Month: September 2008

Seller’s Description:
Dubuque, IA” Prodigious” Bookstore Illus Letterhead, 1858

Letter from Couch & Gilbert, proprietors of the “Prodigious” Store, a book store in Dubuque, Iowa. We’re not able to interpret the illustration of the man with his arms in the air, but those are books on the shelves. Text is about the wholesale price of dictionaries. Letter sent to G & C Merriam, publishers of Websters. The note at bottom is in the hand of one of the Merriams, either George or Charles. Dated August 20, 1858. Condition: mailing/filing folds. Otherwise VG. 5″ X 7 3/4″.

Sold for $17.05 25 Sept. 08, not to me.

Advertisement for firm in publication dated 1860 found via GoogleBooks.

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That can be taken so many ways.

June 6, 1898: C.J. Veits, Bookseller, Stationer, News Dealer, Book and Job Printer No. 4 Main St. New London, Conn. Illustrated advertising cover. 4 1/2 by 7 inches

A beautifully illustrated cover, with an illustration of a book with a fine binding and the Bookseller’s information on the cover. One of the best advertising covers I’ve seen in a while, and a design I’ve not seen before.

Spotted on ebay:
Billhead of Munsell & Rowland, operators of a steam printing house on State Street, Albany, New York, has illustration of a Ruggles Patent press. Bill sent to G & C Merriam, publishers of Webster’s Dictionary, for advertising in Webster’s Almanac, evidently published by Munsell & Rowland. Condition: small tears, creases, at bottom edge; mailing folds, minor creases. Otherwise VG. 4 7/8″ X 7 5/8″.

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I love old bookmarks. Suprisingly, I don’t see as many as I would suspect issued by Book Stores. I see far more regular trade cards than bookmarks, even though it seems like a similar amount of effort and cost would be involved. Anyway, this is one of the most delightful book marks I’ve seen in a while and had to share it. Of course, it was spotted on ebay.

Seller’s Description:
Size is 2 1/2″ long. The back is blank. Wanamaker’s was a Philadelphia based store that also had a few satellite stores. One was in Harrisburg which I used to shop in before they closed about 15 or so years ago. Wanamaker’s dates to before 1900.

Sold for $61.00, not to me.

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I was regretting a late supper at IHOP, out of town with work and feeling a little low. Do you know what I mean? It isn’t fun staying in a strange town and not feeling well. I remembered I left my phone on the charger while at supper and noticed I had a new message. That is when fame found me, in the Marriott Courtyard in Santa Fe. My friend and fellow bibliophile Dr. RB called to congratulate me on my newfound fame and appearing in print. Apparently the Exile Bibliophile blog is mentioned in the current issue of Rare Book Review! I had no idea, but couldn’t be more pleased. Well, maybe if they sent me a subscription …

Confession: I read every new issue of this magazine cover-to-cover, but very rarely buy it. Published in the UK and flown to the US in Dom Perignon powered golden airplanes, this is a pricey magazine at $78 per annum for 6 issues. Don’t misunderstand me, this is a fabulous magazine, but I can’t afford it. So, when you’re sitting in Barnes and Noble, drinking the free water and leaving sweaty, smudgy fingerprints all over Rare Book Review, you’re not alone. I do it too.

About the Author: Benjamin L. Clark writes and works as a museum curator.