book lovers’ paradise magazine
Welcome to our labor of love
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s book lovers, we feel compelled to spread our love in many ways. We want to share, and that simple idea was the catalyst for this publication. By their very nature, book fairs are wonderful opportunities for those who are so inclined to share their love of books with like-minded people. There are limitations, of course, a key one being time. Book fairs typically are only a limited number of hours. So many books and book people. So little time. We wondered how it would be if people who had the knowledge about book collecting could share it with people who wanted the knowledge – sort of like school only less expensive. So we asked some of those people with such knowledge if they’d be willing to share some of what they know with people who thirst for this knowledge. Many of them said yes. So we put their collective knowledge into a format that’s easily accessible and not too expensive to distribute. The result is the first issue of Book Lovers’ Paradise magazine. We intend to publish the magazine quarterly. You can get a copy each time simply by indicating that you want one. Just send us an email to bookloversparadisemagazine@gmail.com. Put SUBSCRIBE in the subject field. We’ll put you on the list and every time an issue comes out we’ll send you a link. It’s free. We hope that you enjoy this endeavor and find something useful in it. We also hope that you let us know what you like, what you don’t and what else you’d like to see in the magazine. – T. Allan Smith, Editor
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WHEN THECUPCOOLSDOWN, I TTURNSBLACK.
Build the collection of your dreams A retired educator o ers step-by-step instructions to do it right.
Collecting Black urban literature
This mid-’60s genre featured hit men, pimps, and drug dealers. Copies are hard to nd.
How to collect Americana
Book fair people inspired new novel
Collecting ne art prints the right way
When it’s time to sell your collection
Teen sleuth who’s not Nancy Drew
Why we do what we do for love of books
A good reference library and digital resources are essential for the collector and dealer.
The key questions you need to ask yourself.
Booksellers Charlene Ball and Libby Ware drew upon their experiences at the Florida book fair.
Judy Bolton is a more realistic girl detective.
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book lovers’ paradise magazine
A print dealer shares his rst experiences with the genre, and what he has learned over the decades.
A word about our mission to preserve the written word.
book lovers’ paradise magazine
“In a good book room you feel in some mysterious way that you are absorbing the wisdom contained in all the books through your skin, without even opening them.” — Mark Twain “If you cannot read all your books ... fondle them – peer into them, let them fall open where they will, read from the first sentence that arrests the eye, set them back on the shelves with your own hands, arrange them on your own plan so that you at least know where they are. Let them be your friends; let them, at any rate, be your acquaintances.” ― Winston S. Churchill “When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that
no other reading in your whole life does.” – Kathleen Kelly, You've Got Mail “I love inscriptions on flyleaves and notes in margins, I like the comradely sense of turning pages someone else turned, and reading passages someone long gone has called my attention to.” ― Helene Hanff, 84, Charing Cross Road
Please share your quote If you have a favorite quotation from a book person or something you’d like to o er yourself, please send it to us for the next issue. bookloversparadisemagazine @gmail.com
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book lovers’ paradise magazine
Building your dream book collection: Here are the essential steps By Richard Oates
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reating a collection of cherished books should absolutely evoke intangible happiness. This delight might stem from the comfort of constant reading material, the satisfaction of aesthetically pleasing and significant bookshelves, or the excitement of the hunt – that rush when you locate a sought-after book to finalize a collection or share a fortunate discovery with a fellow book lover. Define your interest and theme Begin by identifying your interests, passions, and the genre you'd like to focus on in your book collection. Whether it's classic literature, science fiction, history, or art, having a clear theme will guide your collection's growth. Your collection can reflect your personal tastes and curiosities, making it more meaningful and Trinity Library in Dublin has more enjoyable. Defining your preferences will than 200,000 volumes. You may not help guide your aspire to build a collection like that collection-building journey and ensure it but follow your passion in any case. reflects your passions and help you set goals. first quarter 2024
book lovers’ paradise magazine
first quarter 2024 Photograph by David Ili . Published under Creative Commons
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book lovers’ paradise magazine
Research and curate Once you've identified your interests, research extensively to find titles that align with your collection's theme. Research notable authors, influential titles, and hidden gems that align with your interests. Seek recommendations from bibliophiles, online forums, and literary magazines. Curate a list of books that resonate with you, balancing between well-known classics and hidden gems. This step is crucial to ensure the quality and relevance of your collection. Set a budget and collect gradually Establish a budget that suits your financial situation and goals. Building a book collection can be a long-term endeavor, so don't rush. Acquire books gradually, allowing yourself to savor the process. Balance your collection by investing in both well-known classics and lesser-known titles. Scour used bookstores, online marketplaces, and auctions for affordable options. Prioritize quality and condition – quality matters When acquiring books, prioritize quality and condition. A well-preserved book holds more value and is aesthetically pleasing. Look for first editions, signed copies, historical significance, or limited editions if they fit within your theme. Check for signs of wear, water damage, or annotations. Dust jackets, if applicable, contribute significantly to a book's overall value. Organize and display thoughtfully As your collection grows, organizing and displaying your books becomes vital. Arrange them in a way that's visually appealing and accessible. Bookshelves, display cases, or even custom cabinets can enhance the aesthetic appeal of your first quarter 2024
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collection. Consider grouping books by author, genre, or era. Store books in a controlled environment, away from direct sunlight, humidity, and temperature fluctuations. Develop relationships with the dealers and ask questions Attending a rare book fair is a thrilling opportunity for bibliophiles and collectors to immerse themselves in a world of literary treasures. As you step into the venue, a palpable sense of excitement fills the air, surrounded by an array of carefully curated booths that promise an unforgettable experience. For novice collectors at their Engage book first book fair or true bibliophiles, my top tip is to be inquisitive! vendors. We want Engage book vendors. We want to talk about our books and your to talk about our interests. Book fairs offer a unique space for book dealers to open up, books and your impart their expertise, and connect with the public who share their passion. Come take interests. advantage. Booksellers are keen to foster connections with collectors and potential enthusiasts, readily engaging in book discussions and knowledge sharing. Just be considerate if you notice a queue forming at a particular booth. This underscores the significance of a strong relationship between collectors and dealers: "A reputable bookseller is more than just a merchant; they serve as a fount of guidance, support, and accumulated wisdom. Remarkable collections have always resulted from collaboration between exceptional collectors and exceptional dealers, so don't attempt to navigate this journey in isolation." first quarter 2024
book lovers’ paradise magazine
After discovering a dealer who aligns with your collecting preferences, offers the books you seek, and understands your interests, try to establish a meaningful relationship! This will pay dividends long after the Book Fair closes.
