Kim Schwenk

Oxford, UK, International League of Antiquarian Booksellers, 2022, Team Wilde

 Announcements, Book Trade Commentary, Conferences  2 Responses »
Oct 252022
 

Parati sumus seruire Deo nostro.

This work shall haue relation to tyme present, and present use. To mysteries far exceading it: And finally to a purpose & Intent: whereby the Maiestie and Name of God, shall and may, and, of force, must appeare with the Apparition of his wunders, and mervayles yet unhard of. —From De Heptarchia Mystica of Dr. John Dee

We look at texts of mysteries and wonder to be aspired. I walked the halls of cold stone, peeking creatures and whispering trees. The books did speak, loudly–as did the whispering trees. The books, however, were speaking loudly. Some sitting upright since the 13th century, waiting to share their stories. Oxford became a pilgrimage for me. A look into these most sacred of spaces. 

The ILAB Congress “strives to uphold and improve professional standards in the trade, to promote honourable conduct in business, and to contribute in various ways to a broader appreciation of the history and art of the book.” ILAB.org

IIn September 2022, I attended my first ILAB Congress. I was particularly excited because it was held in Oxford. I suppose it is in my nature to be an antiquarian. I have been working in libraries since I was about 17. While I comply with the contemporary technologies of our digital age and see the benefit to habituating with such conveniences, there is an irreplaceable confluence in the physicality of spaces and intellectualism in a place like Oxford. Just by being in Oxford, my desire to connect people with the physical book became even stronger. We came together to perpetuate the posterity of the printed book, the primary source, a ghost trace in a photograph. The power of anachronism isn’t just for folly, it is the influence to make our synapses crackle and drives our humanity to construct a web of support within society. Without a drive to pursue the ‘real’, I’m afraid the chaos and disillusionment some of these conveniences allow will create the road to apathy.

I sat at the table where Oscar Wilde was disciplined. I looked at the private book carols of kings, walked along the path of Queen Elizabeth I.  I ate within Divinity. Gazed upon many dead animals skins. Reminded, again and again, that the library is an incubator, a crypt, a workshop and a calculation of the universe for all the infinite possibilities flooding a persistence of memory, records in space and time. 

I must first recognize my privilege to be here. The ILAB committee granted me a scholarship, for that I am truly grateful.  I mentioned in my statement that part of the professional standard for me, in addition to ethical business practices, is I recognized something extraordinary about working with collectors, librarians, and scholars, and that I had only partial exposure to this world working in libraries. I have been only working with Lux Mentis, Booksellers for a few years, coming out of rare book libraries.  Relevant to my own pursuits, I have developed a subject specialty for occult and esoteric material, and it is my intention and desire to become one of the more recognized specialists in this field. I really want to be visible amongst my peers, as not just a bookseller, but as a bibliographer and a scholar.  I’m hoping my approach recognizes cultural agency and contextualization for underrepresented aspects of occult history, more specifically, women authors and indigenous people of color narratives.  I think it is important for the book trade to be recognized beyond the commerce of trade for the scholarship of its members.  

Secondly, a critical aspect of the ILAB Congress is to bolster collaborative working relationships between the U.S. and international partners within the trade and I hope and believe this was nurtured by my attendance at the Congress. I have a great deal to share from my experience as a librarian and a rare book cataloger which may well be even more important in lieu of current events in the trade and librarianship. We must continue to strengthen our collective knowledge with partnerships between libraries and booksellers. Finally, I know there is a deep international tradition of buying and selling antiquarian occult books. It is my intention to strengthen my experience as an occult specialist in the U.S. with the hope of engaging with other international specialists on the importance and recognition of occult book history and further exposure of contemporary occult book publishing.

To be invited into these places, with direction and curiosity, is a remarkable honor for which I was immensely grateful. These places do, however, beg the question, why do we collect? Why do feel the right to parse information, aggregate, describe, and house intellectual and cultural objects? Is there power in acquisition? In self-examining these questions, I recognize the haphazard judgment of humanity. We do build walls around the idea of assumed dreams and ambitions. We put up masks to gaze upon and wonder how a person lived. We put books in row, like fingers of a skeleton, a cemetery of stories. The truth is, we need narrative. We also need the living to place the dead on a pulpit, as the cycle will not stop, the living seeking the dead, the dead then staring back as a reminder to live. We need to have available these lived experiences to advance everyone’s perpetuity.

Working in Special Collections libraries for over 20 years, I’ve learned to how best to use the term ‘treasure.’ In an antiquated way, the term implies ‘fragile.’ Do not touch, hands off. “We will keep this item in a sealed jeweled box and no human, insect, or earthen air will come in contact.” There is an actionable job to maintain the relationship between accessibility and preservation or security. Gatekeeping is dangerous when it becomes selective and unreasonable. When we ‘see’ objects, when we handle physical materials, we engage a different level of senses. Paper has a scent, ink bleeds differently, gold shines in the natural light, cloth frays and the skin crinkles and cracks when you turn the pages. Liking looking at a monster of a book. The Medieval fragmentary manuscript, bound together like a college student’s notebook with various endnotes, footnotes, a marginalia Frankenstein. His mind, his hand. A creature of habit and of his own liking.

