- Ed's got the cover story in the Philadelphia City Paper's fall books issue, "We're Taking Poe Back." Today marks the 158th anniversary of Poe's death, and Ed proposes a literary grave-robbery. Baltimore's Laura Lippman responds.
- Terry Belanger passes along word via ExLibris that James Mosley has presented an index to John Smith's Printer's Manual, a 1755 text. Mosley's blog, Typefoundry, is one I wasn't familiar with, but I quite like it. I've added a link on the sidebar.
- The rare books section at the Library of the University of Seville has started a blog, Fondo Antiguo. They'll be documenting new acquisitions and cataloging efforts.
- Speaking of cataloging, there's an article in the Baptist News profiling Ellen Middlebrook Herron, a rare book cataloguer/curator who recently spent four months working with the collections at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary's John T. Christian Library.
- Tim notes the annual awarding of the Ig Nobel Prizes, which "honor achievements that make people laugh, and then make them think. The prizes are intended to celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative - and spur people's interest in science, medicine, and technology." Of particular interest is the Literature Award, which went to Glenda Browne "for her study of the word 'the' - and of the many ways it causes problems for anyone who tries to put things into alphabetical order." Browne's article, from The Indexer, is here [PDF].
- From BibliOdyssey, colored insect illustrations from John Obadiah Westwood's Arcana Entomologica; or, Illustrations of Rare, and Interesting Exotic Insects (1841-1845), and a selection of prints and sketches from the Atlas van Stolk, described as "a large collection of prints, drawings and photographs documenting the history of the Netherlands, brought together by the Rotterdam timber merchant Abraham van Stolk (1814-1896)" and others.
- Over at Book Patrol, Michael Lieberman notes a neat tradition in the small Swiss town on Romainmôtier, where artist Jean Reymond creates a book-related installation piece after the town's annual book fair.
- Anirvan at Bookfinder.com comments on the ad campaign for Sony's new ebook Reader, which features as one tagline "Sexier than a librarian. The Reader. From Sony" (images here, here). I noticed these ads plastered all over Boston's South Station when I traveled a couple weeks ago, and I admit I laughed: being a decidedly unsexy librarian, I was amused. Anirvan was not: "Yuck. Does Sony’s marketing team really think that they can open up our pocketbooks by reinforcing negative stereotypes of the superheroes who serve our communities and help keep book culture alive?" I don't feel the need to go after Sony, because I think we can all rest assured that their Reader will almost certainly go the way of every ebook reader, while librarians - sexy or otherwise - aren't going anywhere.
- Joyce offers up some excellent conservation resources from the University of Syracuse.
- At Off the Shelf, Jan Gardner notes a new book from Vintage, -Isms & -Ologies: All the Movements, Ideologies and Doctrines That Have Shaped Our World. She writes: "Owenism, Donatism, Occam's Razor -- it's all here. The alphabetical entries are arranged into seven chapters including science, religion, economics, and sexual perversions. Not too many reference books are as fun to browse. That said, I'm heading for the hills with a big bag of books and will resurface by the middle of the month with a book(s) report."
- Michael Dirda reviews Alan Bennett's new novella, The Uncommon Reader, in which the Queen of England takes up reading in a big way.
- Travis' book, The Book Thief, is reviewed in The Hindu.
- In the NYTimes, David Waldstreicher reviews the latest offering from Eve LaPlante, Salem Witch Judge (about Samuel Sewell).
- From today's Boston Globe, an interesting "What Writers are Reading" sidebar.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Friday, October 05, 2007
Recent Acquisitions
[ahem, not my own]
- The Stones River National Battlefield in Tennessee has acquired a copy of William D. Bickham’s Rosecrans’ Campaign with the Fourteenth Army Corps, or the Army of the Cumberland: A Narrative of Personal Observation, with an Appendix Consisting of Official Reports of the Battle of Stones River (1863), "one of a few first-hand accounts of the Battle of Stones River published during the war." "This copy is even more valuable to the park because a Civil War soldier, Corporal Dewitt C. Markle, of the 57th Indiana Infantry owned it, and wrote extensive notes inside the covers of the book. Markle’s regiment helped secure the Federal left against several Confederate attacks on Dec. 31, 1862."
- The University of South Carolina recently purchased a first edition of Phillis Wheatley's Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral (1773). The university says it will be making a fully-searchable digital version of the book available online. Wheatley (1753-1784), a Boston slave, was one of the first published African-American authors; fewer than 100 first editions of her book exist. The University of South Carolina paid $35,000 for their copy.