Tips on attending an antiquarian book fair Remember, building a book collection is a journey that evolves over time. It's not just about amassing books, but also about cultivating a meaningful assortment that reflects your interests and passions. Stay open to exploration and discovery and enjoy the process of curating a collection that will bring you joy for years to come. With careful consideration of your goals, thorough research, diverse curation, a focus on quality, and proper care, your collection can evolve into a cherished source of pleasure and knowledge. A significant aspect of the book fair experience is the opportunity to see and touch books you may have only heard of or never known existed. Don't hesitate to handle the books gently. Familiarity with handling rare books is crucial; if uncertain, seek the dealer's guidance until you're confident handling a $250,000 book with $100 in your pocket. Dealers are happy to educate novices on proper bookhandling etiquette. However, be aware that if you damage a book due to mishandling, you will be responsible for compensating the dealer. Therefore, keep food and beverages away from the books, ensure clean hands, and don't hesitate to ask if in doubt. Please never engage in price negotiations with an exhibitor. Exhibitors aim to establish relationships with future clients and collectors, and haggling can hinder this process. If you have a specific collecting interest and spot an item you want, and you believe the dealer may offer similar first quarter 2024
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items in the future, pay the price listed on the tag. This will likely result in you being among the first to be offered such items in the future. Dealers possess an in-depth understanding of the rare book market and price their items accordingly. Avoid using your smartphone to check if an item is available online for a lower price (showrooming) while standing in a dealer's booth; it's considered impolite. Also, refrain from beginning a sentence addressed to an exhibitor with "But on eBay..." if you wish to be taken seriously. In any case, books cannot be accurately evaluated without seeing them in person, and online dealers may lack the expertise to describe their items accurately, making any prices you find online potentially misleading. Most dealers bring items at various price levels, ensuring that interesting and desirable books and ephemera can be found at the book fair to suit every collector's budget. Building a personal library of beloved tomes should definitely be something that brings you intangible joy. That may come from the reassurance of always having something handy to read, the pleasure of having beautiful and meaningful bookshelves, or the thrill of the chase – there is a feeling of excitement when you track down a missing volume to complete a collection or have an opportunity to show off a lucky find to a fellow bibliophile. Richard Oates, a retired private school administrator who began his “Book” career building a school library, now lives in Deland, Florida, and with his wife Dottie, is building Collections for Clients “One Fine Book at a Time”. Their website is BlindHorseBooks.com and Richard may be reached at richard@blindhorsebooks.com He is a member of the ABAA, FABA, IOBA and the Ephemera Society of America. first quarter 2024
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Left: The book that got Richard into collecting. Right: An early acquisition in the area that interested him.
Book Collecting 101: Things I wish I had known to begin with By the Road Warrior
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t the age of 12, unknowingly, I purchased my first collectible book titled Boy Scouts in the White Mountains, by Walter Eaton. I was a Boy Scout and on the cover was a paste down photo of Mount Washington from a view I would see every day on the bus ride to school. Think I paid $10 (1962). Shortly afterward, I went to my first auction and purchased two books on the Whites. All first quarter 2024
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three of these books are still in my collection some 60 years later. Had I understood what I had done at the time, and had I been schooled in how to collect, and had I been focused, my collection today would be as good as any major collection on those two subject areas. But I had no mentor at the time. I was a kid who “loved books”. To put that into context, my mom would not have called me a “reader.” So, collecting books is something in your heart and or in your head. You “love books”, you like the way they look on the shelf, you can’t resist the feel and smell of “old” books, or you have been told books make a great investment. All good reasons and held in common by many who buy books. Yet, are you feeling that your “collection” is lacking? You’ve been told that collecting books is easy. To identify first editions all you need to do is look at the back of the title page and if no additional information is present showing additional printings you have a first edition. If only it was that simple. “Zemple”, the answer I was given the first time I asked my mentor “how do you know a first edition. (See the reference below.) Today there are multiple sources. The bottom line it is not a simple answer. To simply state the rules in book collecting: Rule #1 - for every rule there is an exception. Rule #2 - when confused refer to rule #1. While these two rules may seem a bit tongue in cheek, they will help. First, there is no rule for publishers to identify first editions. Second, even when a publisher has a rule it is not always consistently applied. At the end of this article I will provide a few resources that can help you in navigating the question of how do you know a first edition. Now you’re confused by the language you hear or read when looking for books. Octavo, Duodecimo, boards, block, gilt, fore-edge, P.P. d-j, (dj) d-w. Have you understood any of this? Book collecting on any subject is also about embracing first quarter 2024