I don’t feel the book trade will survive without collegiality. I also don’t feel it would survive without fairness. Yes, it is a commerce business. It is business, however, that thrives when competition is transparent. The respect built between colleagues is gratifying and grounding when spoken and communicated to each other.. Our time is best spent with sensibility, collaboration, and ingenuity.

My first exposure to a library was a modest Carnegie Library in a small Indiana town. There is no doubt in my mind that had I not had the exposure to libraries, my life would have ended up very differently. Libraries are investments in opportunities. As a bookseller, opportunity is an idea to ponder apart from exchanging goods and money. Different aspects of the book world function differently, of course. Academic libraries have an obligation to the students and the educational discourse, as it will eventually inform the entire community. I sensed a great deal of effort of responsibility at Oxford University to identify those obligations.

It is very easy to get caught up in the magic and glamour of Oxford’s Colleges. We see these places in movies; we recreate the spaces in literature. Yet students study and live here. People work and live here. The person who swept the floor in the 14th century Merton College Library is a part of the timeline, as much as Sir Henry Savile and Thomas Bodley. It is a real place to study under the Tolkein tree.

Pro tip: When in Oxford, go punting.

Boat Lord

Field trip day. While I am not naïve to the idea of wealth, nor overwhelmed by wealth, I am quietly reminded by what enormous amounts of wealth can represent. It can embody a castle, land, or material objects in the broadest sense. I will refrain from pondering the implications of the nature of such wealth and simply expound on the great beauty offered from the estates of Waddesdon Manor and Wormsley Park Library. Words like: incredible, overwhelming, haunting, grand are just entries of thesaurus. It brings to mind, as an outsider looking in, what is the nature and purpose of a specific private collection? The obvious is: people collect what they like, what is appealing, what is valuable to them. The physical private library is a vaulted investment…intellectual and arguably monetary. I tried to look apart from the structure of class to find a metaphysical source of enlightenment. Private collections represent moments of wonder to remind us that humanity still generates and benefits from intellectualism, imagination, and (again) opportunity. Being on this trip reinforced in me a desire to advocate for anyone and everyone to collect the printed and written word. As I am passionate and invested in this profession, being here, in these remarkable spaces, I was reminded again and again of how much I want to mentor others. I now have to organize the tools given to me and do the work.

Photographs by Kim Schwenk and Keith Royer.

I need thank my super spouse, Keith for accompanying me on this journey. Also, our delightful leader, Daniel Crouch of House Wilde,the ILAB Oxford Congress, the entire ILAB and ABA committee team for the opportunity, my friends and colleagues in the trade, and new friends from different countries I, with my partners at Lux Mentis, Booksellers, was able to meet and network with, many of the staff from Oxford University and private libraries, as well as all the host staff in the hotels, dining, transportation, and grounds, and the little mouse who greeted us at Merton College gardens. Thank you all many times over.

Turning over a new leaf at Rare Book School, 2018 and the hunt for ‘hex libris’

 Conferences  No Responses »
Jul 092018
 

“What is Rare Book School? Is that Hogwart’s for librarians?”

Normally confused by ‘library school’, most people don’t realize there is an additional resource for rare book professionals, librarians, and bibliophiles located at the University of Virginia. Yes, there is a school to learn about books, book history, and many other aspects about information management not necessarily available on the job or higher education routes. It is not a given.  I would say there a great privilege being able to attend RBS.  Many library staff, students, and trade / working professionals have limited budgets that does not allow for supplemental professional development, like myself.  There is a real desire for the specific training. I feel very indebted to the individuals who either donate money or are part of the development administration, so that I may attend, which is what I did, on scholarship.

As a continuation of my foundational training, I chose to take Rare Book Cataloging with Deborah J. Leslie, after mostly hearing positive things about the course, but I actually will *use* this material on a daily basis. I also want to mention that even though the course was geared toward DCRM-B (which for the non library catalogers or book trade) is a descriptive standard designed specifically for more in-depth and rigorous transcription and authoritative work for cataloging. Could this apply in the book trade? Of course! I have often found that while the level of cataloging in the book trade is generally subjective, I find it annoying when certain authorities are not supplied, especially for personal names, corporate names, and certain extent descriptions. I suppose as along as you are consistent, however, how impressive would your records look to a library cataloger if they adhered to DCRM-B/RDA?! With library quality transcription of early printed materials!

Same exercise goes for collation. I came back with an enlightened understanding of creating signature statements and the art of collation counting with a Buddhist methodology. It is very Zen counting pages. You hear the crinkle of 18th century chain lined paper, as you gingerly turn the pages. When I returned I wanted to dive right now. So I did! I’m currently working on an unnamed book on witchcraft and demonology from the 17th century. My working signature statement is looking something like this:

A4 B8-R8 chi1 Aa8-Ss8 [+Ss4.2, +Ss6.2] Tt8-Zz8 [-Zz8] Aaaa8 Note: (Ss4-7 blank)(Aaaa4-8 blank)

This is proving both challenging and exciting for the book, finding all sorts of opportunities for deeper notes and observations.  On the same level, I’ve discovered the copy is actually missing pages replaced with blanks, so geeky cataloging stuff, someone down the road would find interesting. In addition to, as a bibliographer and a bookseller these are critical and active nuances of printed materials that are hyper-important for collectors and undoubtedly, inventory illuminations.