- The Stones River National Battlefield in Tennessee has acquired a copy of William D. Bickham’s Rosecrans’ Campaign with the Fourteenth Army Corps, or the Army of the Cumberland: A Narrative of Personal Observation, with an Appendix Consisting of Official Reports of the Battle of Stones River (1863), "one of a few first-hand accounts of the Battle of Stones River published during the war." "This copy is even more valuable to the park because a Civil War soldier, Corporal Dewitt C. Markle, of the 57th Indiana Infantry owned it, and wrote extensive notes inside the covers of the book. Markle’s regiment helped secure the Federal left against several Confederate attacks on Dec. 31, 1862."
- The University of South Carolina recently purchased a first edition of Phillis Wheatley's Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral (1773). The university says it will be making a fully-searchable digital version of the book available online. Wheatley (1753-1784), a Boston slave, was one of the first published African-American authors; fewer than 100 first editions of her book exist. The University of South Carolina paid $35,000 for their copy.
Vatican to Publish Templar Manuscript
The Vatican Secret Archive has announced that it will publish Processus contra Templarios, a book which will include details of a recently-discovered manuscript which scholars say exonerates the Knights Templar. The Chinon Parchment, found in the Archive six years ago "after years of being incorrectly filed" is "a record of the heresy hearings of the Templars before Pope Clement V in the 14th Century."
Professor Barbara Frale, who found the Chinon manuscript, says that it contains detailed information of the Knights' confessions before the Pope, but also reveals that because the confessions were found to have been obtained by torture, "the Pope was obliged to ask for pardons" from the Knights.
Processus contra Templarios, which will be limited to an edition of 799 copies, is to be released on 25 October.
[15 October: I've updated this post, here]
Professor Barbara Frale, who found the Chinon manuscript, says that it contains detailed information of the Knights' confessions before the Pope, but also reveals that because the confessions were found to have been obtained by torture, "the Pope was obliged to ask for pardons" from the Knights.
Processus contra Templarios, which will be limited to an edition of 799 copies, is to be released on 25 October.
[15 October: I've updated this post, here]
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Lafayette College Purchases Rare Antislavery Book
Someone recently donated a rare set of two early abolitionist texts (bound together) to the Bethlehem Area Public Library (PA) for its book sale: an 1833 first edition of Lydia Maria Child's An Appeal in Favor of that Class of Americans Called African and an 1840 second edition of The Slave: Memoirs of Archy Moore.
Due to the attention the book received, the library arranged a sealed-bid auction; the high bidder was Lafayette College's special collections librarian Diane Shaw, who purchased the book for use in the college's upcoming exhibit on the end of the slave trade, "For Captive Africa," which opens 11 October. The Allentown Morning Call has a short report. Shaw said of the purchase "What's so wonderful was that literally right down the road was a book perfect for what we're doing here in Easton."
The coordinator of the Bethlehem library sale said she got many calls expressing interest in the book, but was glad it would be staying in the region and that it will be housed at an educational institution. "That was my hope to begin with. It will be taken care of and more people will have access to it."
The amount of Lafayette's bid was not disclosed.
Due to the attention the book received, the library arranged a sealed-bid auction; the high bidder was Lafayette College's special collections librarian Diane Shaw, who purchased the book for use in the college's upcoming exhibit on the end of the slave trade, "For Captive Africa," which opens 11 October. The Allentown Morning Call has a short report. Shaw said of the purchase "What's so wonderful was that literally right down the road was a book perfect for what we're doing here in Easton."
The coordinator of the Bethlehem library sale said she got many calls expressing interest in the book, but was glad it would be staying in the region and that it will be housed at an educational institution. "That was my hope to begin with. It will be taken care of and more people will have access to it."
The amount of Lafayette's bid was not disclosed.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Duchess Anna Amalia Library to Reopen
Weimar, Germany's Duchess Anna Amalia Library is set to reopen on 24 October after three years of restoration following a disastrous fire on 2 September 2004. Renovations to the building, a 16th-century palace, have included upgrades to the security and fire suppression systems.
Some 50,000 books (not to mention a rich collection of sheet music and manuscripts) were damaged or destroyed by fire and/or water damage: of those 16,000 have been restored (at a cost of $95.4 million), and replacements have been found for another 12,500.
[h/t Shelf:Life]
Some 50,000 books (not to mention a rich collection of sheet music and manuscripts) were damaged or destroyed by fire and/or water damage: of those 16,000 have been restored (at a cost of $95.4 million), and replacements have been found for another 12,500.
