Something for Everyone

Okay, here’s one for you.

What do you get when you mix Soviet style concrete architecture, eye-grinding fluorescent lighting, foul, overpriced hot dogs, and avalanches of old and used paper goods, from the priceless to the worthless - and dump them into an urban setting that’s dying on its feet?

The answer, of course, is Papermania which, along with Allentown, is one of the greatest ephemera shows in America. Papermania runs in January and August in the ghastly basement of the structure formerly known as the Civic Center in downtown Hartford. After all the citizens fled the area they tore down the empty restaurants and shops, stacked dozens of condos atop it, and renamed it the XL center. No one bought the condos so now the place is a ghost town on the weekends, except when Disney on Ice or some World Wrestling Champeenship occupies the arena. I exhibit in the January show, but the idea of Hartford in August is simply too depressing – (not only is my favorite hotel, the lovely old Goodwin, closed, things have gotten so bad that the McDonalds shut down. When was the last time you heard of an urban McDonalds closing?) – so I just shop the August show. Which is what I did this past Saturday, and here’s one of the more interesting items I found.

Did you know that we used wooden ships in World War II?



This is an archive of 400 photographs and construction records from Snow Shipyards in Rockland Maine. It shows that they built any number of tugs, minesweepers, net layers and rescue ships employing essentially the same wooden ship construction methods that had been in use a century before.



Why? Because all these vessels had to work safely in the vicinity of submarine mines, and hence could not have metal hulls.



This archive meticulously details workmen and their projects throughout the 1940s, as the yard worked to help meet America’s wartime needs. Also included are photos of the various yachts, civilian tugs and fishing boats they produced, as well as several cooperative projects with the Quincy Adams shipyard across Penobscot Bay. The archive includes about 400 photographs plus a ledger documenting shipyard activities, and several documents relating to wartime workers. $1250

Meanwhile, back in Hartford, the city might be dying, but the paper show remains healthy. Unlike most provincial book fairs that have seen attendance shrink annually, Papermania is still packing ‘em in, with lines on opening morning filling the lobby and extending upstairs to the XL center. People weren't there for the hot dogs!

I think the reason for this success is Papermania’s diversity. Back in the old days I used to hate having to sort through beer coasters, postcards and Planter’s Peanut memorabilia in search of old documents and similar treasures. But I now realize it is exactly this breadth that has kept Papermania a vital show. There’s literally something for everyone. I bumped into my colleague Helen Kelly of Boston Book Company, and she proudly showed me her best find – a working scale model Schwinn bike from the 1950s. “I rode one of these when I was a kid!” she beamed.

In this age of eye-candy and short attention spans the book world seems to be contracting. Simultaneously, the universe of old paper, which includes books, is healthier than ever. And, though this has necessitated some painful changes in how I do my business, it bodes well for the long run.

Commerce and Collegiality

Excellent weekend doing the Rocky Mountain Book Fair at the Merchandise Mart in Denver, where I found the rare and intriguing narrative of a sharp eyed sailor who fell on hard times and fought to recover his luck and health. (Sorry, no image. I didn’t bring my camera along.)

Campbell, Archibald. A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD, FROM 1806 TO 1812; IN WHICH JAPAN, KAMSCHATKA, THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, AND THE SANDWICH ISLANDS, WERE VISITED. INCLUDING A NARRATIVE OF THE AUTHOR'S SHIPWRECK ON THE ISLAND OF SANNACK, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT WRECK IN THE SHIP'S LONG BOAT. WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE PRESENT STATE OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS, AND A VOCABULARY OF THEIR LANGUAGE. Edinburgh. 1816. b/w folding map. 288 pp. Campbell was a Scotsman who sailed to China on an East India Company ship, then joined an American vessel which took him to Japan, Kamchatka and Alaska. His ship was wrecked off the coast there and he wintered in a Russian settlement at Kodiak. In the course of these tribulations both his feet froze and were amputated. After his stay in Kodiak he sailed to Hawaii. There, he was befriended by King Kamehameha I, and became the Royal sailmaker. Campbell gives detailed accounts of all his ports and adventures, including his later career as an innkeeper and a butcher in Rio Janeiro. Various bibliographies testify to the importance of his narrative. “Of great value is his description of the Hawaiian Islands.”- Hill 245. “Campbell’s description of Kodiak is particularly valuable.” - Lada Mocarski 71. “He identifies some of the earliest foreign residents of the islands, a number of whom were Botany Bay men. His keen firsthand observations on the social structure and agricultural practices of Hawaiians are of great importance” - Forbes, 461. See also Hunnewell p. 29. Judd 30. Small private library stamp on title. A very nice copy in contemporary calf binding rebacked to match, with red spine label. $3500

Including that purchase, I spent about $5000. My sales added up to $115. And yet, it was a great weekend. I hope to turn a decent profit on that five grand, and I met two new customers.