The real veggie casserole dish (as opposed to meat and potatoes) for me was in addition to collegial nature of RBS was the opportunity to take some personal time out for independent research. Generally even on “vacation” [because you really never take a vacation as a bookseller], I tend to visit libraries, if just for the building sometimes. However, with purpose and a looming deadline for a presentation, I decided to spend some time in the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at UVA.  I’m currently doing research for a paper I’m presenting in September on occult book plates, I’m affectionately calling “Hexlibris,” as opposed to “Sexlibris” which is another talk I could do on Satan and phalluses. #hexlibris #sexlibris [don’t steal, muggles] Anyway, I’m on the hunt for bookplates. Witchy, occulty, masonic, magical ones. I do know that UVA has a large collection of Cotton Mather books, rather “pamphlets” originally gathered by industrialist William Gwinn Mather and donated by Tracy W. McGregor. The books stayed in the family.

Cotton Mather’s bookplate is rather simple, a small white letterpress label with a simple decorative border, almost perfect for a Puritan. William G. Mather’s bookplate is illustrated with a drawing of the elder Richard Mather (Cotton Mather’s grandfather) engraved within a book looking rather John Dee-like. Above that image, an illustration of the Gwinn Mather estate.  The majority of the book contained the ex libris of William G. Mather or Tracy McGregor. Nothing especially metaphysical for my research, so I only looked at a few. There was one book, though, that piqued my interest more than the other I was familiar with titled: “Warnings From the Dead. Or Solemn Admonitions Unto All People; But Especially Unto Young Persons to Beware of Such Evils as Would Bring Them to the Dead” by Cotton Mather. ; In two discourses, occasioned by a sentence of death, executed on some unhappy malefactors. ; Together with the last confession, made by a young woman, who dyed on June 8. 1693. One of these malefactors …  I almost did not look at this book. 

The book was trimmed to fit the binding and was missing part of the title page, however there was enough information, including the publisher and subsequently the bookseller, to identify the correct copy.  So, as I started to leaf through the volume, (mind you the binding is glaringly tight, I propped the book gently with another foam the book cradle). I started with the flyleaves, endpapers, etc. I noticed on the front flyleaf an inscription: “Abigaill Faxson Her book” written in what appeared to be contemporary hand. This was noted in the record. When I turned the leaf, an autograph jumped out at me and I could not believe my eyes. Written in the same period handwriting was the name of “Abigaill Williams,” above that an inscription: “James Bradford is Read it out.” [see images] I returned to the print out of the record and did not see a note for the second set of inscriptions and autograph which baffled me.

Why this might not mean much to most people, it sure as heck meant *a lot* to me. Partially as a cataloger, if I was doing DCRMB/RDA, I would certainly include the autographs and the inscription in the record, but more so as a researcher of early American witchcraft, c. 17th-18th century, this is huge.  Depending on your level of cataloging parameters, I think in this case, it might have been worth recording that information.

Basically, what this opens up for me is a research project on provenance. The questions I immediately want to know why the specific provenance and secondly, it is contemporary to the publication?  There is every indication that Cotton Mather given the subject matter of the sermon was adamant about saving the souls of damned youth guilty of crimes of lust and aberration. We know Mather had contact with Elizabeth Emerson, the young woman who murdered her newborn children in 1693 and was found guilty, executed, but we know Mather had an influence on her original non-guilty plea. He proselytized heavily on the salvation of young people’s souls.  Could Mather or “James Bradford” have read this sermon out to Abigaill?

Additionally, the front flyleaf provenance is also puzzling. “Faxson” is shown in a several genealogical records as a surname for the early part of the 18th century, but without further research, I’m not sure how far back. It is certainly not as common in the Boston/New England area as say, Bradford, Williams, Smith, etc. One clue would be to figure out who is this other Abigaill.

Note on spelling of Abigaill: I have seen so far colonial name spelling conventions for Abigaill spelled with two lls, however uncommon.

After 1693, Abigaill Williams was, for the most part, wiped from the obvious record of history. There are unsubstantiated claims she travelled to Boston and became a prostitute and died a few years later at the age of 17. While there is very little to go on about her life, at this point, this autograph in Mather’s sermon perhaps sheds light on a little more. Then again, the notations could prove very little and rather than piecing together something outlandish and speculated, I would let it rest. Yet, theory is what motivates research. Given my background and combined interests, this is an exciting springboard for me to continue searching for an explanation.  As a cataloger, I would hope that one day, notes will be added to the record reflecting a substantiated provenance. As a researcher, I would like to find Abigaill.

Best advice: Don’t be afraid to look on the “wrong” side of history.

-Kim Schwenk, Rare Book School 2018

Within the mortal form: Occult Miscellany

 Announcements, Catalog  No Responses »
Apr 172018
 

Here at Lux Mentis we like etymology. So here’s a quick lesson from Word School. The first definition Merriam-Webster lists for the word “occult” is: to shut off from view or exposure: cover, eclipse

  • the light of a star that was about to be occulted … by Uranus itself —Jonathan Eberhart

The list goes on to describe this notion of concealing, secretive, non-manifesting things, in terms of medical conditions. The word is Latin based and very much attached to esoteric modes of practices.

