New York City Book and Ephemera Fair Joins Rare Book Week 2015
New York City—The New York City Book and Ephemera Fair will have its debut running on April 11th at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola’s Wallace Hall on Park Avenue. Designed as a satellite event of Rare Book Week, the annual spring round-up of auctions and selling exhibitions aimed at book collectors, curators and those fascinated by historical maps, vintage photographs and ephemera, the fair will host more than 50 prominent dealers.
Marvin Getman, President of Impact Events, a respected New England producer of specialty antiques and book fairs since 1981, positions the one-day event as an affordable complement to the ABAA Antiquarian Book Fair at the Park Avenue Armory.
The New York City Book and Ephemera Fair opens at 8 a.m. to give collectors and dealers access to a wide range of collectibles before they head to the multi-day event at the Armory. Since many buyers will start their day at Wallace Hall, Mr. Getman will make it easy for shoppers to get to the Armory in time for its noon opening by providing free shuttle bus service. The shuttle will run continuously from 8 a.m. until noon.
The new show promises items that will appeal to both seasoned collectors and new audiences. Among the books will be works by favorite authors, deceased and living, as well as first editions and volumes on subjects from astronomy to zoology. Ephemera enthusiasts, on the other hand, will find unique items, mostly printed, that were not meant to have lasting value but survived because they were unique, popular, coveted or held in esteem.
Among the highlights of the fair is an exceptionally scarce sheet of the official music of Abraham Lincoln’s funeral procession, entitled Funeral March Dedicated to the Memory of Abraham Lincoln . . . Played at the Obsequies of the Late President of the United States By the U. S. Marine Band by Army Bvt. Major General J. C. (G.) Barnard. William A. Pond. Its value is $5,000. (offered by Read ‘em Again Books)
Browsers will also find a bilingual edition of Arthur Rimbaud’s Season in Hell with photographs by Robert Mapplethorp. It is #543 of 1,000 copies and is priced at $1,150. (offered by Boomerang Booksellers)
Meanwhile, there is also a beautifully illuminated cutting from the Choir book of Ferdinand and Isabella as well as an 11th century lectionary. Another early bit of printed history will be found in Calvin’s Institutes, 1575, the historic theological tracts that helped change the face of religion. (offered by Mackus Co. Illuminated)
The broad range of material at the New York City Rare Book and Ephemera Fairs holds something for everyone - music lovers, art lovers, photography collectors, educators, historians, even gardeners.
Familiar Hawaiian Flowers, 1938, Honolulu, 3rd edition is a labor of love. Created for the tourist trade by ex-pats, it contains original photographs of naive and ornamental fruits and flowers native to Hawaii. (offered byDuBois Rare Books))
Photographers will find much to view and purchase, including a 1932 illustrated book by Edward Weston. Signed by the photographer. it is valued at $3,500. (offered by Different Drummer Books)
History buffs too will turn up Revolutionary period and Civil War memorabilia and equipment, including Private William Shuard’s Native American Photo Collection and Service Rifle. Meanwhile, collectors of New York memorabilia will find an early Sanitary and Topographical map of the island paints a fascinating engineering picture valued at $5,000. (offered by Read ‘em Again Books)
Anchoring the fair will be ephemera that include mid-century movie poster collectibles and 19th century engravings like “Kundur Tartars,” a bargain at $50. A 1966 Grateful Dead-Lightening Hopkins-Loading Zone poster from a Fillmore concert will go for $350. (offered by Craftsbury Antiquarian Books)
With a wealth of collectibles in highly desirable “portable” formats, some antecedents of the digital age and others part and parcel of it, the New York City Rare Book and Ephemera Fair at Wallace Hall promises to be the best place to spend a few hours exploring on Saturday, April 11th. A discount admission coupon is available at www.bookandpaperfairs.com. Tickets at the door are $15 and $10 if purchased online in advance.
For a complete list of dealers appearing at the first New York City Rare Book and Ephemera Fair at Wallace Hall, please visit http://www.bookandpaperfaris.com.
BACKGROUND:
The first annual New York Book and Paper Fair is presented by Impact Events, Marvin Getman, President. A former marketing executive, Mr. Getman has produced antique shows and benefit antiques events for more than thirty years. Among these are Boston Antiques and Design Show and Antiques at Elm Bank. He currently produces eight book and paper fairs and antiques shows throughout New England. He produced the First Ever Brooklyn Antiques and Book Fair at the new Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint in September 2014 and is preparing his second annual next September.
