Book Fair

[ellenkushner]

Thanks to the kind generosity of Henry Wessells, today I attended the 48th Annual New York Antiquarian Book Fair. Here are some things I got to pick up and/or look at there:

• William Timlin's original sketchbook for The Ship That Sailed to Mars, a book I'd never heard of and am now in love with - and delighted to find reproduced online - here are some of my favorite illos!
• First editions of Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice
• Renaissance books of anatomical drawings
• The copy of Charlotte's Web that E.B. White inscribed to Vladimir Nabokov
• Jane Morris's own copy of Tennyson's Maude from the Kelmscott library (and a steal at $650)
. . . and my very favorite:
• Tuccaro, Arcangelo: TROIS DIALOGUES DE L'EXERCICE DE SAUTER, ET VOLTIGER EN L'AIR (Paris, 1599) (Three dialogues on the practice of jumping and vaulting in the air. With figures that will serve as a perfect demonstration and understanding of said art. ) - open, of course, to the page showing his famous triple jump.

Comments

[miep.livejournal.com]

does "pick up" mean "take from a table and handle while making joyful, appreciative facial expressions and uttering words like 'extraordinary! exquisite! oh! how wonderful!'", or does it mean "purchase so that I can do these things at leisure in my own home, and occasionally rub the book against my cheek and sigh"?

clarification is requested.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

PIck up in my own little hands and bliss softly over.

These things were in the thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars, which is why the crack about Morris's Maude.

[miep.livejournal.com]

there are some things worth the money. . .

[handworn.livejournal.com]

Like a museum, but you get to handle and even own the exhibited items!

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Yes, precisely!

[vivnow.livejournal.com]

I almost went to the NY Book fair last year. I'm glad you had a good time.

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

Wow! How did you resist Janey Morris's copy of Maud?!

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

With some difficulty. But I kept the info of the people who are selling it, so I can change my mind or get someone else to....

[glvalentine.livejournal.com]

Amazing illustrations - what a find!