UPDATE: We are pleased to report that the Robert Louis Stevenson items which we recently reported as lost or stolen in transit have finally reached their destination. Thank you all for your vigilance and concern. **** The following items have gone missing from the postal service on an international shipment to Scotland: 1. STEVENSON. ROBERT LOUIS. Moral Emblems. A Collection of Cuts and Verses. Moral Emblems. A Second Collection of Cuts and Verses. Illustrated, 3 1/4" X 5" (83 X 127mm) and 3 1/2" X 4 3/4" (89 X 121mm) respectively, original printed self-wrappers, sewn as issued. Davos-Platz : S.L. Osbourne & Company, n.d. . First editions. These small excessively rare and fragile "original juvenile toy-books by Stevenson" were printed by his young stepson, Lloyd Osbourne. Each booklet features 5 woodcuts with verses printed on the opposing pages. According to the George Barr McCutcheon sale catalogue (New York, American Art Association, Inc.,1926, lot 555) "he cuts were executed by Stevenson with a pen-knife." Both booklets have some wear, but are generally in very good state. The Second Collection is a presentation copy from Stevenson, inscribed in ink on the front cover: "S.E.P. from / R.L.S." Accompanying this inscribed copy is an autograph letter signed (one page, on embossed stationery of the Board of Trade, S.W.,17 November 1896; a little torn) from Edmund Gosse to "My dear Foote." In his letter Gosse tells of having secured the booklet from the original owner and repor... [more Missing: Robert Louis Stevenson Material]

J & J LUBRANO MUSIC ANTIQUARIANS LLC is seeking an ANTIQUARIAN MUSIC CATALOGUER Primary duties would be to research and catalogue: - rare printed music and books about music and dance - original autograph musical manuscripts and letters of composers - music- and dance-related iconography Our firm, established in 1977, has an international clientele of both private and institutional collectors of original source material dating from the 15th through 21st centuries. The ideal candidate will possess the following attributes: - a graduate degree in music history - a Masters degree in Library Science or previous employment experience in the rare book and manuscript trade - some experience in original antiquarian music and/or rare book and manuscript cataloguing and a good knowledge of relevant bibliographical resources - an appreciation of, and enthusiasm for handling, original sources - an interest in the history of music printing and publishing - an interest in the commercial dimension of antiquarian bookselling - a good reading knowledge of one or more European languages, preferably German, French or Italian - strong writing and oral communication skills - good computer skills - good organizational skills - the ability to adapt to changing work priorities - the ability to work well both individually and as part of a team - the ability to occasionally lift and carry boxes weighing up to 30 pounds We are located in private premises on the north shore of Long Island, approximatel... [more J & J Lubrano Music Antiquarians LLC Seek Cataloguer]

Start spreading the news: the 54th Annual New York Antiquarian Book Fair opens tomorrow! As I type, over 200 American and international exhibitors are converging on the historic Park Avenue Armory, unpacking crates of rare books, ephemera, maps, prints, manuscripts, and other gems. If you've never attended, you'll be amazed at the amount and range of material that our exhibitors have in each booth, their mini-stores for the weekend. The fair has been referred to as a treasure trove and it's an apt description. Exhibitors spend countless hours curating their most interesting material and arranging their booth displays in the most enticing manner. As the Armory slowly fills up with the most knowledgeable specialists in the trade and their extraordinary material, each booth becomes a unique, not to be missed exhibit in a truly living museum. Living, you see, because at ABAA fairs you have the chance to look at and to hold items that you can't otherwise find outside of a museum or special collections library. What's even more remarkable is that you are afforded the opportunity to speak with the curator of each exhibi who would love to send you home with a priceless souvenir. This is my fifth NY Book Fair, and I have some advice for first time attendees. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer size of the event and intimidated by the material on display. I felt this way myself during my first visit to an ABAA fair. But push past these feelings, walk the show floor, and enjoy y... [more New York, New York!]