[h/t Shelf:Life]
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Court Invalidates Portion of Bush Executive Order
D.C. Federal District Court judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly has struck down a narrow portion of Executive Order 13233, a 2001 directive from President Bush which sharply limited future access to presidential and vice-presidential records. The ruling [PDF] came yesterday in the case of American Historical Association et al. v. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the Archivist of the United States, which has been working its way through the legal pipeline since 2004.
While Kollar-Kotelly dismissed much of the AHA's lawsuit (which is joined by other organizations, including the National Security Archive, the Organization of American Historians, Public Citizen, and the American Political Science Association) for lack of standing, she did conclude that Section 3(b) of the Executive Order violates the Presidential Records Act and its subsequent regulations. The PRA regulations state that once former presidents receive notice from NARA that records from their administration are to be released, "the Archivist shall not disclose any records covered by any notice ... for at least 30 days from receipt of the notice by the former president."
Bush's E.O., however, states "After receiving the records he requests, the former President shall review those records as expeditiously as possible, and for no longer than 90 days for requests that are not unduly burdensome. The Archivist shall not permit access to the records by a requester during this period of review or when requested by the former President to extend the time for reviews." Kollar-Kotelly agreed with plaintiffs that this conflict did not jive with the PRA regulations: "The Bush Order effectively eliminates the Archivist's discretion to release a former president's documents while such documents are pending a former president's review, which can be extended - presumably indefinitely - upon the former president's request."
The ruling continues "... Defendants seem to miss that after 30 days from a former president's receipt of notice of documents to be disclosed, the Archivist may make a discretionary decision with respect to the release of such documents though they are pending the former president's review. Accordingly, in relying on [Section] 3(b) of the Bush Order, the Archivist effectively denies himself the discretion (and accordingly the need to make reasoned, discretionary decisions with respect to the appropriate length of review) to release documents still under a former president's review as he is permitted to do ...". Kollar-Kotelly also disagreed that "removing discretion from the Archivist with respect to what constitutes a reasonable time for said review after 30 days has expired would somehow threaten a former president's ability to make privilege determinations."
Therefore, the judge "ordered the National Archives not to withhold any more documents based on that section of the executive order."
Kollar-Kotelly's ruling did not address the overarching question of whether E.O. 13233 is constitutional or whether former presidents or vice presidents can claim executive privilege as grounds for withholding documents.
White House spokeswoman "Emily Lawrimore said the White House was reviewing the opinion and considering its options." The decision could be appealed. National Security Archive general counsel Meredith Fuchs said the ruling avoided "the hard questions".
A bipartisan bill to overturn E.O. 13,233 in its entirety, H.R. 1255, passed the House in March by a vote of 333-93, and has been placed on the calendar in the Senate but faces a filibuster threat there.
While Kollar-Kotelly dismissed much of the AHA's lawsuit (which is joined by other organizations, including the National Security Archive, the Organization of American Historians, Public Citizen, and the American Political Science Association) for lack of standing, she did conclude that Section 3(b) of the Executive Order violates the Presidential Records Act and its subsequent regulations. The PRA regulations state that once former presidents receive notice from NARA that records from their administration are to be released, "the Archivist shall not disclose any records covered by any notice ... for at least 30 days from receipt of the notice by the former president."
Bush's E.O., however, states "After receiving the records he requests, the former President shall review those records as expeditiously as possible, and for no longer than 90 days for requests that are not unduly burdensome. The Archivist shall not permit access to the records by a requester during this period of review or when requested by the former President to extend the time for reviews." Kollar-Kotelly agreed with plaintiffs that this conflict did not jive with the PRA regulations: "The Bush Order effectively eliminates the Archivist's discretion to release a former president's documents while such documents are pending a former president's review, which can be extended - presumably indefinitely - upon the former president's request."
The ruling continues "... Defendants seem to miss that after 30 days from a former president's receipt of notice of documents to be disclosed, the Archivist may make a discretionary decision with respect to the release of such documents though they are pending the former president's review. Accordingly, in relying on [Section] 3(b) of the Bush Order, the Archivist effectively denies himself the discretion (and accordingly the need to make reasoned, discretionary decisions with respect to the appropriate length of review) to release documents still under a former president's review as he is permitted to do ...". Kollar-Kotelly also disagreed that "removing discretion from the Archivist with respect to what constitutes a reasonable time for said review after 30 days has expired would somehow threaten a former president's ability to make privilege determinations."
Therefore, the judge "ordered the National Archives not to withhold any more documents based on that section of the executive order."
Kollar-Kotelly's ruling did not address the overarching question of whether E.O. 13233 is constitutional or whether former presidents or vice presidents can claim executive privilege as grounds for withholding documents.
