Booksellers setting up this morning We are only a day away from opening night of the NY Antiquarian Book Fair, an event not to be missed by anyone who has a passion. You're probably thinking: You forgot to finish your sentence; surely you mean a passion for books. No, you read it correctly the first time. ABAA book fairs offer a chance to purchase a piece of history and every field is represented. Everyone can find something fascinating at the shows, no matter what their passion or interest may bejust take a look at the drop-down list of specializations on our member search page to get an idea of the breadth of fields our sellers deal in. What's more, it may be called a book fair, but there is much more on the show floor than booksmanuscripts, prints, maps, ephemera, sketches, letters, photographs&almost anything you can think of. As I posted last year, ABAA fairs are truly living, breathing museums and they give you the unique opportunity to take home part of the exhibit. (Read last year's post after the jump.) Just writing and thinking about the fair has gotten my adrenaline pumpingI can't wait to get to the Armory! I hope to see you there. New York Antiquarian Book Fair April 11-14 Park Avenue Armory @ 67th Street Thursday Preview: 5pm-9pm Friday: Noon-8pm Saturday: Noon-7pm Sunday: Noon-5pm Events: Book Collecting 101, Saturday at 1pm Discovery Day, Noon-3pm *** Why Visit an Antiquarian Book Fair? For many readers of this blog, the answer is obvious, but based on the r... [more The Best Book Fair of the Year]

ABAA member Greg Gibson, proprietor of Ten Pound Island Book Company, has just released his latest book, a noir crime novel entitled The Old Turk's Load . The story takes place in 1967 Manhattan and the lives of the colorful cast of characters is entwined by a $5 million herion shipment that goes awry. I have yet to read the book myself, but it has already garnered critical praise. From the New York Journal of Books: "...character descriptions that shine like pistols in sentences that burst like bullets&The Old Turk's Load is probably the fastest neo-noir read on the crime novel shelves. Exquistely hard boiled, this crime novel is the perfect beach read for those matured on Tantantino and Spillane." Greg has authored several other books Gone Boy, Demon of the Waters, and Hubert's Freaksand has a great blog about his involvement in the antiquarian book trade, The Bookman's Log. (Check out recent entries in his blog that relate to The Old Turk's Load.) Greg will be exhibiting at the New York Antiquarian Book Fair this weekend and will be signing copies of his new novel, with all profits going to the ABAA's Benevolent Fund. Stop by Booth D23 and get your copy! I know I will. [more Greg Gibson's New Novel, 'The Old Turk's Load']

It was announced in March that Joel Silver was appointed as Director of one of the country's foremost rare book libraries, Indiana University's Lilly Library. The Lilly Library houses over 400,000 rare books, 150,000 pieces of sheet music, and 7.5 million manuscripts. Some of the highlights include the New Testament of the Gutenberg Bible; the first printed edition of Canterbury Tales; George Washington's letter accepting the presidency; and the personal papers of Orson Welles and Sylvia Plath. Silver has been with the Lilly Library since 1983, working in a number of different capacities: operations manager, curator of books, associate director to former Lilly director Breon Mitchell, and interim director for two independent appointments. He is also an adjunct associate professor and director of the special collections specialization in the IU School of Library and Information Science and an adjunct faculty member in the Department of English. Silver has also published a great number of articles, books, and exhibition catalogs; he lectures at and leads rare books seminars; and he has curated exhibitions at the Lilly Library. His most recent book, Dr. Rosenbach and Mr. Lilly: Book Collecting in a Golden Age, was published by Oak Knoll Press, which is owned and operated by ABAA member Robert D. Fleck. "I'm honored to have the opportunity to serve as the director of the Lilly Library, one of the greatest repositories of rare books and manuscripts in the world," Silver said. "Th... [more Joel Silver Appointed Director of Lilly Library]

A friend clued us in to this blog post on Flavorwire. The giggly, gleeful Ginsberg at age 16 is especially charming. Photos [more Famous authors as teenagers]

This item has been recovered as of 5/24/2019. The following item has been reported stolen: Title : The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution, as Agreed Upon by the Federal Convention, September 17, 1787. In Two Volumes. Authors : HAMILTON, Alexander, James Madison & John Jay. Date of publication : 1788 Publisher : J. and A. McLean,, New York Description : 2 volumes octavo. Volume I measuring 168 × 115 mm, volume II 185 × 110 mm. Uncut in the original publisher's boards, volume numbers stamped to spines. Housed in a custom blue morocco-backed solander case. Somewhat rubbed, chipping at the spines, some stripping from the lower board of volume I, and light pen trials to the upper board of volume II; joints cracking, repaired; volume I slightly browned and spotted, small pieces torn from the fore-margins of pp157-8, pp221-2, gathering R a little crumpled in the head margin, a binding fault, text creased but no loss; some pencilled marginalia and notes to the rear free endpaper; ink-stamp removed from the title page of volume II, otherwise lightly toned, but clean and largely unopened. If you have any information on this item, please contact Pom Harrington at pom@peterharrington.co.uk or +44 (0)20 7591 0220. [more Stolen: The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution, as Agreed]