Currently, it seems the Western world seems to buzz with the occult, and historically it goes in waves of popularity with greater masses, as it did in the 1970s and 1980s, the rise of occult interests seems to follow a wave of conservative politics. Essential, people react when there’s a threat on many levels. The reality is that occult interest and everything that falls under its wings have always had a devout and steady scholarship and curiosities that extends to everything classified as “things that go bump in the night” to “Aeonic Transcendential Chaos Magick.” We like it all and like to find things that fit all shelves of the brain.

We’ve compiled a new list that reflects the nature of the occult and our continuing interest in supporting the proliferation of the esoterica.  Please visit our catalogs tab here for all our lists or you can just download Occult/Esoteric Miscellany.

 

Uwe Bremer etching

In rain, sleet, or snow, see you in New York!

 Book Fairs, Fine Bindings, Fine Press  No Responses »
Mar 052018
 

“There’s nothing you can’t do
Now you’re in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you

Let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York…”

Among other things, we are debuting a new work by Richard Minsky, It Can’t Happen Here, as well as some new books to our occult catalog.

Additionally, we will bring our normal catalog of eccentric publications, wild ephemera, and curious esoterica including a few recent acquisitions. Among other things, we will have fine press and fine bindings, artists’ books from Latin America to New York to England, occult and witchcraft books, and sex and sexuality materials…

You can access our show list under the tab for the 2018 ABAA New York International Book Fair.

And last, but not least, if you would like a pass, let us know, email Ian or Kim

Happy biblio-hunting! See you in New York!

Of all the monsters I have ever loved… Celebrating weird and fantastic books

 Acquisitions, Book Fairs, Feature  No Responses »
Jan 302018
 

This year at the ABAA California Book Fair 2018 we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus with a special exhibit spotlighting holdings from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, Occidental College Library’s Ned Guymon Mystery and Detective Fiction Collection, University of California Riverside Library’s Eaton Collection of Science Fiction & Fantasy, and Sara Karloff, the daughter of Boris Karloff.

We will have our own selection of eccentric publications, wild ephemera, and curious esoterica including a few recent acquisitions. From our weird and strange vault, we are featuring Book of Were-wolves by Sabine Baring-Gould [London, 1865]; Lives of the Necromancers by William Godwin [London, 1876], father of Mary Shelley; The Yellow Wall Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman [Boston, 1901] inscribed to another female gothic horror author; and debuting a new deluxe edition of A Modest Proposal. Among other things, we will have fine press and fine bindings, artists’ books from Latin America to New York to England, occult and witchcraft books, and sex and sexuality materials…

We know that many people may be attending the ALA Midwinter meeting in Denver, if that is the case, and there is an item in our show list you’d like to see, please let us know in advance. You can access our show list under the tab for the 2018 California Book Fair.

And last, but not least, if you would like a pass, let us know, email Ian or Kim

Happy biblio-hunting! See you in Pasadena!

A Mirror to Summon … photography catalog

 Catalog, Photography  No Responses »
Nov 292017
 

Famed photographer Cindy Sherman said of photography: “I’m really just using the mirror to summon something I don’t even know until I see it.” Photography is a kind of magic, capturing easily forgotten moments and transforming situations into impossible spectacles. Or perhaps photography acts as an archive, as some events are forever at the mercy of history and the only evidence we have is the picture. It is a form of accountability, and art is accountable to life. So enjoy our various selections of photography in our latest catalog: A Mirror to Summon. Please let us know, if anything teases your interest.

Boston, biblio Beantown!

 Book Fairs, Conferences  No Responses »
Nov 082017
 

It is that time of year! The 41st Annual Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, starts this Friday, November 10-12, 2017. Passes are available for the Friday preview night, please let us know if you would like a pass or two.

We have a show list on our website with most, but not all, of what we will have in Boston. We will be debuting a few very special things that must remain a secret for now. Please let us know if there is anything that catches your eye. Find your pleasure in our Boston show list.

With a few new surprises!

It’s not unusual… to be loved by anyone

 Book Fairs, Catalog, Feature  No Responses »
Oct 132017
 

To continue with our short list series, here are a few strange and unusual items bound to be loved by someone.

We will have more to come, including a vernacular photography catalog before the Boston ABAA fair and of course, the Boston show list.  Featuring new and exciting things!

With that in mind, our next fair is the 41st Annual Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, November 10-12, 2017. We’ll keep you posted for passes for the Friday night opener!

***********************

Countess of Caithness, Duchesse de Pomar [Marie (Mariategui) Sinclair]. A Midnight Visit to Holyrood. London: C.L.H. Wallace, Philanthropic Reform Publishers, Oxford Mansion, 1887. Limited Edition. Originally printed for private circulation, but published on the three hundredth anniversary of the execution of Mary Stuart, February 8th, 1887. Slight foxing on the frontispiece and portrait of Mary Stuart, and a strange series of period puncture wounds to front cover penetrating text to stab portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots on page 45. Else, tight, bright, and a scarce and odd book. Original dark green cloth, lettering and pictorial device on front and back covers, edge, in gilt, black coated endpapers. Frontispiece with tissue guard and one portrait. 103 pages, 2 unnumbered leaves of plates, illustrations, Very Good+. Hardcover.