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A collector needs reference books like the ones shown here to learn details about various genres. history. Understand that it’s not just a book. You are holding a printer’s end product. Printing has a nearly 600-year tradition, and printers language is part of the book, thus part of the book collector’s language. And for more than 300 years, book collectors have developed their own language. While one can choose to ignore the accepted norms, why would you? Carter’s ABC for Book Collectors is considered the primary language dictionary within the trade. You’ve read Zemple and Carter, you’re buying books and all of a sudden you’re feeling confused. You’re looking at a Wizard of Oz title and the copyright page is dated 1913, yet your instinct says the binding is much later. How can that be? Start by remembering rule #1. Even Zemple isn’t going to help to solve this mystery. You need Bibliographia Oziana by Greene, Greene, Hanff, Martin, Haff. Some authors and publishers followed their own rules (or lack of) and give no concrete methods for identifying first editions. In general, what has happened, collectors have first quarter 2024
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stepped in to fill the void. In some cases it has taken a village to solve the mysteries and in other cases one individual has completed the task. Examples include Wizard of Oz, Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Tasha Tudor, Beatrix Potter, Mark Twain, J. K. Rowling and the list goes on. Should you have an interest in any of these authors it is not necessary to own the reference but you should be aware that anyone selling these authors should have access to the these reference books. Much of the information is not available online and the only way to be confident is to consult the book. Then, what’s a “point?” Not what’s the point? Points are variants within the book by presence or absence distinguishing one copy from another. These differences are often used to determine the priority of printings and can help determine value. Many authors of fiction and non-fiction have points that are important in identifying a first edition. Again, there are many resources for points. One initial book is Book of First Books by Allen and Patricia Ahearn. Book collecting is fun, can be educational and even financially rewarding. Unless you are working with a highly trained dealer or have decades of experience, I caution new collectors not to think about value as a primary objective. Yes, books increase in value and, in some cases, by 10s and 100s of thousands of dollars. Yet, like many things, not all books increase in value. Collect what is attractive for you. By author, illustrator, subject, style, fiction, nonfiction, binding size and, yes, even color. Whatever makes you happy. No matter the choice, become knowledgeable, learn the language, know the points, read the bibliographies, discover the history of your area of collecting. And buy books. Don’t worry about making mistakes, you will. You will buy duplicates, or the wrong publisher, or even discover a pirated edition. That’s part of the whole experience. first quarter 2024
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In my 60-plus years of collecting, the one piece of advice I offer everyone: have no regrets. There will be a time when you will have discovered the rarity that you could let slip through your fingers. It is better to regret buying than not. That’s when knowledge becomes the difference. And buy from dealers who are seasoned and knowledgeable. Form a relationship. Most every dealer I know enjoys bringing a book to its right owner. As dealers, we are just temporary agents who give customers the joy of finding their treasure. Follow your passion, your budget size can grow, learn from others, and have fun. Be a collector not an accumulator.
Partial List of References and Bibliographies • First Editions: A Guide to Identi cation by Zempel & Verkler • Book of First Books” by Allen and Patricia Ahearn. • Points of Issue, compiled by Bill McBride • Bibliographia Oziana by Greene, Greene, Han , Martin, Ha • First Editions of Dr. Seuss Books, by Younger & Hirsch • Works of Maurice Sendak 1947-1994 by Joyce Hanrahan • Tasha Tudor A Bio-Bibliography by John Hare & Jill Hare Richard Mori, The Road Warrior, travels from Maine to Florida (occasionally wonders westward to Ohio), doing book fairs, antique shows, and any event where books and ephemera are sold. When not buying or selling outstanding books on almost any subject, he is found promoting book fairs in New Hampshire and Boston. He also is a regular guest on Rare Book Cafe. Richard has collected books for more than 60 years, specializing in children’s, White Mountain, cookbooks, history, and first editions. He can be contacted by email: Richard@Moribooks.com
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book lovers’ paradise magazine
Ephemera offers a glimpse of a moment in time and often expands our understanding By Barbara Loe
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ne of the things I love about ephemera is that it captures a moment in time and yet it can tell us so much with that brief glimpse. Often it enlightens us to something we never knew happened or something that happened much earlier than we thought.