White House spokeswoman "Emily Lawrimore said the White House was reviewing the opinion and considering its options." The decision could be appealed. National Security Archive general counsel Meredith Fuchs said the ruling avoided "the hard questions".
A bipartisan bill to overturn E.O. 13,233 in its entirety, H.R. 1255, passed the House in March by a vote of 333-93, and has been placed on the calendar in the Senate but faces a filibuster threat there.
Lehigh Library Ornithology Exhibit
The Special Collections department at Lehigh University's Linderman Library has mounted an exhibit titled "Home to Roost: Ornithological Collections at Lehigh University," the university newspaper reports. The centerpiece of the exhibit is Lehigh's copy of Audubon's Birds of America, which came to the institution through its founder, Asa Packer. Other works on display include the usual titles by Catesby, Wilson, and Gould.
The exhibit will run through 21 December.
[h/t Rare Book News]
The exhibit will run through 21 December.
[h/t Rare Book News]
Major Book Thefts Discovered in Italy
The AP reports that Italian art squad detectives have discovered - but not yet arrested - a man responsible for major book and archives thefts around Italy. The man, who has not been identified except as being in his mid-forties, "sometimes disguised himself as a priest and even locked himself in a bathroom for a day[, and] managed to sneak away with dozens of 300-year-old books, drawings and watercolors from top libraries and public archives in Rome, authorities said Monday."
"Italian police recovered dozens of items, worth at least €650,000 (US$921,635), including 17th-century diaries, drawings that chronicled life in Rome, scientific books and watercolors dating from the 1700s in raids at the man's home and storerooms." Art squad head Gen. Giovanni Nistri said the suspect altered books and documents using ink remover, coffee and other methods. Nistri told the press some of the stolen items are believed to have been sold in France.
And Rome may be just the beginning. "The suspect ... has been convicted of similar thefts in Turin and is believed to have stolen papers in Modena, Turin and Florence in recent months." But he's not been arrested, because he's said to be cooperating and authorities believe there is no "immediate risk" that he'll flee.
"An undersecretary in the Culture Ministry, Danielle Gattegno Mazzonis, said the ministry was planning to increase staff and set up alarm systems to monitor libraries and public archives because the trafficking is increasing."
More as I can find it. Any ideas on how to check conviction records from Turin?
"Italian police recovered dozens of items, worth at least €650,000 (US$921,635), including 17th-century diaries, drawings that chronicled life in Rome, scientific books and watercolors dating from the 1700s in raids at the man's home and storerooms." Art squad head Gen. Giovanni Nistri said the suspect altered books and documents using ink remover, coffee and other methods. Nistri told the press some of the stolen items are believed to have been sold in France.
And Rome may be just the beginning. "The suspect ... has been convicted of similar thefts in Turin and is believed to have stolen papers in Modena, Turin and Florence in recent months." But he's not been arrested, because he's said to be cooperating and authorities believe there is no "immediate risk" that he'll flee.
"An undersecretary in the Culture Ministry, Danielle Gattegno Mazzonis, said the ministry was planning to increase staff and set up alarm systems to monitor libraries and public archives because the trafficking is increasing."
More as I can find it. Any ideas on how to check conviction records from Turin?
Monday, October 01, 2007
Links & Reviews
A belated selection of links and reviews this week, which also seems a bit short for some reason.
- John Overholt found a 1909 Samuel Johnson-themed calendar amongst the Hyde Collection goodies at Harvard.
- Paul Collins, his wife Jennifer and their son Morgan are the subject of a fascinating interview on NPR's "Speaking of Faith", Paul notes at Weekend Stubble. Morgan, who is autistic, is the subject of Paul's book Not Even Wrong. Paul writes: "Both the hour-long show and the unedited two hour raw footage of the entire interview (and I mean entire, right down to a long sound check) are at their website. They've done a beautiful job with the site, including both my own 2005 Times piece on Prozac and autism, Stephen Jay Gould's wonderful essay on his autistic son, and Morgan's own selection of his favorite Youtube videos."
- Joseph Ellis reviews Jay Winik's The Great Upheaval in this weekend's NYTimes Book Review.
- Travis updates us on the Jay Miller case, which has been postponed now until (at least) 11 October. "Apparently the US Attorney in New Hampshire is waiting on the US Attorney in California to send some stuff that, in turn, will allow the US Attorney in New Hampshire to send some stuff back."
- Scott Brown passes along a New Yorker piece on the Strand's books-by-the-foot program, which was used for set-decoration in the upcoming Indiana Jones movie.