But even better, I got to hang out with Rob Rulon-Miller, Cynthia Gibson (no relation), Tom and Heidi Congalton, Kevin Johnson and Lorne Bair - all fellow dealers, and all on their way, with me, to the 32nd Antiquarian Book Seminar in Colorado Springs. Not to mention quality time with my pal the legendary book scout Bill Hutchison, and half a dozen other trusty colleagues, some of whom I hadn’t seen since the last Denver book fair. As a bonus I had a couple of interesting conversations about the future of the book trade with the proprietors of Abacus Used Books, both of whom I’d taught at the Seminar last year, and who had now made the jump to full time bookselling. Take a look at their interesting blog.

All good. After the sweaty packing up and loading out of our unsold books, beneath a double rainbow over the Merchandise Mart, where else was there to go but dinner at the home of famed biblio- mystery writer John Dunning. It was a wonderful evening, graciously hosted by John and Helen, and their daughter Katie. One of the hightlights for me was getting to listen to the stories of Otto Penzler, another guest at the Dunning’s that night. Otto is a major collector, dealer and publisher of mystery fiction, and proprietor of the Mysterious Bookshop in Manhattan, a beacon for mystery lovers the world over. In addition to his many contributions to the world of books, he is a superb raconteur. His yarns made for a magical evening.

They call this work?

More and more, as time goes on, the social aspects of this job become as important and gratifying as the financial. For a career that offers no health care, paid vacations or retirement fund, this is an important benefit. These people started off as colleagues. Over the years they have become dear friends. It’s a blessing, an unexpected joy.

But it’s a double-edged blessing. In these difficult financial times, I’ve had to take a hard look at how I’m conducting my business. All too often, I’ve found, I’ve taken road trips, made visits, gone to dinners, and done book fairs for social rather than business reasons. Which was fine when cash was flowing, but it requires a more rigorous analysis in this economy. Since 2008, I’ve had to focus, work harder, and change my patterns. I’ve had to learn to separate the social from the financial and it’s been a painful process. In the end, however, I think it’ll make me a better bookseller.

And every once in a while, like some stockbroker getting his annual million dollar bonus, I get a weekend like the one I just spent in Denver.

Mr. Jammy and Me

Here’s a wonderful thing that just came in…

Ephemera. HAND PAINTED POLITICAL CARTOON CONDEMNING JAMES MADISON AND HIS TAX POLICY DURING THE WAR OF 1812. This is a unique hand painted political satire from the War of 1812 period, lampooning Madison’s tax policies. Madison holds an iron rod bearing a banner which proclaims the War of 1812 popular slogan “Free Trade & Sailors Rights.” The downtrodden merchant or sailor on whose back Madison stands replies, “None of your Boesting / Mr. Jammy say I / Tax, Tax upon our / Backs is the unanimous cry / it was by your Iron Rod that / we became Rule’d. / Till every Cent out of / our Pockets is foold.” The Madison presidency began in 1809 in difficult economic times. With the added burden of the War of 1812, Congress was forced to find additional sources for funding. Taxes on houses, land, and slaves were enacted in 1813, 1815, and 1816, with additional duties on liquor licenses, auction sales, carriages, and refined sugar, among other items. Following the war, the economy of the United States improved considerably. The duties and taxes levied during the war were repealed late in 1817. Watercolor on board, measuring 9 x 11½ inches. Framed, under glass. $6500

I bought Mr. Jammy at the Twentieth Annual Antiquarian Book Fair at Searles Castle, where I spent Friday and Saturday, July 30-31. The event was held, as usual, at the John Dewey Academy in Great Barrington Mass., in a huge stone building on gorgeously manicured grounds. About 35 dealers set up their stalls Friday afternoon in four large rooms and numerous alcoves. All the spaces were well appointed, with high ceilings, marble floors and oak panels, but they presented a challenge as far as efficient booth arrangement was concerned. However, the resulting rabbit warren layout had the good effect of producing a surprise around every corner for the attentive book lover. (Colleague Bob Ritchie - always a surprise - is pictured below.)


By opening time Saturday morning there were about 20 “book lovers” lined up at the door. As I’ve written before, the evolution of the book fair has dictated that most of these attendees were dealers, shopping the fair, hoping to find rare or desirable items. Ah well, we’ve learned to adapt to the book fair’s demise. I had a very comfortable, dark booth, which allowed me to take several naps throughout the day.

My sales, as anticipated, were zero. I was there to buy, and buy I did. The best thing I bought was that Madison cartoon, but I also acquired a sheaf of letters about building a ship in Portland for a Boston merchant in 1794, a copy of Dow’s Slave ships and slaving in the rare jacket, a first edition of Briggs’ book on Shipbuilding on the North River and several other useful reference books. Not to mention two undercooked but still delicious hot dogs and a slice of wonderful home made peach cobbler.

What it all came down to was two days on the road, visits with colleagues, and a few more entries for the next catalog. But the best thing about the fair was that it ended at 4 PM Saturday afternoon. I was out of there in 20 minutes and home in time for dinner.

My entry is early this week, I know. That's because I'm on my way to the Rocky Mountain Book Fair tomorrow, the Antiquarian Book Seminar the week after that, and back to the lovely archive in Canada (see a few entries back) to mow my lawn with the chainsaw. So entries will be spotty for the next couple of weeks, but I'll have plenty to write about when I get back to blogging.