In this case, I’m going to focus on an interesting envelope from 1884 that tells a pretty complex story with one single image. Smallpox had been ravaging the United Kingdom for decades and there was little people could do other than to isolate themselves to prevent becoming exposed. Most who did get exposed died. first quarter 2024
book lovers’ paradise magazine
In 1796, Dr. Edward Jenner discovered that injecting a person with a small amount of a similar infection could prevent smallpox. Some people embraced this new technology but most feared it. In 1867 the Vaccination Act was passed in the United Kingdom. Within seven days of the birth of a child being registered, the registrar was to deliver a notice of vaccination; if the child was not presented to be vaccinated within three months, or brought for inspection afterwards, the parents or guardians were liable to a summary conviction and fine of 20 shillings. In 1871 another Act was passed appointing a Vaccination Officer, also authorizing a defendant to appear in a court of law by any member of his family, or any other person authorized by him. This act also confirmed the principal of compulsion, which evidently sparked hostility and opposition to the practice. (Wikipedia) The envelope pictured here is postmarked 1884, showing anti-vaccination propaganda in the illustration on the front of the envelope. The image is of Vaccination Officer presenting the Vaccination Act to a mother while her child is vaccinated by "death" in the form of a skeleton. The envelope is addressed to Dr. D. W. Crompton, the Consulting Surgeon at The General and Queen's Hospitals in Birmingham, England. The envelope is a rare example and is in good condition. Envelopes or postal covers were frequently used to convey complex patriotic or political messages with just one image. What treasure will you find at your next book fair? Barbara Loe is a Victorian ephemera dealer based in Osprey, Florida, a board member of the Ephemera Society of America and chair of the Annual Conference Committee for ESA, which takes place in March. first quarter 2024
book lovers’ paradise magazine
So, it’s time to sell your book collection? Here’s what to do to make this a success By Ed Albritton
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ou have spent many years building your wonderful collection of books, or you have inherited a family member’s lifelong collection. Whatever the reason, the task is now in front of you: what to do? How do you go about parting with your books, where to start, and what steps to take? The first step begins with the question “what is motivating you to part with this group of books?” While the reasons are varied, most include an emotional level to this process as well. Some preliminary work will help the task be more satisfying to you and the person receiving the books. As a bookseller with an open brick and mortar store, I am offered books every day. While the numbers can be overwhelming, most booksellers are happy with this ‘dilemma”. first quarter 2024
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Ed’s Editions is located in West Columbia, South Carolina. Do an honest assessment of the collection of books, including their condition and your level of emotional investment. If you inherited said group of books, don’t just take the donor’s word that the books are priceless. Is this collection mostly Book-of-the-Month Club books, or are they truly rare and obscure titles? Is there a demand for this genre? It is not necessary to studiously pour over every single copy in the collection. However, it is important to have a good awareness of what you are trying to pass along. Unless you already have a detailed record of the books and their values, I suggest a spot check of some of the books. The easiest and most accessible method is the internet. While the internet is not always the most reliable approach, it is the quickest. A general overview is provided by checking various websites, eg. Amazon, ABE or Biblio. Look for first quarter 2024
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reputable, established and professional sellers. Check the ratings of those sellers. You’ll soon be able to determine a range of reasonable values for the books you’re researching. If you are a collector, or book lover, you should have established a relationship with a bookseller in your community. If they’ve been around a while, sold books to you and belong to established bookselling organizations (such as ABAA, ILAB, etc), you have a reliable resource to consult and possibly sell your books as well. Be prepared to discuss up front what your expectations are, as well as determining the bookseller’s interest in your collection. The Donate books to your local library. bookseller will not be able to pay the full estimated value of the collection, but might be open to taking more expensive items on consignment. This is all done on a case by case basis. Having discussed these basics, we come back to the ‘motivation” question. If your motive is to maximize your return, you will need to do more work than the seller motivated to “find a good home” for the collection. There are a number of options for the “good home” motive. Donations to libraries, charitable thrift stores and even your local bookstore may take them. Donations to charitable first quarter 2024
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organizations may result in a tax write-off (you must consult a tax professional). If you are still collecting, a good option might be accepting store credit to use for further building of your newly focused collection. Finally, circling back to the hope of maximizing your return, a few relevant comments. The more educated about the market for your collection, the more likely you will approach the desired return. That means you want to have a realistic idea of the value of the collection and a true understanding of the current market value. While it isn’t necessary to labor over determining exact values of a large collection, an honest, non-emotional evaluation of the books, an informed view of the market and an understanding of the needs of the buyer are necessary to satisfactorily complete the transaction. Book-lovers face parting with books for many reasons, as varied as the collections. A great deal of personal and financial investment went into collecting the books. Parting with your books has an emotional component to it. Letting them go can tug at the heart and the purse strings. When that time comes, do your homework, realize the parameters of the process, grieve appropriately for the transition, and celebrate. Celebrate that the books that once gave you joy are heading to a multitude of new homes to provide joy and comfort to new owners. Ed Albritton is the co-owner of Ed’s Editions LLC with his wife, Irene and son, Eric. After a career in human services and a few years of book-scouting for other book sellers and selling books in an antique mall, Ed opened the store in West Columbia, South Carolina in 2001. Ed is a member of Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) and Eric is an Associate member. They love helping books find the hands of new owners. first quarter 2024
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Holloway House and the rise of Black urban literature By Lee Linn
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hile the Harlem Renaissance in the first third of the twentieth is considered a golden age in African American culture, including literature, music, stage performance and art, by the mid 1960s another Black literary phenomenon had surfaced, paperbacks aimed at a Black Bentley Morriss working class market, featuring hit men and detectives, pimps and prostitutes, drug dealers and addicts, coming not out of Harlem but Chicago and Detroit, and published by the Los Angeles publisher, Holloway House. These Holloway House first editions are now a significant collecting genre, sought by private collectors and university libraries alike. Founded in 1959 in Los Angeles by Bentley Morriss and Ralph Weinstock, Holloway House first published an eclectic mix of high-and low-brow material, including skin magazines Adam and Knight, biographies about Jayne Mansfield and Ernest Hemingway, and the literature of Casanova and the Marquis de Sade.
