When the companion volume is more valuable than its opus

October 19, 2012
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In 1543 Andreas Vesalius published his opus De Humani Corporis Fabrica Librorum Septem (Fabrica) and, later the same month, the companion volume De Humani Corporis Fabrica Librorum Epitome (Epitome). The two volumes are considered to be the foundation of modern Anatomy. Vesalius viewed the Epitome as an introduction for the novice in medicine, serving as […]

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Which Binding is Suitable?

October 16, 2012
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Rare Books Digest hosts opinions and views of international book trade professionals such as the one this week from contributor, book restorer, Alexandros Deligiorgis of Bibliodesia in Athens, Greece. (http://www.facebook.com/bibliodesia) When we have to deal with old books, whose covers are missing, and they are seriously damaged or not bound, and need to be restored, what type of binding […]

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To Grow a Library: Electronic or Hard Copies?

October 11, 2012
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What does it mean to grow a library? Does it mean we fill our heads with literature and our heads then become the library? Or does it mean we actually purchase books that we keep forever and display? Some argue that it does not matter the vesicle by which one reads a book; what matters […]

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Rare Book Sale Monitor update – 3rd Quarter 2012

October 9, 2012
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Even before posting our feature on the “The Poor Man’s Bible” last April and, more recently, “The priceless Gutenberg Bible”  in September, the excitement surrounding rare religious books and, more specifically, old Bibles was on the rise.  Collectors are increasingly pouring large sums of cash into ancient religious texts. The Rare Book Sale Monitor (RBSM) recorded […]

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The Purpose of Bookseller Catalogs

October 5, 2012
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I talk with booksellers every day, and lately a large number of them tell me that they are finding it harder to justify the cost of producing new catalogs or catalogues to our friends across the pond. These are the publications containing a list of merchandise that the bookseller is featuring and promoting. Many booksellers […]

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Hipster Mecca: The New York Art Book Fair

September 30, 2012
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In case you were wondering why Brooklyn seemed devoid of its usual hipster crowd tonight, it was not your imagination. They had all migrated just a few paces north to Long Island City, Queens, an entirely separate borough, but a stone’s throw from Greenpoint and Williamsburg. Skinny jeans, gingham/ plaid/ flannel/ floral/ checkers/ paisley shirts, […]

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World’s Fair & Symposium of the Book Arts

September 27, 2012
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The Codex Foundation of Berkley, CA is preparing for its fourth biennial “World’s Fair & Symposium of the Book Arts,” to be held February 10th through the 13th, 2013. The event takes place on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley, and its mission is to preserve and promote the hand-made book as […]

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In the beginning of the dust wrapper

September 24, 2012
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Dust-wrappers (or “dust-jackets” as they are often called), are the detachable book coverings that have been regularly used by publishers in the English-speaking world primarily British and American, since the early part of the nineteenth century. Publishers have been using them as protective devices and containers for advertising media, biographical information about the author, blurbs, […]

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The priceless Gutenberg Bible

September 20, 2012
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While the most common book ever to be published is the Bible, Bibles from the 1600s and earlier are actually considered quite scarce. They belong in a very elite group that is sought after by very wealthy collectors who are increasingly and unflinchingly pouring large sums of money into liturgical texts.  It is a group […]

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Rare book conservation tips and techniques #2

September 17, 2012
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Last month we published a set of tips and techniques regarding book conservation, and mentioned a number of book care supplies that can be extremely helpful in carrying out some fundamental book preservation tasks. This month we will provide more details on some of the specific products from specific conservation suppliers that are available and […]

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