This year’s Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair takes place at the Hynes Convention Center on the weekend of November 11 - 13. After two long years of online-only events, we’re looking forward to seeing all our favorite booksellers and book shoppers in person again. Admission is free on Saturday and Sunday—but the Brattle might be able to hook you up with a free pass for Friday too. Today’s episode features a sneak preview of our most exciting fair offerings: signed volumes from major American poets, first editions of feminist landmarks and beloved children’s classics, and an unusual treatise on… rat-catching. Come for the book fair pregame, stay for Jordan’s J.F.K. impression, and learn more at bostonbookfair.com.
Brattlecast #134 - A Signing by Hancock
Today in the studio we’ve got volume three of James Hervey’s Theron and Aspasio: Or, A series of dialogues and letters, upon the most important and interesting subjects. On the edge of your seat yet? With apologies to Mr. Hervey, this item would be what we call in the book business a ‘piece of junk’ if it weren't for a certain famous signature on its title page, and an intriguing backstory that points to something even rarer. We’ll use it as an example in a wide-ranging discussion of provenance, the verification process, and why it’s so important to trust, but also authenticate, in this 100% genuine #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #105 - Book of Friends
Today we’re talking about two autograph albums from the shop, and about autograph collecting in general. Autograph albums used to be a popular way to collect signatures, not only from celebrities and public figures, but from friends and family members as well. Sometimes these snippets were accompanied by brief messages or bits of poetry. The value and desirability of specific autographs can fluctuate over time; recently Alexander Hamilton’s has skyrocketed, while Robert E. Lee’s has plummeted. We’ll also talk about the best way to care for and preserve these albums.
Speaking of messages from friends—we want to hear from you! Feel free to submit questions, topic ideas, or photographs of items you’d like appraised to info@brattlebookshop.com.
Brattlecast #83 - New Arrivals
Today we’ll be discussing some exciting new arrivals at the shop, as well as some possible future arrivals on the horizon. There’s an inscription from Henry Thoreau to his sister in an otherwise unremarkable volume of poetry, a first edition of The Journals of Lewis and Clark, with its rare map intact, and (hopefully, maybe!) a first edition of Catcher in the Rye. Ken also recounts some of the small daily pleasures of his working life: the undiminished thrill of handling historical documents, the fun of training new employees and reuniting with former employees from decades past, and the adventure of making an appointment to look at books in a house featuring odors, hoarding, and darkness.