- Colophon has a new list of books on books (No. 166) for your perusal. Some wonderful stuff, as always.
- John Overholt found a 1909 Samuel Johnson-themed calendar amongst the Hyde Collection goodies at Harvard.
- Paul Collins, his wife Jennifer and their son Morgan are the subject of a fascinating interview on NPR's "Speaking of Faith", Paul notes at Weekend Stubble. Morgan, who is autistic, is the subject of Paul's book Not Even Wrong. Paul writes: "Both the hour-long show and the unedited two hour raw footage of the entire interview (and I mean entire, right down to a long sound check) are at their website. They've done a beautiful job with the site, including both my own 2005 Times piece on Prozac and autism, Stephen Jay Gould's wonderful essay on his autistic son, and Morgan's own selection of his favorite Youtube videos."
- Joseph Ellis reviews Jay Winik's The Great Upheaval in this weekend's NYTimes Book Review.
- Travis updates us on the Jay Miller case, which has been postponed now until (at least) 11 October. "Apparently the US Attorney in New Hampshire is waiting on the US Attorney in California to send some stuff that, in turn, will allow the US Attorney in New Hampshire to send some stuff back."
- Scott Brown passes along a New Yorker piece on the Strand's books-by-the-foot program, which was used for set-decoration in the upcoming Indiana Jones movie.
- Colophon has a new list of books on books (No. 166) for your perusal. Some wonderful stuff, as always.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Book Review: "George III: America's Last King"
The latest installment in Yale University Press' English Monarchs Series is Exeter University historian Jeremy Black's George III: America's Last King. This first full-scale scholarly biography of George III in many years is a welcome addition to the series as well as a fine example of the biographer's craft. Black has worked diligently (his subtitle notwithstanding) to broaden the focus of George III's life and reign; while the American crisis and the king's later illnesses are covered, they form only appropriately-scaled portions of the book, as they should.
Black takes a useful approach here, interspersing narrative chapters on the political machinations and military goings-on with more wide-ranging thematic treatments of different aspects of the monarch's life - his relations with family, his cultural and religious inclinations, his lifestyle and his concerns for how to deal with Hanover, his ancestral continental possession. These thematic chapters were what I enjoyed most about the book - the others, while interesting, were filled to bursting with names and titles and political volleys that I found difficult to keep straight.
George III, Black argues, "instinctually knew what his duty was ... a major weaknes was that this conviction was not always illuminated by careful reflection, and could therefore seem both obtuse and stubborn" (p. 115). It was this commitment to what he perceived as his duty to his country and to his subjects that led him to take such a firm stand against the American crisis (unsuccessfully) and also against Catholic emancipation, parliamentary reform, and Franco-European aggression (more successfully). "George was a nicer man than his two predecessors and he meant well, but his obstinacy helped create serious political difficulties," Black concludes, putting it mildly.
Naturally I was drawn to Black's discussion of George's reading habits: the king accumulated a large working library (some 65,250 books by 1820, plus 19,000 tracts), which later became part of the British Museum. He opened his main library - next to his bedroom - to use by scholars (Samuel Johnson was a frequent visitor), and was known to visit Windsor bookshops. Black writes "George was particularly interested in works on theology, history, jurisprudence, science, the arts and the Classical inheritance, and less so in fiction ... Indeed, George did not really take to novels until he became blind, when one of his daughters read them to him nightly" (p. 170). The king liked to read interesting portions of his books aloud, and preferred "his books unbound for his first reading and afterwards bound to match his other books" (p. 171).
Black's excellently-researched and richly-footnoted study will, I hope, prompt others to take a fresh look at the life of one of Britain's most longest-serving and - frankly - most interesting, monarchs.
Black takes a useful approach here, interspersing narrative chapters on the political machinations and military goings-on with more wide-ranging thematic treatments of different aspects of the monarch's life - his relations with family, his cultural and religious inclinations, his lifestyle and his concerns for how to deal with Hanover, his ancestral continental possession. These thematic chapters were what I enjoyed most about the book - the others, while interesting, were filled to bursting with names and titles and political volleys that I found difficult to keep straight.
George III, Black argues, "instinctually knew what his duty was ... a major weaknes was that this conviction was not always illuminated by careful reflection, and could therefore seem both obtuse and stubborn" (p. 115). It was this commitment to what he perceived as his duty to his country and to his subjects that led him to take such a firm stand against the American crisis (unsuccessfully) and also against Catholic emancipation, parliamentary reform, and Franco-European aggression (more successfully). "George was a nicer man than his two predecessors and he meant well, but his obstinacy helped create serious political difficulties," Black concludes, putting it mildly.
