Book Collecting - A Filthy Habit Got Too Clean
The first editions of Philip K.Dick's novels saw limited runs and Dick rarely attended signings. As a result, early and signed copies of Dick's books fetch top dollar on the rare book circuit. Guess which Dick novel sold for $6.5K?
Bueno Aires's Librería El Ateneo Grand Splendid used to be a beautiful movie palace. Saved from the wrecker's ball, it is now one of the most majestic bookstores I've ever clapped eyes upon, a veritable temple to books.
The Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection stands out among the distinguished resources of the Rare Book and Special Collections Division of The Library of Congress. Taking the illustrated book as its central theme and containing books from the last six centuries and manuscripts from the three preceding, the collection's greatest strengths are in the fifteenth century woodcut books, early sixteenth-century illustrated books, William Blake, and twentieth-century livres des peintres. Within this grand design the late Mr. Rosenwald sought books produced by the earliest printers and outstanding presses of later periods, and books on the following subjects: science, calligraphy, botany, and chess. The catalog describing the collection published in 1978 contains 2,653 entries, many for books represented by more than one copy.
I found this work of ceramic art by artist Richard Shaw to be quite interesting. It has a book theme and it shows the cavelear way that many folks treat books. It is just the thing for a book collector's home. Don't you think?
Almost 30 years after writing my first book, I still have instant recall of the moment when I received the first bound copy, its yellow title dancing on a deep-blue background. My most vivid impression was not so much of personal achievement as of humble admission—of being joined to a chain of civilization that stretches back almost to our cavernous origins
Fine Books & Collections magazine, which targets collectors of rare and collectible books, will return to a regular print schedule in April 2010
As part of the March 18 sale of the library of Roger Wagner, a very rare leaf from am original Gutenberg Bible is up for sale. Low estimate is $40,000.00 and High estimate is $50,000.00. The auction catalog describes it in this way:
It’s only been four days since a 1938 edition of Action Comics No. 1, the first appearance of Superman, sold for a record $1 million at auction, but that figure has already been surpassed by $75,500. Not surprisingly, the culprit is the first appearance of Batman - a 1939 edition of Detective Comics No. 27. Again, both parties involved in the sale chose to remain anonymous, but it was revealed that the comic was purchased by the seller in the late ’60s for $100. Not too shabby.
The Penn Libraries have received $4.25 million for the renovation of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library (RBML) and the creation of a Special Collections Center. The donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, is a member of the Libraries’ Board of Overseers. This is the largest gift to the Libraries from a living donor.