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Iceberg Slim
Donald Goines
Odie Hawkins
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However, following the Watts uprising in 1965, and the focus on Black writers created by the Watts Writers’ Workshop, the company switched gears and began to focus on black urban literature. a niche filled by no other publisher. These were all paperbacks. Their authors included Iceberg Slim (Robert Beck), Joseph Nazel, Leo Guild, Roosevelt Mallory, Odie Hawkins, Robert DeCoy and Donald Goines. One of their early editors was Wanda Coleman, a well-respected poet involved with the Watts Workshop. Iceberg Slim, whose legal name was Robert Beck, is probably best known for Pimp, an autobiographical look at the seamy underworld of the Chicago sex trade in the middle of the 20th century. He went on to write several novels, including Trick Baby, The Long White Con and Mama Black Widow, as well as The Naked Soul of Iceberg Slim. Trick Baby was made into a movie. Iceberg Slim sold more than six million books before his death in 1992, and is one of the two most important writers at Holloway House. The other is Donald Goines. Donald Goines was from Detroit, where he lived most of his life. During his time in the Armed Forces he developed a heroin addiction, which led to a series of crimes to support his addiction. He began writing while serving a sentence in Michigan’s Jackson Penitentiary. Goines attempted to write Westerns, but after reading Pimp, turned to Black urban fiction. He wrote at a frantic pace, some books taking only a month to complete. According to his sister, he did so to prevent his returning to a life of crime, relying on the profits from his books to support his drug habit. His first book was Dopefiend, published in 1969, and followed by 15 more. This included four Kenyatta novels, published as Al C. Clark. Bentley Morriss had Goines publish under a pseudonym to first quarter 2024
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avoid having the sales of his books suffer due to too many. coming out at once. He was murdered, along with his common-law wife, in their apartment in Detroit in 1974. After his death, Holloway House re-released all of Goines’ books, using the first edition text blocks, the same front cover, but a blurb on the back about his murder. This can make identifying first editions tricky if one is not aware of this. Joseph Nazel was probably the most prolific of the Holloway House writers. By the time of his death in 2006, he had written more than 60 books, most of them published by Holloway House, many under pseudonyms, including Dom Gober (Gober was his middle name.) One of Nazel’s HH associates, Emory Holmes III, wrote, “Joseph could write a novel – some of them glorious, some of them god-awful, some under his own name, some under one of his dozen or so pseudonyms – in six weeks flat. And he did it as he was working full-time as an (underpaid) editor.” Nazel was also a mentor to many writers, including Holmes. His output included, as Holmes put it, “thrillers, biographies, histories and sappy romance.” The six volumes of Nazel’s Iceman series are his most popular books. Roosevelt Mallory appeared on the scene in 1973 with the first of four Radcliff novels, Harlem Hit. Joe Radcliff was a “professional hit-man whose ruthlessness and expertise has earned him the title ‘Hit-Maker’ in international crime circles.” But after the four books, Mallory pretty much disappeared from the literary universe. Greg Phillips, writing in Crime Reads in 2019, tracked Mallory down and “revealed that Mallory, a IT director in their (Hewlett-Packard) Data Systems department, had been a high school dropout, though a top student and football player. He joined the Army, then the Coast Guard, where he became an electronics first quarter 2024
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technician and then an instructor in electronics. When he was discharged, he entered the growing field of computers and in 1966 joined Hewlett-Packard as their first computer instructor. Mallory said he started writing the first Radcliff novel after seeing a blaxploitation flick about a hit man. “There were all these tough things going on but no continuity,” he said. Leo Guild, has been called “the greatest hack ever,” and his books are evidence of the veracity of that statement. Guild’s promise to the stars was a simple one: Fill 50 one-hour audio tapes talking with me, and I’ll write your memoir. Jayne Mansfield, Bob Hope and Liberace are a few of the Hollywood stars receiving the Guild treatment. His career with Holloway House produced such “classics” as The Studio, Street of Ho’s and Black Shrink. While Guild’s writing skills may be in doubt, his name does appear on Some Like it Dark by Kipp Washington as told to Leo Guild. This book was Holloway House’s entry into the urban Black market. This book, which purports to be the work of a Black call girl, was published almost by chance and sales skyrocketed. Odie Hawkins, is the author of more than 30 novels, screenwriter, original member of the Watts Writer's Project, known as The Underground Master. At the time his first novel, Ghetto Sketches, was published by Holloway House Hawkins was a screenwriter on Sanford and Son. Hawkins’ career has included novels, short story collections, screenplays, radio plays, theatrical plays, essays, newspaper columns, and teaching. Robert DeCoy is best known for The Nigger Bible, first published in 1967. It is considered one of the true classics of the literature of the American Black experience. It is also first quarter 2024
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perhaps the most elusive of Holloway House books, with the rare copy of a first edition going for more than $800. DeCoy is also the author of The Big Black Fire and Cold Black Preach’.
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hese are just a few of the Holloway House books and authors. When The Ridge Books began collecting HH about 15 years ago, a nice first edition copy of Dopefiend could be found for $30. I recently bought a copy for $200 and felt like it was a bargain. Prices for Goines, Iceberg Slim, DeCoy, Nazel and Mallory have increased with growing interest in the books partly fueled by generous endowments for the development of African American collections by university libraries Because the books were so cheaply printed, it’s hard to find copies in very good condition, and nearly all have significantly tanned pages. But increased interest has also led to previously hidden copies being listed, so it is still possible to find first editions of many of the titles. And if reading copies are what you want, the more popular Holloway House books have been reprinted a number of times and are fairly easy to find. Kensington Publishing acquired Holloway House in 2008 and began releasing Holloway House Classics. AUTHOR’S NOTE: Here at The Ridge Books, we try to keep a fairly good inventory of Holloway House books, but the more popular titles sell quickly. While it has been sold, our most prized HH book was a first of Goines’ Dopefiend, signed by Goines and presented to William S. Burroughs! The Ridge Books was started in 1998 by my husband Bob Linn and I to reduce the number of books amassed by Bob, an English teacher. You can guess how well that worked! A first quarter 2024
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Odie Hawkins, whose first novel was Ghetto Sketches, (above left) was a screenwriter for Sanford and Son when his book was published. Iceberg Slim is best known for Pimp, which influenced Donald Goines to begin writing Black urban fiction.
website, a database, workshops and seminars followed. Books that sold were quickly replaced by many others, book fairs fueled both sales and acquisitions, and after Bob’s retirement, he devoted more and more time to the books. After Bob’s death in 2020, I continued with the business, branching out into the new virtual book fairs. There is a saying that the aim of a bookseller is to die with first quarter 2024
book lovers’ paradise magazine
Iceberg Slim, whose real hame was Robert Beck, sold more than six million books before he died in 1992.
no books left, but most of us in the field don’t see that happening. “St. Peter, I’m expecting a shipment of books any day now – please be sure I get it. I can’t wait to have Shakespeare sign a copy of Macbeth.” Lee Linn owns The Ridge Books in Calhoun, Georgia. She is a cohost of Rare Book Cafe, a streamed video program devoted to rare and collectible books, and related items. It is available on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, and is made possible by the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair and Biblio. first quarter 2024
book lovers’ paradise magazine
Libby Ware and Charlene Ball write as Lily Charles.
