An educational and informational site about rare, old and antiquarian books.
Modernism in architecture grew from the Bauhaus, a German architecture and design school established in 1919, in Weimar, by German architect Walter Adolph Georg Gropius (18 May 1883 – 5 July 1969). Paradoxically, Bauhaus, directly translated: “building house”, did not offer courses in architecture in its early years of operation despite a proclamation in its […]
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In the midst of the Greece crisis reaching yet another boiling point, the RBSM recorded little or no change in ancient, classical Greek authors’ works covering history, science, geography, philosophy and literature. It has definitely not been the type of economic event with significant impact on antiquarian books. The supply of ancient Greek books got […]
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One of the most beautiful art journals ever printed was Ver Sacrum, published in Vienna from 1898 to 1903. Ver Sacrum was a team effort led by Gustav Klimt, who was the first president of the Vereinigung Bildender Künstler Österreichs, the Viennese avant-garde movement, with offshoots in Paris, Brussels, and Munich. Born in Vienna in […]
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Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit a magnificent French style chateau which is a contemporary English museum, none other than the Bowes Museum in the town of Barnard Castle, Teesdale, County Durham, England. The exhibition that drew me in is called Dreamscapes, and it will run through the summer, exploring photographer Tim Walker’s […]
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Photography is not merely a reflection of reality but more like a witness to realism. All the technical manipulations used by computer imagery, turn-tables, biochromatic gum exposures are hopeless without photographable reality. Photography would be guilty of imposing an image of reality if it simply passed off reflections instead of visible achievements that captured a […]
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Here is a piece of advice to all the collectors out there – next time you come across an opportunity, grab it. I am, of course, referring to the opportunity to make a purchase of a desirable rare book if and when that unexpected chance arrives. Last November at the Fine Books & Manuscripts Skinner […]
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Among the most distinguished American illustrators throughout American literature, Howard Pyle and his apt pupil, N.C Wyeth stand at the forefront. Through Pyle’s and Wyeth’s lively illustrations, literary classics were brought to life, and were received with much acclaim and fame that has continued to this day. Literary favorites such as Treasure Island, The […]
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When two or more objects of delight are combined into one amalgamation of pure bliss, the world instantly becomes a better and happier place. Consider a chocolate covered strawberry for instance. Two very different and distinct flavors are combined into a concoction that is truly divine. The creamy and rich chocolate and the sweet, juicy, […]
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Does weird content perpetuate rare book status? For some ideas on this topic one must closely examine the most famous weird book ever printed – Codex Seraphinianus. It is the creation of the Italian architect, artist, and designer Luigi Serafini, who can perhaps be best described as more of a visionary than a designer. Besides […]
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Since the release of Ansel Adam’s and Nancy Newhall’s, “This is the American Earth” in 1960, coffee-table books containing beautiful photography have become more commonly used to serve a new purpose as a decorative room accessory. While several copies of this Sierra Club publication are still available for sale, the first printing of the hard cover first edition is […]
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