Recollection of the communication between Marie Countess of Caithness and the ghost of Mary Queen of Scots from Holyrood House in Edinburgh.  Marie used to visit Holyrood House near midnight and claimed to listen to the dead queen’s spirit voice. The work was originally published for private circulation only, and it is likely that the Countess gave copies to her friend exclusively. This edition, printed by C.H.L. Wallace appears to be limited.

The Countess was increasing influenced by theosophy and universial In 1876, and joined the Theosophical Society founded by known occultists Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott in New York. In 1884, during their stay in Paris with Lady Caithness, Blavatsky approved the creation of the “Theosophical Society of the East and West,” the French branch of the Theosophical Society. Lady Caithness’s theosophy was marked by esoteric Christianity influenced by Jakob Boehme and Swedenborg. She held a spiritualist salon in her Parisian mansion, every Wednesday from spring to autumn in the early 1890s. As to the damage inflicted on the book itself, a few theories arise: it is possible it is just book vandalism. A more compelling and fascinating theory is the book was part of hysteria or ritual to evoke the spirit of Mary Queen of Scots. The book is inscribed to “Miss Blackwell” of which there are two well-known spiritualists in London and Paris; Anna Blackwell and Elizabeth Blackwell. Anna was a prolific writer and participated in the spirit communities during the late 19th century in London and Paris. It is also recorded she was a medium and was said, at times, to be tormented by the ghosts and spirits that threatened her. (#9384) $350.00

 

Fleischauer, Louis ; Aesthetic Meat Foundation. Flesh Art Book. Berlin: Aesthetic Meat Front/AMF, 2014. Limited Edition. Tight, bright, and unmarred. Cased in leather ‘corset’ (see below). 44pp. Illus. (color and b/w plates). Fine in Fine Case. Hardcover.

Limited first edition of 36, this edition is 1/36, with the trade edition cased in a custom leather ‘corset’ cover binding, secured by metal grommets and two leather strap loops. Leather still bears a hide scent and features a painted patina, a fire burnt treated, manipulated, and animal-like with elements cut into tails. The AMF logo is carved into the leather at the top of the cover, as well as the edition number: 1/36 on the back. Text printed on high quality matte clay coated medium weight paper. Signed by Louis Fleischauer, “Pure Kaos Against Total Control” 2016, on the opposite end papers. Includes a small archive of performance fliers for AMF [2002-2015], AMF Korsets / Fleischauer Creations marketing cards and a DVD-R of live performances, signed with a fingerprint impression and numbered 1/36. Edition is divided into several sections: Flesh Art Manifesto, Sculpted Skin (Wearable Art/AMF Korset), Rituals of Transformation, Human Instruments, Aesthetic Meat Front (Rituals + Actionism), Transformed Flesh, Interviews + Random Thoughts. Scarce copy, most editions are with private collectors, this is the last acquired copy from AMF with the leather casing and performance inclusions and also is the first numbered and sculpted edition, as well.

This book is a retrospective of Aesthetic Meat Foundation, (Aesthetic Meat Front is the performance collective of the entire art and creative project of Aesthetic Meat Foundation), featuring a mix of ritual, sculpture, and wearable art. AMF performances in the United States are generally rare, but emulate the same power as Ron Athey and Einstürzende Neubauten fused with an anti-industrial complex manifesto. “Louis Fleischauer, is a sculptor, and body-artist using organic materials such as animal hides, bones, flowers, blood and his own skin. In his public rituals he turns humans into living sculptures and instruments, including his own body. Through a mix of agony and euphoria Louis falls into a state of trance. His sculptures are a reflection of this experience.” – from the AMF biography. (#9084) $550.00

 

Sprinkle, Annie. Annie Sprinkle Self-portrait [MSS Notations]. [No Place], 1981. Unique. Signed by Sprinkle with numerous notations all over the image, notation at rear, else bright and clean. 16x24cm. b/w photograph. Signed by the artist. Fine. Photograph.

“Original self-portrait photograph of sexologist Annie Sprinkle. Sprinkle is known as the “prostitute and porn star turned sex educator and artist.” Annie Sprinkle began working at the ticket booth at Tucson’s Plaza Cinema at 18, when Deep Throat was playing. The film was busted, and when Sprinkle had to appear in court as a witness, she met and fell in love with Deep Throat’s director, Gerard Damiano, and became his mistress, following him to New York City where she lived for twenty years. Annie’s first porn movie was Teenage Deviate, which was released in 1975. Perhaps her best known mainstream porn featured role was in ‘Deep Inside Annie Sprinkle’ (co-directed by Sprinkle and sexploitation veteran Joseph W. Sarno) which was the #2 grossing porn film of 1981.