Book fair people inspired booksellers’ new mystery novel By Charlene Ball & Libby Ware
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s booksellers, we often thought we’d like to write something about the antiquarian book world and the interesting people who sell, collect, and buy antiquarian books. We like to read mystery novels, and the first quarter 2024
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book lovers’ paradise magazine
idea of writing a bibliomystery — a mystery involving a book — would be fun. On our first book together, we started by one of us writing a chapter and sending it to the other. The recipient would edit that, write the next chapter, and send it all back. This worked for a while, until Charlene sent Libby a chapter that put Libby’s point of view character in a room with a dead body and no way out! We decided we needed to plan more. So we started meeting in coffee shops to plan the next few chapters. We write without a fixed outline, discovering who the murderer is as we write. Writers talk about being a plotter or a “pantser” — flying by the seat of your pants. We are definitely pantsers. We are character-driven: we enjoy finding out what our characters will do and who they are by writing without a rigid outline. We admit that we are more interested in character and setting (and books!) than in plot. Yet both our mysteries seem to have plots that keep a reader reading and that have their share of surprises. A mystery novel has a certain structure already built in: there’s a crisis — the murder or crime. Then there are complications — investigating the crime, going down blind alleys, discovering clues. Finally there is the resolution — discovering who committed the crime. For us, we follow the characters, and they lead us to it. What inspires us? Maybe the books themselves. Charlene loves children’s books from the Golden Age of Illustration of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She is captivated by the work of the great illustrators like Kay Neilsen, Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, or Jessie Wilcox Smith. Libby is drawn by books about the occult, including witchcraft, spiritualism, theosophy, tarot, and mysticism. Our characters reflect these interests: Molly sells occult while Emma collects children’s and illustrated classics from the Golden Age of Illustration. first quarter 2024
Bo o kF a i rTe e s y o u rwa y .
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Yourof fic i al2 0 2 4 Fl or i daAnt i quar i an BookFai rt e ei snow a v ai l a bl e . J us tor de r he r e . F AN SHOP
OFFEREDBYTHEFLORI DAANTI QUARI ANBOOKF AI R
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Murder at the Estate Sale, the first Molly and Emma Booksellers mystery, centers on occult books, and before each chapter a different antiquarian occult book is described. Murder at the Book Fair, which takes place in the St. Petersburg area, focuses on children’s illustrated books. We both are inspired, too, by the idea of books as activism. The recent surge of book banning and restrictions on what books can be read in schools and libraries appalls us both.We feel strongly that books themselves are important and that people should have free access to books. So we suppose that books themselves are our Muses. They excite us, inspire us, entertain us, and keep us company. We love writing about them, and about the people in the world of bookselling. Charlene Ball is the author of Dark Lady: A Novel of Emilia Bassano Lanyer, winner of the Sarton Award from Story Circle. She has published short stories and articles in academic and literary journals. She has worked as a college administrator and instructor. She is a member of the Atlanta Writers Club and the Georgia Writers Association. She is a fellow of the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences. Libby Ware’s debut book, Lum: A Novel, was an American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book, a gold winner of the IPPY award and was shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award. She is the owner of Toadlily Books, an antiquarian book business. She is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA), the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), and is president of the Georgia Antiquarian Booksellers Association (GABA). She belongs to the Atlanta Writers Club and the Georgia Writers Association, and is a fellow of The Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences. Charlene and Libby were married in 2016 and live about a mile from each other in Atlanta. first quarter 2024
PL E ASEJOI NUS! SATURDAY, MARCH2 DURI NGTHEF L ORI DAANTI QUARI ANBOOKF AI R
book lovers’ paradise magazine
The art of print collecting: what you should know By Kirk Krommenhoek
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n 1989, I walked into a print gallery in the design district of Dallas, Texas. I was drawn in initially by an image in the window of a large exotic parrot. I had always been an arm chair ornithologist and avid birder. After stepping into the print gallery, I was stunned by all of the visual imagery, birds, mammals, ships, and many other beautiful hand-colored lithographs and chromolithographs of all genres. I was completely hooked. I had no idea that such prints existed, I didn’t understand that these prints/images were all from books, and that the processes that they were made by were all printing processes of a particular time period. Print collecting is very personal and can be very broad as there are so many subjects to collect and as there are so many different processes in producing prints. The word print brings to mind all of the different processes: mezzotint, etchings, watercolor, pastel, steel engravings, copper or wood engravings to name just a few. The collecting of prints comes down to having some connection with a certain style, artist, time period, or just imagery. There are many variables. For this article, I am going to focus on prints extracted from books in the 19th century. Discussing some of the printing processes, paper types and tips on the identification of prints/lithographs extracted from books or plates issued loose in portfolios. first quarter 2024
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SHARPE, Richard Bowdler (1847-1909). Published by London: Taylor and Francis for Henry Sotheran, 1891-1898.
