In today’s episode we’re answering a question from a listener: what are Ken’s favorite books? Some people enjoy novels, but Ken is partial to handwritten historical documents, or a nice illuminated manuscript woven from silk. Then there are the two-for-ones: Spalding’s Baseball Guide, inscribed by Spalding himself to fellow Red Stockings player George Wright, a photo inscribed by Billie Holiday to Louis Armstrong, and a copy of The Great Gatsby inscribed by F. Scott Fitzgerald to T.S. Eliot. Sometimes the best book is the one that elicits the best response—the one that thrills a customer, puts a student in tangible touch with the past, or becomes a cherished family tradition. If you’re in the Boston area, visit the shop to find your favorite—or to hear more about Ken’s.
Brattlecast #169 - Ken's Favorite Books
In today’s episode we’re answering a question from a listener: what are Ken’s favorite books? Some people enjoy novels, but Ken is partial to handwritten historical documents, or a nice illuminated manuscript woven from silk. Then there are the two-for-ones: Spalding’s Baseball Guide, inscribed by Spalding himself to fellow Red Stockings player George Wright, a photo inscribed by Billie Holiday to Louis Armstrong, and a copy of The Great Gatsby inscribed by F. Scott Fitzgerald to T.S. Eliot. Sometimes the best book is the one that elicits the best response—the one that thrills a customer, puts a student in tangible touch with the past, or becomes a cherished family tradition. If you’re in the Boston area, visit the shop to find your favorite—or to hear more about Ken’s.
Brattlecast #161 - Postcard Collections
In this episode, we’re talking about one of our favorite things to see in the shop: vintage postcards. While today they’re mostly used to show off vacation vistas, in the past postcards conveyed holiday greetings, commemorated historical events, and gave ordinary people an inexpensive way to keep in touch. Around the turn of the century, improvements in postal service, printing, and eventually photography set the stage for a golden age of postcards in the United States and Europe. Their popularity waned as telephones became more common, and dropped dramatically due the rise of social media. Affordable, easy to find, and dealing with a broad range of subjects, old postcards can be a fascinating and fun introduction to collecting. Listen to learn more, and don’t be afraid to drop us a line at info@brattlebookshop.com.
Brattlecast #150 - Antiques Roadshow Memories
In this episode, Ken talks about some especially notable TV appraisals from his years on Antiques Roadshow. The highlights include a Civil War letter with a surprising twist, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph, and one item that… actually didn’t work out so well. The show is currently in the midst of its 27th season; you can catch new episodes Monday nights on PBS, or watch online here: www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow.
Brattlecast #139 - A Russian Diary
Today in the studio we have a diary that was kept by a teenage girl during her family’s emigration odyssey from Russia to the United States. They left Moscow in 1917, embarking on a year-long journey that took them across the continent on the Trans-Siberian Railroad, then through Vladivostok, Yokohama, Hawaii, and San Francisco. Mostly written in Cyrillic, the diary contains photos, little English-language jokes, and references to Jascha Heifetz, a family friend—and violin prodigy—whose family took a parallel trip when they left Russia. Learn about what makes a diary interesting, our translation processes, and the importance of treating these historical documents with respect on this meandering episode of the #brattlecast.