She is considered a role model for a new generation of feminists, she challenges old conceptions and established role models of sexuality and was a pivotal player in the 80’s “sex positive feminist movement” and has long championed sex worker rights and health care. The photograph is heavily annotated with a detailed analysis of the image.The verso contains the anotation p.4 102% suggesting that the image was published although we have been unable to trace the publication. A fantastic image of a true sex goddess.”

Together with Annie’s “Post-Porn Modernist: My 25 Years as a Multimedia Whore”, which includes a ‘clean’ version of the image with the caption, “It was this latex ensemble, which I had brought back from Europe, that started America’s latex trend (or so it seemed to me). It made quite a splash at the HFC [Hell Fire Club]. Or should I say quite a splash was made on it.” (#8115) $1,250.00

 

Pell, Sara C. In Dillafluff Land. New Jersey: Standard Publishing Concern, Publishers, 1910. First Edition. Light shelf/edge wear, front boards loose with light toning, few page tears, one leaf loose but present, American Red Cross stamp, else bright and unmarred. Oblong 8vo. Approx. 58pp. Illus. (b/w plates). Good+ in Wraps. Hardcover.

“Esther from Aunt Ann, Xmas 1910”. The black and white Illustrations are by A.G. Learned. Extremely scarce, no known copies. Odd, children’s nonsense nursery rhymes with accompanying anthropomorphic figures very similar to Dr. Seuss’ characters created much later, and similarly, the rhyming is reminiscent of Edward Lear. The book was marketed and reviewed in major publications, but little is known about the author or other published books. The characters were affectionately described as “freakish” and “queer” in reviews. (#9118) $150.00

Woven paper undergarments, Diane Jacobs

Jacobs, Diane. Woven Paper Undergarments [Bra and Panties]. Portland, OR: Scantron Press, 2010. Limited Edition. Bright and unmarred. Woven paper strips, letterpress printed, sculptural. 11x23x3″ np. Fine.

“In this body of work I intend to expose the tenacious, white, patriarchal power structure by using language as my witness. Over a three-year period I collected slang and derogatory words that exploit women. The exhaustive list came from friends, family, and several dictionaries on slang. Strangers also contributed by writing on anonymous pink and blue cards their answer to the question what are the worst names you have ever been called? In my first projects, I sculpted hats, bras, and underwear made of letterpress-printed woven paper. This series of work makes feminist references to craft, the body, and a misogynist culture.” (#8766) $2,000.00

Greer, John Michael. The Weird of Hali: Innsmouth. Oregon: Arcane Wisdom Press, 2016. Limited Edition. Tigh, bright, and unmarred. Custom bound in green faux alligator laminate cloth boards with gold foil inlay embossed Lovecraft image, smythe sewn, and signed, hand-numbered by author with hand-printed ink stamp image of H.P. Lovecraft. Colored endpapers with image of Old Ones and include high gloss print insert of Lovecraft inspired artwork. 9.5×6.25”. 276pp. Limited edition of 500 copies. Fine. No DJ, as Issued. Hardcover.

Cover art by Caniglia and book design by Larry Roberts. “Like every other grad student at Miskatonic University, Owen Merrill knows about the Great Old Ones, the nightmare beings out of ancient legend that H.P. Lovecraft unearthed from archaic texts and turned into icons of modern fantasy fiction. Then a chance discovery—a lost letter written by Lovecraft to fellow Weird Tales author Robert Blake—offers a glimpse into the frightful reality behind the legends, and sends Owen on a desperate quest for answers that shatters his familiar world forever.

As he flees across the witch-haunted Massachusetts landscape toward the mysterious seaside town of Innsmouth, Owen finds himself caught up in a secret war between the servants of the Great Old Ones and their ancient enemies, a war in which yesterday’s friend may be tomorrow’s foe and nothing is as it seems. The history of the world is not what he has been taught—and the tentacles reaching out for him from the shadows of a forbidden past may hold not only his one chance of escape from the terrifying forces closing around him, but the last hope of life on Earth…”(publisher’s note) (#9096) $75.00

Greer, Michael. Weird Hali of Innsmouth

Bizarre Female Domination [Personal Scrapbook]. unknown, nd [circa 1970s]. Unique. Light shelf/edge wear, two leaf loose, very slightly musty, else tight, bright, and unmarred. Brown paper wrappers, mounted images/text at front and read. 4to. np. Illus. (color and b/w plates). Very Good. Original Wraps.

A very thorough and engaging collection of imagery and text involved, as the name implies, around the area of the BDSM scene from a Domme female/submissive male perspective. Neatly tape mounted images on lined white paper, the color and b/w images range from relatively small (approx. 2′ square) to full page (cut from magazines and original photographs). There are also some short text elements around the subject matter, too. Most interestingly, interspersed throughout are full page collections of ‘want ads’ from around the country and Canada…the shared qualities of most reflect either specific interest or, perhaps, that he ‘knew’ them. Overall, an eccentric stimulating collage of pre-internet collection of bondage erotica. (#8389) $450.00

Anon. Sumatran Batak divination book [pustaha]. Indonesia, Early 20th century. Unique. Twelve (two-sided) panel concertina fold; fastened on handcarved alim (or agarwood) tree-bark original boards; inscribed and drawn on smoothed and pressed alim tree-bark; 4.75 x 39″ (unfolded); illus. Handwritten in red and black ink pigments. Boards stained with natural pigments, in remarkable condition, less one split in bark panel. An exceptional and critical book for Indonesia history and culture. Very Good. Hardcover.