Naturally I was drawn to Black's discussion of George's reading habits: the king accumulated a large working library (some 65,250 books by 1820, plus 19,000 tracts), which later became part of the British Museum. He opened his main library - next to his bedroom - to use by scholars (Samuel Johnson was a frequent visitor), and was known to visit Windsor bookshops. Black writes "George was particularly interested in works on theology, history, jurisprudence, science, the arts and the Classical inheritance, and less so in fiction ... Indeed, George did not really take to novels until he became blind, when one of his daughters read them to him nightly" (p. 170). The king liked to read interesting portions of his books aloud, and preferred "his books unbound for his first reading and afterwards bound to match his other books" (p. 171).
Black's excellently-researched and richly-footnoted study will, I hope, prompt others to take a fresh look at the life of one of Britain's most longest-serving and - frankly - most interesting, monarchs.
Update: Lee Letters Sell
Three Robert E. Lee letters sold at yesterday's auction fetched a combined $61,000, the AP reports. The 440 Civil War documents together are estimated to have sold for approximately $400,000 ("neither [owner Thomas] Willcox nor the auction house had specific figures").
"Fewer than 50 people gathered for the auction of old correspondence, telegrams, bills and receipts. Two of the Lee letters were sold to an out-of-state collector bidding by phone. David Ellison of Columbia spent $27,000 for a Lee letter that talked about using slave labor to build defenses. ... Willcox said he was disappointed with the sales. He said he's sure he at least broke even after spending money on legal fees and $70,000 for a detailed appraisal of the documents. 'I thought it would have gone better,' he said. 'At the end of the day, it's over.'"
So ... a multi-year legal battle with the state of South Carolina and the wholesale destruction of a Civil War letter collection, all to break even.
"Fewer than 50 people gathered for the auction of old correspondence, telegrams, bills and receipts. Two of the Lee letters were sold to an out-of-state collector bidding by phone. David Ellison of Columbia spent $27,000 for a Lee letter that talked about using slave labor to build defenses. ... Willcox said he was disappointed with the sales. He said he's sure he at least broke even after spending money on legal fees and $70,000 for a detailed appraisal of the documents. 'I thought it would have gone better,' he said. 'At the end of the day, it's over.'"
So ... a multi-year legal battle with the state of South Carolina and the wholesale destruction of a Civil War letter collection, all to break even.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Book Review: "Of a Feather"
Given the sustained and growing American interest in birding over the past few years, we were about due for an updated history of the field; Scott Weidensaul's Of a Feather: A Brief History of American Birding (Harcourt, 2007) fills this gap admirably.
Weidensaul provides a concise synopsis of the development of American ornithology, sketching out the biographies and artistic/observational styles of Mark Catesby, Alexander Wilson, Audubon and other early "birders." This may be familiar territory, but Weidensaul's treatment of later figures such as John Townsend, Charles Bendire, George Bird Grinnell will be fresh to some readers. Of a Feather succinctly covers the great debates over the formation of American ornithological institutions, the "feather wars" that prompted protective actions and the beginnings of conservation efforts.
The section of Weidensaul's book I enjoyed most were the chapters on the rise of field guides; he examines the genesis of the genre and then contrasts the early efforts with Roger Tory Peterson's revolutionary guide before examining how field guides have evolved in the decades since Peterson.
Also, the discussion of comparatively-recent trends toward competition and "list-mania" is both instructive and important - Weidensaul argues that many birders today are too obsessed with ticking off species names while neglecting the big picture of conservation and ecosystem preservation. He writes "Now bird study is poised to enter what could be a fresh and, I hope, golden age. My hope for the future is a fusion of the science of birds with the love of chasing them, the best of the ornithologist and the lister, with a vehement commitment to avian well-being binding these approaches together" (p. 313). Not a bad vision.
Well-written and nicely readable, this is a good introduction to the subject. Weidensaul's citations and bibliography provide many additional sources.
Weidensaul provides a concise synopsis of the development of American ornithology, sketching out the biographies and artistic/observational styles of Mark Catesby, Alexander Wilson, Audubon and other early "birders." This may be familiar territory, but Weidensaul's treatment of later figures such as John Townsend, Charles Bendire, George Bird Grinnell will be fresh to some readers. Of a Feather succinctly covers the great debates over the formation of American ornithological institutions, the "feather wars" that prompted protective actions and the beginnings of conservation efforts.