During the 19th century, stone lithography was used to illustrate some of the great natural history books of that time period. The process offered a very subtle and graduating gradient of shading and coloring that lent itself to producing first quarter 2024
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images of birds, mammals, botanical images that were hand colored after printing. On the previous page is an image from a Monograph of the Paradiseidae, or Birds of Paradise, and Ptilonorhynchidae, or Bower-birds. The watercolors used to create prints like the one on the previous page were made from pigments that were both natural (found in nature such as ground minerals) as well as man-made pigments, offering a variety of colors. Gum arabic, a clear varnish type substance would be added after the lithograph was water colored. The gum arabic would be applied to the darker areas of an image, along with the eyes, to give the illusion of a three-dimensional effect. The image appears as if it could jump off the page, strikingly beautiful. Gum arabic was used in many color plate books to illustrate a variety of animals, birds, scenery in travel books, costume and or fashion plates. If you look at a print and hold it to the light, you can see the gum arabic on top of the water color. Sometimes it is faded and/or not easily noticeable. Steel engraving was also popular in the 19th century. Many of the view books, like Picturesque America, American Scenery, The Portrait Gallery, all contain steel engravings as well as wood engraving. On the next page is a steel engraving from American Scenery. The image is one of many from the book. This particular image has some light hand coloring that was added sometime in the 20th century. When identifying vintage engravings, and or lithographs, I have always looked at the paper. The paper quality can help you determine if the print is authentic to the time period. Laid paper or woven paper were both used for different applications in print making, books, and just general writing paper, to name a few. Laid paper has small ridges – lines that go across the paper. Woven paper is smooth with no lines or first quarter 2024
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watermarks at all. Prints removed from books are most of the time on woven paper. When trying to identify an engraving or lithograph, looking at the paper can tell you a lot. Sometimes foxing or brown spots can be seen on the paper, which is usually an indication of age. One note of caution is that the printing processes today are very good and can copy the age marks as well — so buyer beware. Besides the paper, another sign of an original lithograph or engravings are stitch marks in the margins where the plate would have been sewn into the book. Sometimes the stitch marks are trimmed off. Other plates or engravings may have been tipped in on a Steel engraving from American Scenery separate piece of paper tab that would have then been sewn into the book. Many times, you may find plates that have some of the remaining tab still attached to a print or you can see glue marks where the tab would have been attached. Another method of identification is to look on the edge of the print or lithograph to see if the edges are gilt. Many of the natural history books edges were gilt with a gold ink that can be seen on the top edge or right edge of the plate. When identifying maps from atlases, or other plates from large atlas-type books, here’s what to consider. Many of the first quarter 2024
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plates were folded, especially maps. So, if you’re identifying an original map that is from an atlas, always look to the center of the map for a fold or crease line running the entire length of the map. If the map is not framed, look at the back of the map where the map may have been tipped in or sewn into an atlas. If so, it will be evident. You can also evaluate the paper quality and type – laid or woven. Not all maps are from atlases. Many were folded or issued separately, so look for folds. There are so many different printing processes and methods that vary greatly. The art of print collecting comes down to having some connection with the genre, artist, style, and or time period or just something that really appeals to the individual collector. I tell customers to buy a print because it makes you feel good, you understand some of the history behind the image, or you have an appreciation for the printing process by which the image was made. I have briefly mentioned some of the methods used to identify stone lithographs, and or engravings from books. Knowing the different types of paper used in the printmaking process, learning about some of the printing processes (steel engraving and stone lithography) will help in identifying these types of prints. The best way to learn to identify original prints from reproductions, is to get out there and make mistakes, go to auctions, buy online, or at estate sales or antique malls. It can be a lot of fun, and exciting. There is, of course, a wealth of information on the internet to help in identifying antique prints as well. Happy hunting and remember as collectors we are responsible for preserving these images of history for those who will follow in our footsteps. Kirk Krommenhoek of K&S Fine Art in Purcellville, VA. first quarter 2024
book lovers’ paradise magazine
Two of the early Judy Bolton books
Judy Bolton: the clever teenage sleuth to rival Nancy Drew By Sharon Kissell
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ollecting juvenile girls’ series books is a popular category for the children’s book collector. Most people are familiar with Nancy Drew, which is the longest running girls’ series in existence. It was written by various authors based on outlines issued by the publisher. Nancy is the teenage sleuth who successfully combines mystery solving with her many skills. Throughout the book series, Nancy proves to be excellent in everything she attempts as she first quarter 2024
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remains a teenager. This perfection leads some to criticize that she is hard to identify with. The original 56-book series is still in print, although several of the stories have been revised. An early rival of Nancy Drew was the Judy Bolton series. Since all of the Bolton books were written by Margaret Sutton, it is the most popular and longest running girls’ series written by a single author. Although she has good values often stating “a promise is a An internal illustration from Judy Bolton #4 promise”, Judy has flaws. Her family is decidedly middle class and she has struggles with both richer and poorer friends. She sometimes loses her temper and can’t sing or draw. Judy is clever and brave, though, and she helps people as she solves mysteries with the help of friends, both male and female. Judy ages through the series. In the first book, she is a 15-yearold girl on summer break. Throughout the series, she attends high school, graduates, gets married and cares for a young child. Male characters are very important in the series. Judy’s brother Horace undergoes a major change in The Vanishing first quarter 2024
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Shadow. He is very involved with Judy’s mysteries and is a sleuth in his own right. Judy’s father is a doctor and many of the mysteries come about through his practice. Judy is the object of affection for two of the boys (maybe men would be a better term), Peter who is a childhood friend and Arthur who is a wealthy architect. Each of the Judy Bolton books are based on something that actually happened. For example, the first book in the series The Vanishing Shadow features a breaking dam. This is based on the 1911 flood that occurred in Sutton’s hometown of Austin, Pennsylvania. The ruins of the dam are still there. There are 38 books in the series, which was published from 1932-1967. The first 18 books have stunning color dust jackets illustrated by Pelagie Doane, a noted children’s Book #35 in book artist. First editions and the series, early printings only printed of books 1-10 have four in picture internal cover illustrations, also done by Doane, which are black and white. Only the first of these illustrations, the frontispiece, was included in printings after 1937. I feel that the books that include the internal illustrations are the most desirable due to their extra pictures. Books 11-34 were all printed with dust jackets. The book covers could be light green (with supple paper), dark green or red (with brittle paper – these were printed under wartime conditions), red first quarter 2024
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hardback with a small haunted house on the cover (good paper), red tweed. The final four books 35-38 were printed in the picture cover format. Most (but not all) of the earlier books were reprinted with this picture cover format, occasionally with new artwork. These can be hard to find and are treasured by collectors. The books basically went out of print in 1967, although the first five titles were revised and issued as paperbacks in the late ‘60s. A few of the titles were reprinted in very limited numbers by Amereon Press and were offered through a private collector. Recently, the family of Margaret Sutton authorized Applewood Books to reprint the entire series in paperback. These are still in print.