The ‘pustaha’ [named by the Batak people of interior province of northern Sumatra, Indonesia] are manuscript books constructed and composed by their “datu” or magicians and healers. Origins of the pustaha remain somewhat clouded to non-indigenious research, although, records of provenance date to the 18th century. The Batak people settled mainly in the Lake Toba region of North Sumatra, and included three dominant dialects: Toba, Angkola, and Mandailing.

The books themselves are frequently made with alim tree-bark; written and illustrated with other natural ink pigments. The pustaha is significant for the Batak, as the texts are idiosyncratic to the datu, meaning they are didactic tools for apprentices, but also for members of the community to interpret important decisions and advise on community issues, as reconciled by the datu. The books are often written in note-like script. The script is almost illegible for most members of the community, and indecipherable to Western scholars, however the syllabe script is thought to be derived from East Indian Sanskrit or to some scholars, Indian Palava script. Many contemporary pustaha were made and sold to tourists of the region, as well. The content of the books vary, but generally are divination books, including diagnosis of illness, protective/destructive magic, and acts of cult. Many of the books are also astrological in nature and contain solar and lunar charts and tables, and in the case of this particular pustaha, which contains animistic figures. This book features four carved lizards in low relief on one of the boards, which is associated with fertility and fertility rites. The verso has a carved image of star or a floral symbol. Many of the figurative llustrations in the book [a child] [a goddess figure with serpents] [star], also allude to creation myth, as the ‘tendi’ manifestation of ‘life’ and ‘death’ represented these symbols. The text is inscribed and illustrated on both sides of the bark. Although colonized by the Dutch government in the 19th century, many Batak people retain indigenious treligious beliefs, although increasingly marginalized.

Voorhoeve, P. “Batak Bark Books,” Conservator, University of Leiden, John Rylands Library and the Manchester University Press, 1951.

Teygeler, Rene. “Pustaha. A Study into the Production Process of the Batak Book,” 1993. (#9148) $1,200.00

 

Sumatran pustaha

 

[Count of Saint Germain (attributed)]; Koss, Nick [ed.]. Triangular Book of St. Germain. Seattle, WA: Ouroboros Press, 2015. Limited Edition. Triangular hand-bound and stitched in red and black letterpress wraps; 48 pp.; full color interior printing in English and French text; illus.; limited to 444 copies. As New. Original Wraps.

The edition of the ‘Triangular Book’ was deciphered, transcribed and translated by Nick Koss, who also executed the research and editing of the text. An excellent essay by Koss about the provenance of the manuscript is featured in “Clavis 3: Cipher & Stone.” The edition is limited to 500 copies in three editions. 26 special copies bound in full leather accompanied by a hand-wrought silver Longevity Talisman featured in the original manuscript. 26 copies in full leather and 444 copies bound in letterpress wraps. Design and typesetting by Joseph Uccello. – from the colophon. (#9180) $65.00

[Garcia, Fernando Aguayo; Queer Nation]. Proper Conduct / On October 6, 1989, Police Rioted in the Castro… [Rally Poster]. [San Francisco]: [Queer Nation], 1991. First Printing. Bright and clean. Cyanotype poster. 12×35.5″ Illus. (mono plate). Near Fine.

Poster for a protest organized by Queer Nation in San Francisco to demand justice for victims of the 1989 Castro Sweep Police Riot, when more than 200 San Francisco police officers reacted to an ACT UP march by invading the gay Castro District, declaring the entire neighborhood an unlawful assembly and violently clearing the streets. The Queer Nation protest took place at the San Francisco Hall of Justice following a Police Commission finding that the police sweep of the Castro had constituted “proper conduct.” The poster was designed by gay Latino artist and activist Fernando Aguayo-Garcia and was produced in an extremely limited number of copies using the cyanotype process. (#9272) $350.00

Heart In Your Business: 14th National Motorcycle / Bicycle Show. New York, 1928. Unique. Excellent condition, bright and unmarred, heart shaped advertisement for the 14th Annual National Motorcycle and Bicycle show in New York City, Madison Square Garden. Very Good+.

The first National Auto Show was held in 1900. Apparently, as early as 1915, the two-wheel industry was expanding so the national show split from the automotive industry to have their own independent show. The newly built Madison Square Garden accommodated track racing as well. Rare piece of motorcycling and bicycle ephemera. (#9315) $45.00

 

 

Brown, Frederic. ETAOIN SHRDLU. Portland, ME: Ivy Derderian/Wolfe Editions, 2009. Limited Edition. Tight, bright and unmarred. Unprinted tan cardstock wrappers; green textured heavy stock DJ, lettering and pictorial elements in black ink, advert endpages. 8vo. 13pp plus ads. Illus. (b/w plates). Numbered limited edition this being 6 of 40 copies. Fine in Wraps. Original Wraps.