The section of Weidensaul's book I enjoyed most were the chapters on the rise of field guides; he examines the genesis of the genre and then contrasts the early efforts with Roger Tory Peterson's revolutionary guide before examining how field guides have evolved in the decades since Peterson.
Also, the discussion of comparatively-recent trends toward competition and "list-mania" is both instructive and important - Weidensaul argues that many birders today are too obsessed with ticking off species names while neglecting the big picture of conservation and ecosystem preservation. He writes "Now bird study is poised to enter what could be a fresh and, I hope, golden age. My hope for the future is a fusion of the science of birds with the love of chasing them, the best of the ornithologist and the lister, with a vehement commitment to avian well-being binding these approaches together" (p. 313). Not a bad vision.
Well-written and nicely readable, this is a good introduction to the subject. Weidensaul's citations and bibliography provide many additional sources.
Long-Disputed Civil War Letters to be Auctioned
The Associated Press reports that a collection of 444 letters between Confederate military and political officials will be sold at auction today in South Carolina. The letters have been the subject of a long legal battle between their owner and the state of South Carolina: "Willcox's letters were supposed to be auctioned in 2004. But the state stepped in and sued, claiming they were written as part of official state business and were the property of South Carolina. A federal judge ruled last year that Willcox owned the collection, which were in his family for generations before he discovered them in his parents' home after they died."
Each letter will be sold separately, so the collection is likely to be effectively destroyed by today's sale. "One entity that won't be trying to get the documents is the state. Officials from several agencies have told The Associated Press that South Carolina won't be bidding - in part because they have been recorded on microfilm. 'To spend the state's money on something we believe already belongs to the state goes against principle,' said Charles Lesser, senior archivist for the Department of Archives and History."
While it's good that the collection has been microfilmed and so is (presumably) available for research purposes, it's a shame to see such an interesting group of documents separated. An institutional home for them would have been most appropriate.
Each letter will be sold separately, so the collection is likely to be effectively destroyed by today's sale. "One entity that won't be trying to get the documents is the state. Officials from several agencies have told The Associated Press that South Carolina won't be bidding - in part because they have been recorded on microfilm. 'To spend the state's money on something we believe already belongs to the state goes against principle,' said Charles Lesser, senior archivist for the Department of Archives and History."
While it's good that the collection has been microfilmed and so is (presumably) available for research purposes, it's a shame to see such an interesting group of documents separated. An institutional home for them would have been most appropriate.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Student Book-Thief Caught, Fined
Via Shelf:Life, news from Lincolnshire that Thomas Ashton, 22, " stole more than 120 books from the University of Lincoln library between October 2006 and July 2007." Ashton, who graduated from the university this summer, sold more than 60 books on eBay before a buyer noticed the library stamp and called police; another 69 books were discovered at Ashton's home.
Ashton told police he'd carried out the thefts by "photocopying the bar codes of the books he did not like and attaching them to the ones he wanted so he could disable the security tag and leave the premises without arousing suspicion." I wouldn't think that method would work, but apparently it did in Lincoln.
Ashton "expressed remorse and regret and said he was willing to pay all of the costs to the university"; magistrates ordered him to pay £1,500 in compensation to the library, plus a £500 fine and £43 in court costs.
Once again judges pass up a perfect opportunity to set an example.
Ashton told police he'd carried out the thefts by "photocopying the bar codes of the books he did not like and attaching them to the ones he wanted so he could disable the security tag and leave the premises without arousing suspicion." I wouldn't think that method would work, but apparently it did in Lincoln.
Ashton "expressed remorse and regret and said he was willing to pay all of the costs to the university"; magistrates ordered him to pay £1,500 in compensation to the library, plus a £500 fine and £43 in court costs.
Once again judges pass up a perfect opportunity to set an example.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Where Writers Write
The Guardian has a special web report on "Writers' Rooms", with short essays by quite a few well-known writers on the places where they do their work; each essay is accompanied by photographs. What surprised me is how similar so many of them are.
Bloomsbury NY Kicks Off Sales
The New York showroom of Bloomsbury Auctions held its inaugural sale yesterday, the library of Pamela and Richard Estes (which I first mentioned here). The auction brought in $780,000 hammer price, with the Kelmscott Chaucer fetching $180,000. A 1909 Ashendene Press edition of Dante's works was sold for $57,600, well above estimates.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Tricky Printers
Bill Cole of Cole & Contreras Books recently posted to ExLibris some interesting printing techniques he's come across in cataloging a few 18th-century books. He calls them "stupid printer tricks," but they actually seem pretty ingenious to me.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Magna Carta to be Sold
An copy of the Magna Carta dated 1297 - the only one of seventeen original copies in private hands - will be sold at auction at Sotheby's this December. The copy, which is owed by Ross Perot's foundation, was until recently on display at the National Archives in Washington. "The foundation told the archives this month that it had decided to end the loan and take back Magna Carta. Its departure came so suddenly that the archives did not have time to remodel the display case or fill it with some of the nine billion documents from the archives’ own collection."