ABAA Member Marc Selvaggio recently spoke at the opening of an exhibition he curated at Southern Methodist University's DeGolyer Library on Parables of Promise: American Advertising Fiction, 1856-2014. The exhibit aims to cover how American companies have used fiction and storytelling in this genre to sell "material goods, whether plows, windows, patent medicines, cereals, the telephone, bicycles, railroad travel, or insurance". The exhibit will be on view until May 23, 2014. More highlights are here. [more Marc Selvaggio Curates Exhibit on Advertising Fiction at SMU’s DeGolyer Library]

We were excited to see Catherine Opie name Andrew Cahan as one of the un-sung heroes of the photography world in Aperture's Photography As You Don't Know It series. As a monograph collector, Ms. Opie was struck by Cahan's focus on Japanese monographs from the 1970's. From that point onward, she was hooked and they became fast friends. Cahan has moved back to his hometown of Akron, Ohio and still seeks out the best in books by and for photographers. More on their relationship here. [more Andrew Cahan Featured in Aperture’s Winter Issue]

UPDATE: RECOVERED The following item has been reported missing: Graham, Benjamin. The Intelligent Investor. First edition in pristine condition and original dust jacket. Contains the following inscription from Warren Buffett: “To Jason Zweig, who ably carries the torch that Ben lit.” The book also includes a personal letter from Mr. Buffett congratulating Mr. Zweig on the publication of the 2003 revised edition. If you have any information on this item, please contact Jason Zweig at jason.zweig@gmail.com. [more Missing: Inscribed Copy of ‘The Intelligent Investor’]

The ABAA is delighted to welcome the following new members to the Association: Kara Accettola, Little Sages Books; John D. Kehoe, John Kehoe Bookseller; Michael Laird, Michael Laird Rare Books LLC; Thomas F. Nealon, Pazzo Books; Kurt A. Sanftleben, Read 'Em Again Books; Daniel Whitmore, Whitmore Rare Books. Read a little more about each member below. Full Members Kara Accettola, Little Sages Books (Cooper City, FL) A self-proclaimed perpetual optimist and student of life, Kara Accettola was looking for her life's work when she stumbled into the antiquarian world and started Little Sages Books in 2008. With a penchant for oddities and a love of beauty, she remains a generalist bookseller and ephemerist with favor for the visually captivating and culturally relevant. She balances a busy fair and travel calendar with the comfort of home and family. John D. Kehoe, John Kehoe Bookseller (Norwalk, CT) John Kehoe's introduction to bookselling came the old fashioned way, as a scout in the pre-Internet era. While working as a crane operator (IUOE, Local 478) and a magazine editor and writer (bylines in Rolling Stone, Cigar Aficiando and Pest Control Technology Magazine, among other publications), his travels took him throughout the country, where he began to scout for resalable books (or at least those he thought were resalable). With impeccable timing, in October 2008 he opened John Kehoe Bookseller at the Antique and Artisan Center, in Stamford, CT. Defying both the trends and the o... [more New Members Admitted to the ABAA]

Update: this item has been recovered. The following item was reported missing: Kipling, Rudyard. The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book. London: Macmillan and Co., 1894-1895. Two volumes. First editions, first printings. The Jungle Book (1894) is illustrated by John Lockwood Kipling, William Henry Drake, and Paul Frenzeny. The Second Jungle Book (1895) is illustrated by John Lockwood Kipling. Both volumes bound in the publisher's navy cloth, spines lettered in gilt, pictorial jungle images based on artwork by the author's father John Lockwood Kipling stamped to the front boards in gilt, all edges gilt. Both near fine copies, with some minor rubbing to the extremities, former owner's bookplates to the front pastedowns, spine very lightly starting after the preface in The Jungle Book, otherwise both have sturdy spines, a hint of scattered light foxing to The Second Jungle Book, otherwise both have clean and crisp pages. Overall, a bright and very attractive set of the Jungle Books. If you are offered the item, please contact B & B Rare Books at (646) 652-6766 or jmann@bbrarebooks.com. [more Missing: First Edition Set of 'The Jungle Book']

Florence Shay in the summer of 1942 when she and Art met at camp. Photograph by Art Shay Chicago Magazine recently published a lovely tribute for ABAA member Florence Shay who passed away in August 2012. The piece is based on an upcoming exhibit by Florence's husband Art Shay, the accomplished photojournalist, and the photographs present an intimate portrait of the intelligent, vivacious woman Art spent over 67 years with. My Florence opens at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago on January 27th and runs through May 24, 2014. [more Through the Lens: A look at Florence Shay through the photographs of her husband Art Shay]

This item is still missing and considered lost as of 5/28/2019. The following item has been reported stolen: FLEMING, IAN. Diamonds Are Forever. New York: Macmillan, 1956. First American Edition. A fine copy in a lightly soiled, price-clipped dust jacket. If you have any information on this item, please contact Peter Stern at (617) 542-2376 or info@sternrarebooks.com. [more Stolen: First American Edition of 'Diamonds Are Forever']