Comics, History, Books, Museums and more
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May Santa bring you many books and treats! Merry Christmas everyone! Exclamation!
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That dang isn’t a short, forceful one, but drawn out, multisyllable: Daaaaa-ng.
Where has November gone? I’ll tell you, though it is non-biblio content: Work. I work for a museum, and my time has been consumed over the last month to get a new exhibit out that I was in charge of. So, back to the book stuff for a bit. Hooray!
First, Chris at Book Hunter’s Holiday has tagged me with the stuff that’s going around. I didn’t know she was contagious, besides the way she smiles when she writes.
1. Check
2. Check
3. A: My Mom once hit me with the car.
B: I’m one of those elusive under-30 bibliophiles. Barely. Heck, in this field, I’ll be a youngster for another 20 years! Like being a museum curator. In 20 years I’ll be “up and coming”.
C: I took Hebrew in college. I wish I could say I studied Hebrew, but that would be generous.
D: If it is baked with cinnamon, it doesn’t have long to wait until it is in my mouth.
E: I recently discovered the joys of Cuban jazz.
F: I whistle the theme song of Hawaii 5-0 at odd times (sorry Preach!) and often wake up with it playing in my head. No, I never played in a marching band.
4. I tag….
Bibliophemera (a great blog, who doesn’t post enough! That sounds familiar.)
Archaeolibris (who has not blogged in a bit)
That’s enough. I’m worn out.
5. Check
6. Check.
The Rules:
1. Link to the person or persons who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
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Nice typographical trade card from
Hollowbush & Carey,
BOOKSELLERS,
Bland Book Manufacturers & Stationers,
No. 218 Market Street,
Philadelphia.
Paper Flour Sacks And Bags
Another bookmobile. Wow. This thing is beautiful. I’m home sick today, listening to football via the net. This link has been occupying some of my time today as well: http://etsybooks.blogspot.com/2008/07/best-tutorials.htm. From the Bookbinding Etsy Street Team, a collection of bookbinding related tutorials. Great stuff… like this bookmobile. *Sigh*
I bought this for $5 a while ago. I have no idea what it is. The seller proudly proclaimed it was a very antique bookbinding tool. No, he didn’t know I have an interest in bookbinding, so I wasn’t baited. Too badly. Anyway, does have a bit of age on it, wood turned screws, etc. It is not very big, and hinged at the back. I think it’s the back. It has been used a lot, the screws have worn corresponding holes in the board they push against. Of course, there are no markings. The only thing I can think of is it is used to trim small text blocks. One photo has a standard sized Zebra ink pen for scale. Anyone?
Had another book safari for the ages. I found some great books for myself, but also found an instruction book on Hawking! I’m not interested in hawking, personally, at least beyond the theoretical. Don’t get me wrong, training raptors to hunt for you is cool, but I already have too many hobbies. But what a fun book to sit with and learn a little from!
And also, if you’re like me, there is never quite enough money for the books I want, so when I find other interesting books I know are collectible in their own right, I pick them up and send them along to more appreciative owners. Like hawk trainers. For money.
Flipping through the book once I was home, I found a great flyaway. Flyaways are the little bits of stuff we leave in our books to be found later. Receipts, movie tickets, torn off bits are the norm, but I once found a chocolate chip and 30+-year-old pornography carefully Exacto knifed and taped into a compact accordion of pocket smut. Not in the same book, though. Some old-time booksellers refer to flyaways as “hay” though more and more collectors, booksellers, and antique dealers now refer to it as ephemera.
I know you doubt it, but the post card is actually hawking related. The Rare Bird Farm in Miami Florida sent a message to the effect “No, we don’t have hawks”. Photo by Bunny Yeager. Now to decide if I should sell the postcard separate on ebay, or just leave it in the book where I found it for the next guy.
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Curator of Rare Books Stephen Ferguson shared a wonderful quote prompted by the earlier posting:
“The open mouth, and raised arms with open hands turned outwards, is an expression of astonishment very general all over the world. Mr. Darwin explains the open mouth by a complication of causes, but he omits to notice, what seems to me a very probable one, that it represents an incipient cry of alarm or fear, or call for help. The raising of the arms and the open hands are explained by antithesis, they being the opposite of a state of indifference or listlessness.”
This quote is from a review of Darwin’s The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, 1879.
Be sure to pop over to Stephen’s Blog from the Princeton University Library Rare Books and Special Collections. Thanks Stephen!
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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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