At one of America's oldest bookshops, there are just as many stories to be told outside the pages as in them. Join bookseller Kenneth Gloss and co-host Jordan Rich as they share entertaining conversations and histories surrounding Boston's favorite spot for bibliophiles.
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On this episode Ken talks about the broad range of surprises that he’s experienced while book buying, apart from the books themselves. In his line of work, one day you’re drinking from Thomas Jefferson’s coffee service, and the next day you’re fumigating your work truck of fleas. The house that you’re visiting could contain a handful of Turner watercolors, or a roomful of live ammunition. It’s all part of the fun - as long as you don’t get blown up!
Little Golden Books are a series of inexpensive, durable, nicely illustrated children’s classics, which first premiered in 1942. Their remarkably consistent design inspires nostalgia in adults and a sense of ownership and accomplishment in younger readers. Join us for a closer look at this beloved series, and its many cultural tie-ins and cross promotions. You’ll hear all about favorites The Pokey Little Puppy, Roy Rogers, Bambi, and even the Campbell Soup Kids, on this solid gold #brattlecast.
First published in 1930, Fortune was a lavishly illustrated luxury magazine that thrived throughout the Great Depression, despite costing an exorbitant $1 per issue. In this episode we’ll flip through a few beautifully preserved issues, taking in cover art by Diego Rivera, fashion articles advising dowagers to avoid being outshone by their own diamonds, and advertisements touting the health benefits of smoking cigarettes. Plus, the story of a railroad heir whose fear of communism helped Ken’s father get The Brattle Book Shop on its feet.
Libraries! Museums! Children’s birthday parties (just kidding)! Ken is out on the road twice a month: giving lectures, sharing his love of rare books, doing appraisals for audience members, and participating in some truly hair-raising Q&A sessions. Find out when he’ll be in your town here: http://www.brattlebookshop.com/events. Real fans can bring their Brattle Book Shop tote bags for Ken to sign, and then ask him to appraise the autographed tote bag (nice, but not particularly valuable).
What’s under the tree this year? Collectible editions of classic holiday literature! From A Christmas Carol to The Grinch that Stole Christmas, we’ll take a look back at the first editions of these beloved tales that have become ubiquitous in popular culture, and have even helped to shape the way that we think about Christmas itself. Plus, a letter from Charles Dickens, written from Boston’s Parker House Hotel on Christmas Eve, in this fun and festive #brattlecast