This item is still missing as of 5/28/2019. Rollins, William (Jr.). The Shadow Before. Robert M. McBride & Company, New York, 1934. 389 pp. Original black cloth, orange backing to black text, orange top page ridge. Inscribed & signed first edition. Association copy -- signed by author, inscribed 'For Dorothy Waterman (?) who helped give this book a shove, Bill Rollins, March 21, 1934'. Lacks jacket. Boards a bit rubbed, front hinge weak, light cup ring mark on front cover. If you have any information on this item, please contact Jonathan Smalter at (585) 265-9295 or yesterdays.muse@gmail.com [more Stolen: "The Shadow Before", Signed & Inscribed]

Today, the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America joined with the Authors Guild, the American Association of Publishers, and other organizations, objecting to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN's) plan to sell top-level domains to private companies. Online retail giant Amazon has bid to be the exclusive custodian of .book, .author and .read domains. ABAA President John Thomson called the move “anti-competitive” and a threat to the small businesses that make up the Association. “We count on there being a fair and level playing field for all,” Thomson said. “Amazon's actions are like the 800-pound gorilla, using their muscle to try to monopolize a marketplace." The ABAA is the largest and oldest association of antiquarian booksellers in the U.S., representing more than 450 member firms across the nation. The mission of the ABAA is to promote ethical standards and professionalism in the antiquarian book trade. As antiquarian booksellers, we strive to preserve, protect and bring the past to light. So let's look to our history and reflect on the wrongs corrected by The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, which was passed to prevent market domination by a single entity, ensure a level playing field and equal access to free markets. Please consider doing one or all of the following: Send your own letter to ICANN objecting to Amazon's application Although the comment period online officially closed in September, you can still submit comments ... [more Amazon's Bid to Control Top-Level Domain Names]

This June, King's College at the University of Cambridge will hold a two-day conference on book collectors and collecting. The conference will commemorate the centennial birthday of the eminent bibliographer, A.N.L. Munby. Munby pioneered the historical study of British book collecting and the use of sale catalogues to trace the history of taste in books. He is best known for his accounts of obsessive book collectors of the nineteenth century, notably, Sir Thomas Phillipps. He worked in the antiquarian book trade before becoming a Fellow and Librarian of King's College, Cambridge, from 1947 to 1974. Munby was also Lyell Reader in Bibliography at Oxford 1962-63, a Founding Trustee of the British Library, President of the Bibliographic Society, and co-founder of the Cambridge Bibliographic Society. The conference theme is Floreat Bibliomania: Great Collectors and Their Grand Designs and will "provide an opportunity to map current and future developments in the study of collectors and collecting." The event will include presentations by distinguished speakers, visits to private exhibits, and a festive dinner in historic surroundings. Floreat Bibliomania will be held June 28-29, 2013. For additional details and to register, please visit www.kingsmembers.org/munby2013. [more Book Collectors' Conference at Cambridge University]

Update 5/24/19: This item has been recovered! The following item has been reported stolen: Habits of Monks Anonymous. No title: . . 16mo (8.7 cm x 222.5 cm; 3.4 x 87.6"). 36 hand-colored plates on pp. This compact but actually quite extensive souvenir offering illustrates the dress of ordained and lay members of various orders, including Capuchin, Dominican, Augustinian, Cistercian, Olivetan, Jesuit, Barnabite, Maronite, Carmelite; and congregations, including San Francesco di Paola, San Calisto, and the Fate Bene Fratelli (Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Dio), in 36 hand-colored plates, all with captions in Italian. Interestingly, in some cases, costumes are shown for priests and laici (laymen) of the same order on opposing pages. The contents unfold accordion-style in one very long strip comprised of six pieces neatly joined together in a leporello binding; fully extended, the images measure more than seven feet. There are interesting faces here; the wearers of the featured garbs are not mere generic mannequins. Binding as above in original cream paper boards embossed in an all-over leafy pattern; apparently issued without a title leaf. Light soiling on boards, paper cracking over rear joint but "volume" holding fine. It may be seen in this online catalogue: http://www.prbm.com/_Leporellos.php If you have any information on this item, please contact the Philadelphia Rare Books & Manuscripts Company at rarebks@prbm.com or 215-744-6734. [more Stolen: 'Habits of Monks', 36 Hand Colored Plates]

The following item was reported stolen: Mark Twain (Clemens, Samuel L.). HUCKLEBERRY FINN. 1885. First edition, first issue. Green pictorial cloth. Nice, very good copy. If you have any information on this item, please contact the Lost Horizon Bookstore at (805) 962-4606 or losthorizon.books@gte.net. [more Stolen: First Edition of 'Huckleberry Finn']