The 39th Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, Nov. 13-15
BOSTON, MA—The annual fall gathering for booklovers, the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, will return to the Hynes Convention Center in Boston’s beautiful Back Bay, November 13-15, 2015. More than 120 dealers from the United States, Australia, England, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, and The Netherlands will exhibit and sell a vast selection of rare, collectible and antiquarian books, illuminated manuscripts, autographs, maps, atlases, modern first editions, photographs, and fine and decorative prints.
Special events at this year’s Fair include the Boston debut of the Typewriter Rodeo, a group of poets who create custom poems on vintage typewriters; a talk by Peter Sokolowski, editor-at-large for Merriam-Webster, about the 19th century dictionary wars; a behind-the-scenes talk with Marsha Bemko, executive producer of Antiques Roadshow; and the 14th Annual Ticknor Society Roundtable, a panel discussion of collectors talking about their collections of Political Americana.
For attendees wanting to start a collection without breaking the bank, there will be dealers offering “Discovery” items, including a selection of children's books and decorative cloth bindings, priced at $100 or less. On Saturday, an expert “Discovery” panel will give tips on the best ways to shop a book fair and start your own collection. And on Sunday from 1-3pm, attendees are invited to bring in their own books for free appraisal.
Among the highlighted items for sale will be rare and first editions of works by Erasmus, Ezra Pound, Winston Churchill, Aimé Césaire, Philip Levine, Robert Frost, and J. M Barrie; engravings and prints by Sonia Delaunay and Pablo Picasso; an extremely rare 500-year old Dutch medical book, Hortus Sanitatis, containing detailed writings and annotated illustrations on plants, herbs, animals, and minerals used in medieval healing; an inscribed first-edition of Clement Moore’s Twas the Night Before Christmas; signed letters from Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Hancock; a copy of the Matisse Ulysses signed by James Joyce and Henri Matisse; an exceptional complete folio of Francisco Goya’s Los Caprichos aquatints; and a unique version of the 18th century French classic Les Fables de La Fontaine that might, literally, be the longest book ever brought to the Fair.
One of the oldest and most respected antiquarian book shows in the country, the Fair is an event that offers the ‘crème de la crème’ of items that are available on the international literary market. Whether just browsing or buying, the Fair offers something for every taste and budget—books on art, politics, travel, gastronomy, and science to sport, natural history, literature, music, and children’s books—that will appeal to the serious collector and the curious browser.
HOURS, TICKET PRICES & CONTACT INFORMATION
Friday, November 13 5:00-9:00pm Tickets: $20.00 - Opening Night
(tickets valid throughout the weekend)
Saturday, November 14 12:00-7:00pm Tickets: $10.00
Sunday, November 15 12:00-5:00pm Tickets: $10.00; free with a valid student I.D.
Hynes Convention Center
900 Boylston Street
Boston, MA
www.mccahome.com
The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair is sponsored by the New England Chapter of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America. A portion of the ticket sales will benefit the Boston Public Library and the American Antiquarian Society. Tickets will be sold at the show’s box office during show hours and online at www.bostonbookfair.com.
For more information, call 617-266-6540 or visit www.bostonbookfair.com.
EVENTS AT THE FAIR
Antiques Roadshow: 20 Seasons of Book Appraisals!
Saturday, November 14, 12:30pm
Executive Producer Marsha Bemko gives a behind-the-scenes look at PBS’s most-watched ongoing series. and reveals stories of rare books discovered—those that made it on camera and those that didn’t. Part human adventure, part history lesson, and part treasure hunt, 13-time Emmy® Award-nominated Antiques Roadshow gears up for it’s 20th season beginning January 4, 2016.
Typewriter Rodeo
Saturday, November 14, 2:00-5:00pm
The Typewriter Rodeo poets will be on hand to write an original poem for you on any topic you choose on their eclectic collection of vintage typewriters.
DISCOVERY: Starting Your Own Collection
Saturday, November 14, 2:30pm
Panel Discussion - A rare opportunity to ask the experts the best way to start your own collection. Afterwards, shop the Fair and visit our “Discovery” exhibitors for items $100 and under to help you begin your collection.
Political Americana: Ticknor Society Roundtable
Saturday, November 14, 4:00pm
This 14th annual collectors’ roundtable will focus on Political Americana: trends in collecting, how to shop for your collection, and you’ll also see two personal collections from top collectors!
The Invention of the Modern Dictionary
Sunday, November 15, 12:30pm
Peter Sokolowski, Editor at Large, Merriam-Webster - Commonly referred to as the Unabridged, and edited during the turmoil of the American Civil War, the 1864 edition was the first comprehensive revision of Noah Webster’s famous dictionary. Learn more about the real history of this traditional American brand.
FREE Expert Appraisals!
Sunday, November 15, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Bring your books & ephemera to get expert free appraisals. You might find you have a valuable treasure!
First image: “Twas the Night Before Christmas” inscribed by Clement C. Moore. This volume, published at the request of Moore’s children, contains his famous poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas” (“Twas the Night Before Christmas”) in a collection of his own verse, rarely found inscribed. $11,000. Courtesy of Seth Kaller.
Second image: THE MATISSE ULYSSES SIGNED BY JOYCE (Limited Editions Club) Joyce, James. ULYSSES. New York: The Limited Editions Club, 1935, 4to., brown cloth with an abstract design including Matisse's Nausica a stamped in gold on the front cover, spine stamped in goldwith a miniature repeat of the cover design, slipcase. (xviii), 365 pages. $20,000. Courtesy of Oak Knoll.
