by the collector's husband after her death.
The supreme understatement of the article: "Some fear parting with such gifts may be sending the wrong message to potential donors." Or, as an ExLibris commenter put it yesterday afternoon, "Rather, they are sending the *right* message to potential donors. Don't
give us your books, because we can't take care of them."
Stories like this are really painful to see. I know firsthand after sitting on the budget committee of my own small liberal arts college how fiscally tight things can be. But thankfully our administrators and trustees knew and cared about our institutional treasures, working to enrich them rather than sell them off for a little bit of short-gain financial gain. In the long run, this maneuver can only do harm to Rockford College, and I hope the institution's leaders realize that before too much more time passes.
Book Review: "The Book of Books"
I can say that Les Krantz and Tim Knight's The Book of Books is precisely what the subtitle says it should be: "An Eclectic Collection of Reading Recommendations, Quirky Lists, and Fun Facts about Books." It's more the first two than the third. This is basically a collection of (very short) lists of books connected by some theme or characteristic. A few are taken from other organizations and 'annotated' here by Krantz and Knight, but most seem to be new. The quibbles to be had with lists like this are infinite, so I won't start them; on the whole, this is a somewhat useful reader's guide if you happen to stumble upon a theme you're interested in. It's skewed heavily toward the popular reading, not surprisingly.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Other Interesting Items at Swann Sale
Earlier in the week I mentioned that a first edition of the Book of Mormon will be sold at Swann Galleries in NYC on 22 March as part of their Printed & Manuscript Americana sale. I got a chance to browse through the catalog today and found a few other items that I thought were particularly noteworthy (although most of the sale looks like it will be fairly interesting). All out of my price range, of course, but interesting nevertheless.
- Lot 18: The Aitken Bible - the first printing of the complete Bible in English in America (Philadelphia, 1782; 1781). With the rare general title page. One of fewer than 100 known copies of this work; the only Bible ever authorized by Congress. Estimate: $30,000-40,000.
- Lot 43: Report of the Committee, to Inquire into the Conduct of Brigadier Gen. J. Wilkinson (Washington, 1810). The official report of the congressional investigation into the Aaron Burr/James Wilkinson plot. Quite rare. Estimate: $1,000-1,500.
- Lot 81: First edition of Noah Webster's An American Dictionary of the English Language (New York, 1828). Pretty rough condition. Estimate: $8,000-12,000.
- Lot 115: Benjamin Franklin's Rules for Reducing a Great Empire to a Small One (London, 1793). First solo edition of this biting pamphlet (first printed in 1773), which attacks the British government's handling of the American colonies in the years leading up to the Revolution. Estimate: $300-400.
- Lot 126: First collected edition of The Federalist Papers (New York, 1788), in two volumes. In rough shape (covers detached, losses to backstrips, library markings), but nonetheless estimated to bring $40,000-60,000.
- Lot 254: Nathaniel Ames' An Astronomical Diary; or Almanack for the Year of our Lord Christ 1772 (Boston, 1771). With three engravings by Paul Revere. Estimate: $2,000-3,000.
- Lot 267: Thomas Paine's Common Sense, a February, 1776 printing (the later of two printed that year at Norwich, CT). Estimate: $5,000-7,000.
- Lot 321: George Vancouver's A Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World (London, 1798). Includes the complete Atlas. Estimate: $40,000-60,000.
- Lot 336: Alexander Wilson and Charles Lucien Bonaparte's American Ornithology; or, The Natural History of the Birds of the United States (William Jardine, ed; London and Edinburgh, 1832), with 97 hand-colored plates. "Contains all of Wilson's works and the first 3 volumes of Bonaparte's continuation, with all plates re-engraved to scale by Lizars." What makes this set interesting is that it each volume is signed by noted American ornithologist John Cassin. Estimate: $2,000-3,000.
- Lot 18: The Aitken Bible - the first printing of the complete Bible in English in America (Philadelphia, 1782; 1781). With the rare general title page. One of fewer than 100 known copies of this work; the only Bible ever authorized by Congress. Estimate: $30,000-40,000.
- Lot 43: Report of the Committee, to Inquire into the Conduct of Brigadier Gen. J. Wilkinson (Washington, 1810). The official report of the congressional investigation into the Aaron Burr/James Wilkinson plot. Quite rare. Estimate: $1,000-1,500.
- Lot 81: First edition of Noah Webster's An American Dictionary of the English Language (New York, 1828). Pretty rough condition. Estimate: $8,000-12,000.
- Lot 115: Benjamin Franklin's Rules for Reducing a Great Empire to a Small One (London, 1793). First solo edition of this biting pamphlet (first printed in 1773), which attacks the British government's handling of the American colonies in the years leading up to the Revolution. Estimate: $300-400.
- Lot 126: First collected edition of The Federalist Papers (New York, 1788), in two volumes. In rough shape (covers detached, losses to backstrips, library markings), but nonetheless estimated to bring $40,000-60,000.
- Lot 254: Nathaniel Ames' An Astronomical Diary; or Almanack for the Year of our Lord Christ 1772 (Boston, 1771). With three engravings by Paul Revere. Estimate: $2,000-3,000.
- Lot 267: Thomas Paine's Common Sense, a February, 1776 printing (the later of two printed that year at Norwich, CT). Estimate: $5,000-7,000.
- Lot 321: George Vancouver's A Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World (London, 1798). Includes the complete Atlas. Estimate: $40,000-60,000.