Perot bought the Magna Carta in 1984 for $1.5 million. It is expected to fetch up to $30 million this time around. According to a foundation employee quoted in the Times, the foundation decided to sell the document in order to "have funds available for medical research, for improving public education and for assisting wounded soldiers and their families."
Sotheby's is trumpeting the sale as "The Most Important Document Ever Offered at Auction."
More here and here.
Perot bought the Magna Carta in 1984 for $1.5 million. It is expected to fetch up to $30 million this time around. According to a foundation employee quoted in the Times, the foundation decided to sell the document in order to "have funds available for medical research, for improving public education and for assisting wounded soldiers and their families."
Sotheby's is trumpeting the sale as "The Most Important Document Ever Offered at Auction."
More here and here.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Links & Reviews
After a few days away I'm pretty far behind, so I've got loads of things piled up to pass along:
- J.L. Bell at Boston 1775 points out a Marcus Rediker piece in a recent Boston Globe which makes for fascinating reading. Rediker, who's written several provocative and important books on pirate culture, has a new book coming out soon, The Slave Ship: A Human History. Amazon recently sent me an ad for that ... they do know me well. Rediker's Globe essay centers around this document, which is one of the most disturbing satires I have ever read.
- Ed has some more of his always-excellent bibliaudio offerings, including a radio play of Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus." Ed also recently commented on "Robinsonades" - literary spinoffs of a sort.
- Scott Brown reports on a very small and intricate Koran being sold at auction this week.
- From BibliOdyssey, fish engravings by Adriaen Collaert, and an eye-popping collection of advertising trade cards.
- Jim Watts at Iconic Books notes the display of the "Devil's Bible" in Prague.
- The LibraryThing folks are mulling a data-merge with Google . The debate over there on this question has been really enlightening.
- The NBCC's retrospective on W. Jackson Bate's Samuel Johnson continues with a short essay by Jack Lynch.
- From the Telegraph, a John Sutherland column on Jasper Fforde (which I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys Fforde's works) and a review of Andrew Lycett's new biography of Arthur Conan Doyle.
- To lighten the mood, Colonel over at Mutterings has a few sure-to-be-bestsellers, as ripped from the headlines.
- Michael Lieberman passes along a video tribute to Edward Gorey's The Gashlycrumb Tinies.
- NPR recently noted that a complete set of signed Harry Potter books is being auctioned off for charity. You've still got a couple days to bid!
- J.L. Bell at Boston 1775 points out a Marcus Rediker piece in a recent Boston Globe which makes for fascinating reading. Rediker, who's written several provocative and important books on pirate culture, has a new book coming out soon, The Slave Ship: A Human History. Amazon recently sent me an ad for that ... they do know me well. Rediker's Globe essay centers around this document, which is one of the most disturbing satires I have ever read.
- Ed has some more of his always-excellent bibliaudio offerings, including a radio play of Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus." Ed also recently commented on "Robinsonades" - literary spinoffs of a sort.
- Scott Brown reports on a very small and intricate Koran being sold at auction this week.
- From BibliOdyssey, fish engravings by Adriaen Collaert, and an eye-popping collection of advertising trade cards.
- Jim Watts at Iconic Books notes the display of the "Devil's Bible" in Prague.
- The LibraryThing folks are mulling a data-merge with Google . The debate over there on this question has been really enlightening.
- The NBCC's retrospective on W. Jackson Bate's Samuel Johnson continues with a short essay by Jack Lynch.
- From the Telegraph, a John Sutherland column on Jasper Fforde (which I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys Fforde's works) and a review of Andrew Lycett's new biography of Arthur Conan Doyle.
- To lighten the mood, Colonel over at Mutterings has a few sure-to-be-bestsellers, as ripped from the headlines.
- Michael Lieberman passes along a video tribute to Edward Gorey's The Gashlycrumb Tinies.
- NPR recently noted that a complete set of signed Harry Potter books is being auctioned off for charity. You've still got a couple days to bid!
Friday, September 21, 2007
Off on a Jaunt
I'm heading out of Boston early Saturday morning for a quick trip home to visit family and then to alma mater for a few days of thesis research with my favorite book collection (more about which soon). I'll be posting as I can, but probably not quite as regularly as usual.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)