The first solo project from Ivy Derderian, working at Wolfe Editions. Printed in Linotype Bonodi Book, created on an Intertype (the Linotype’s successor). From the prospectus:

“Frederic Brown’s entertaining short story about a sentient Linotype, titled Etaoin Shrdlu, was originally published in 1942 in the magazine Unknown Worlds. While Mr. Brown was well known for his science fiction short stories and novels as well as his award-winning detective fiction, it is clear that he knew his way around a Linotype and a print shop.

Ivy Derderian, with the help of Wolfe Editions, announces a new publication of Etaoin Shrdlu, designed in the manner of pulp magazines of the 1940s. The text type is Linotype Bodoni Book, titles were set in Ludlow Ultra Modern. Text is printed on acid free Dur-o-tone Aged Newsprint, cover is acid free St. Armand Colours. The two engravings used are from a 1923 issue of The Linotype Bulletin.”

Designed and printed to reflect its pulp heritage using Dur-o-tone Aged Newsprint (acid free) and cover wraps on St. Armand Colours. Illustrations from a 1923 issue of The Linotype Bulletin. A wonderful blending of content and design. (#7080) $225.00

 

Harwood-Jones, Markus/Star . Confessions of A Teenage Transexual Whore [Complete in Ten Parts]. Toronto: Self, nd [circa 2010-2012]. First Thus. Tight, bright, and unmarred. Taped bindings over printed paper wraps, color inkjet reproductions. 8vo. Var. pag. Illus. Near Fine in Wraps. Original Wraps.

“A 10-part zine series telling Star’s short stories of survival sex work over the course of two years.” [From the author] (#9294) $145.00

 

Eckels, Howard Samuel. Post Mortem Stains and Putty Color. Philadelphia: Press of H.S. Eckels & Co., 1922. First Edition. Minor shelf/edge wear, joint starting at staples, light/even toning to textblock, ownership signature and notation at front, else tight, bright, and unmarred. Navy cloth boards, printed label, fold-out map (in red) of circulatory system. 12mo. 53pp plus adverts. Illus. (color print). Very Good+. Hardcover.

Includes ‘modern’ book curse, “‘Notice’ / This book is the property of G. L. Dodds. / Read if you care to but do not mark, destroy, or carry out of back room. / G.L. Dodds / P.S. I weigh 157lb. Let this be a warning to you. / G.L.D. (#8966) $245.00

 

Dwight, Thomas. Frozen Sections of a Child. New York: William Wood & Co, 1881. First Edition. Light even toning, tips through, wear at head and tail, ownership signature at first blank, moderate shelf/edge wear, else tight, bright, and unmarred. Black cloth boards. 8vo. Illus. (b/w plates). Good+ [Textblock Very Good]. Hardcover.
Includes fifteen full-page drawings from nature by H.P. Quincy. A century or so before CAT scans and MRIs, this work offered detailed tomogrpahic images. Remarkably important (and one of the great titles in publishing). First edition of a classical work of great importance in pediatrics, and the first American group of serial sections. This work provided tomographic images a century before the CAT and MRI. Dwight was a Harvard medical school and, later in life, succeeded Oliver Wendell Holmes as the Parkman Professor of Anatomy. ”A classical work of great importance in pediatrics, and the first American group of serial sections” (Choulant-Frank, p. 409). (#8962) $225.00

Death…becomes her [post-mortem 1.0]

 Announcements, Catalog  No Responses »
Aug 072017
 

 

We are beginning to release a series of special themed short lists, this one inspired by the “death positive” movement, not just for collecting, but for understanding about death culture and documentation.

“Death Becomes Her” can be viewed on our catalogue page, along with other catalogues of the mostly recently past.

Next big fair is ABAA 41st Annual Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, November 10-12, 2017! Can’t wait!

 

Back from the dead…Summer edition

 Book Fairs, Conferences, rbms  No Responses »
Jul 142017
 

So after a few weeks of decompressing, we are back from RBMS 17 Iowa City! With epic stop overs in Indiana, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, and more! By visiting the dead during the trip, we certainly appreciate our education and places of memories. Much like books, graveyards emulate a sense of memory.  While strolling through the local cemetery in Iowa City, we devised a plan to take the crypt a to it logical bibliophilic conclusion. What if you could shelve yourself much like a book, after walking on this complicated earth, in a familiar setting, housed in a familiar form? Thus, the idea of ‘bibliocrypt’ was born! Picture a crypt that embodies a library shelves…stone bindings on the outside, shelves with book-urns lining the inside. #bibliocrypt

Too morbid? Well, we did engage with the living, many living and breathing archives and libraries, librarians, and archivists doing amazing and engaging things to enrich our conscious world.  RBMS is typically a time of exchange and growth for many in the field. We were there to listen and talk to people in a wildly critical time of scholarship and information exchange.  Unlike most book fairs, this is best time to actually discuss components of library collection development, new modes of material description, and aspects of outreach and engagement.  We did a pretty good job of bringing materials that reflected the over theme of the conference: “The Stories We Tell” from artist’s books, narratives, to strange and odd visual storytelling.  A pared down booth!

In the future weeks, we will be thinking about yes, death, our biblioarcanum and new catalogs and lists coming out.

Our next big show is Boston ABAA, November 10-12, 2017. #biblioarcanum

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