- Lot 336: Alexander Wilson and Charles Lucien Bonaparte's American Ornithology; or, The Natural History of the Birds of the United States (William Jardine, ed; London and Edinburgh, 1832), with 97 hand-colored plates. "Contains all of Wilson's works and the first 3 volumes of Bonaparte's continuation, with all plates re-engraved to scale by Lizars." What makes this set interesting is that it each volume is signed by noted American ornithologist John Cassin. Estimate: $2,000-3,000.
Two Bird-Art Exhibits in Chicago
The Illinois State Museum Chicago Gallery has announced two upcoming exhibits, which will run in tandem from 12 March through 24 August.
'John James Audubon: The Birds of America, Prints from the Collection of the Illinois State Museum' will feature some thirty prints from the two major 19th-century editions of Audubon's Birds of America, "with commentary on the life of John Audubon, and a history of the production of these prints." Comparative examples from the works of Catesby, Wilson and Gould will also be on display, as will some of the Museum's mounted birds.
'While All the Tribes of Birds Sang' "includes bird-related art and artifacts that provide a broader visual context of the relationships to the avian world. Included in this exhibition are artifacts from the anthropology and decorative arts' collection and artwork from the museum's permanent collection, as well as loans by contemporary Chicago artists."
The ISM Chicago Gallery is on the second floor of the James R. Thompson Center, 100 West Randolph Street (Chicago). For more information, call 312-814-5322.
'John James Audubon: The Birds of America, Prints from the Collection of the Illinois State Museum' will feature some thirty prints from the two major 19th-century editions of Audubon's Birds of America, "with commentary on the life of John Audubon, and a history of the production of these prints." Comparative examples from the works of Catesby, Wilson and Gould will also be on display, as will some of the Museum's mounted birds.
'While All the Tribes of Birds Sang' "includes bird-related art and artifacts that provide a broader visual context of the relationships to the avian world. Included in this exhibition are artifacts from the anthropology and decorative arts' collection and artwork from the museum's permanent collection, as well as loans by contemporary Chicago artists."
The ISM Chicago Gallery is on the second floor of the James R. Thompson Center, 100 West Randolph Street (Chicago). For more information, call 312-814-5322.
Rare Chaucer Edition to be Sold
Another highlight of tomorrow's Duke's of Dorchester sale: an 1896 edition of Geoffrey Chaucer's works, produced by William Morris and illustrated by Sir Edward Burne-Jones. This copy - one of 48 made - is believed to be the personal copy of Burne-Jones. It's expected to fetch as much as £100,000.
The Guardian has a bit more background, and a photo.
The Guardian has a bit more background, and a photo.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Book Review: "Bridging the Divide"
Edward W. Brooke, the first African-American to be popularly elected to the Senate, tells the story of his life in a new memoir, Bridging the Divide: My Life (Rutgers University Press, 2007). A committed centrist who worked throughout his career to find solutions to some of this country's most pressing problems and injustices, Brooke has written a candid political autobiography and offers important insights into the state of contemporary American political discourse.
After attending Howard University and fighting in Italy during WWII, Brooke got his law degree in Boston and built a practice here before entering elected politics. After several false starts, Brooke was elected attorney general of Massachusetts in 1962 and 1964, then ran successfully for the Senate (as a Republican) in 1966. He served two terms before being defeated in the 1978 election after a messy divorce which made its way into the newspapers. Brooke writes vividly of his forays in public life, including the investigation into the Boston Strangler case, his efforts to pass civil rights legislation in the Senate, and the various campaign ups and downs he experienced.
Two elements of this book particularly resonated with me: Brooke's account of his visits to Vietnam in the late '60s to better understand the conflict raging there, and his brief discussions of the current political polarization. On the former, Brooke writes (p. 167) "During [Vietnam], as a senator, I could at least try to influence events. Today, I watch our occupation of Iraq only as a concerned citizen. As events unfold there, I fear that those who gave us today's war did not learn the lesson of yesterday's."
On the latter (p. 181): "The polarization of Congress; the decline of civility; and the rise of attack politics in the 1980s and 1990s, and the early years of the new century are a blot on our political system and a disservice to the American people. I do not see any signs of a return to civility, and I can only look back on my time in the Senate as a golden era that I pray will come again." It's easy to say, but Ed Brooke walked the centrist walk throughout his career, and when he speaks, we ought to listen.
A well-written and interesting memoir; recommended.
After attending Howard University and fighting in Italy during WWII, Brooke got his law degree in Boston and built a practice here before entering elected politics. After several false starts, Brooke was elected attorney general of Massachusetts in 1962 and 1964, then ran successfully for the Senate (as a Republican) in 1966. He served two terms before being defeated in the 1978 election after a messy divorce which made its way into the newspapers. Brooke writes vividly of his forays in public life, including the investigation into the Boston Strangler case, his efforts to pass civil rights legislation in the Senate, and the various campaign ups and downs he experienced.
Two elements of this book particularly resonated with me: Brooke's account of his visits to Vietnam in the late '60s to better understand the conflict raging there, and his brief discussions of the current political polarization. On the former, Brooke writes (p. 167) "During [Vietnam], as a senator, I could at least try to influence events. Today, I watch our occupation of Iraq only as a concerned citizen. As events unfold there, I fear that those who gave us today's war did not learn the lesson of yesterday's."
On the latter (p. 181): "The polarization of Congress; the decline of civility; and the rise of attack politics in the 1980s and 1990s, and the early years of the new century are a blot on our political system and a disservice to the American people. I do not see any signs of a return to civility, and I can only look back on my time in the Senate as a golden era that I pray will come again." It's easy to say, but Ed Brooke walked the centrist walk throughout his career, and when he speaks, we ought to listen.
A well-written and interesting memoir; recommended.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)