Brattlecast #230 - A Presidential Collection

Today we’re talking about a particularly exciting appraisal: a volume of presidential autographs containing original documents signed by every American president from George Washington through Richard Nixon, with accompanying portraits. How do you even put a price on an item like this? Slowly and carefully. Complete collections of presidential signatures have been compiled before, so our evaluation largely comes down to the documents themselves: their condition, whether they were written while the president was in office, and how interesting or historically significant their content may be. Join us for an up-close look at 200 years of American history on this official new #brattlecast.

Brattlecast #230 - A Presidential Collection
Brattle Book Shop

Brattlecast #182 - Travel Souvenirs

Today in the studio we have some unusual pre-postcard souvenirs: panoramic photographs of various cities and tourist sites, each folded into a booklike decorative binding. Published in the late 1800s—and in exceptionally good condition—these albums offer detailed bird’s-eye views of Denver, San Francisco, Chicago, and Salt Lake City, among other destinations. They’d make a great starting point for a larger collection, or a thoughtful gift for someone interested in one of these places, or in early photography. We’ll also reveal the one type of collection that Ken absolutely will not buy for the shop, plus the somewhat kitschy souvenir that he can’t seem to stop collecting.

Brattlecast #183 - Travel Souvenirs
Brattle Book Shop