Judy has flaws.
… She sometimes
Each October, there is a Judy Bolton convention held in Coudersport, Pennsylvania, which Sutton used as inspiration for the main town of Farringdon in the books. Fans from across the country gather for a tour of many of the nearby sites that were also used in the series. There is a book sale, trivia contest, a farmer’s delight dinner and tour of a museum that features the Judy Bolton series. More information can be found on the Judy Bolton website, judybolton.com.
loses her temper
and can’t sing or draw. … Judy is
clever and brave, though.
Sharon Kissell, the owner of Foster Books has been a bookseller for more than 25 years and a book collector for most of her life. She has attended 10 of the Judy Bolton conventions in Coudersport, Pennsylvania. first quarter 2024
book lovers’ paradise magazine
Left: Pamphlet by Quaker physician John Rutty. Right: Catechism published in German in 1816.
A good reference library and digital resources help collectors of rare historical documents By David Hamilton
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or the collector (and seller) it’s a great feeling acquiring a rare book or ephemera item at a book fair or wherever one may find them. Writing as a former collector turned book seller, I am always looking to add fresh first quarter 2024
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and interesting material to our inventory. The excitement of finding a rare item often motivates us to learn more about what we have. Researching the rarity and the value of the item is time consuming but a worthy endeavor. Searching information online often about a particular book or person often winds up in a dead end. Having a good reference library and access to digital resources online is a necessity and an Account of the government address the lack of readily available information. deliberations of the Province of New Digital resources Jersey up until 1776. commonly used for research and valuing rare material includes Rare Book Hub, Worthpoint, ABE.com, Biblio.com, WorldCat (OCLC), and Ancestry.com. With the exception of ABE and Biblio, there is often a subscription cost. A nice reference library, often tailored to specific subjects, is a useful tool in gathering descriptive information about the book or piece of ephemera. Americana Books specializes in history and non-fiction. Our most commonly used digital resources include Rare Book Hub for auction records; Worthpoint for Ebay auctions; and Ancestry for personal information related to the author or book owner. The most commonly used reference books are Howes U.S. Iana for Americana and first quarter 2024
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history; Graff’s Western Americana for books printed west of the Mississippi; and Allan Nevins’ multiple volumes for remarks and information on Civil War books. Scarcity, subject matter, condition, signed editions, provenance, printing information, auction records, and comparable listings for sale are major factors that determine scarcity and value of what we acquire. Doing a quick search for a book on ABE.com or Civil War-era pamphlet. Biblio.com, for example, will often answer the question of scarcity and value for books. However, if the particular book is not found for sale anywhere, then searching auction records will sometimes show what the item sold for in the past. Sometimes the provenance of the book or ephemera adds significant value to the item itself. Who owned the item may be more important than the item itself. Association inscriptions are always nice. Civil War regimental books that have soldier inscriptions or notes written in their hand adds a personal note and sometimes new information. Author signed inscriptions to the previous owner increases the value. Another thing to look for in books for provenance are previous owner book plates. Scarce books and pamphlets title pages, with the date and printing information provided are another unique area of collecting. Imprints from the Colonial era, American Revolution, U.S. Territories before Statehood, Civil War, small presses, famous printers, and regional locations are first quarter 2024
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just some of the many imprints that bibliophiles and sellers alike search for to add to their collections or inventory. An imprint from “Pumpkinville, Tennessee” is one of scarcest and most desired imprints. Many high end collectors search for books and pamphlets printed by Benjamin Franklin. Although Franklin printed many newspapers and books in Colonial America, few are available for purchase. Those sold at auctions typically bring thousands of dollars. Personally I like to buy Henkel imprints from New Market, Virginia. The Henkel family were Lutheran Germans and opened their press in 1806. Books are usually easier to describe and to value. Old paper and ephemera is another story. Hand written and signed typed letters, unpublished manuscripts, documents, newspapers, diaries, journals, ledgers, and other ephemera are widely collected. Soldiers writing back home during a war; handed down family recipes; old newspapers from the American Revolution era; Presidential autographs; and Civil War diaries are some collector examples. Valuing rare one-of-a-kind paper items is a process. Pricing is often subjective. Researching the subject matter, time period, contents, ownership, provenance, etc. takes time. Trying to transcribe someone else’s hand writing can be very tedious and require the use of a magnifying glass. The digital resources listed above come in handy for rare paper. Since rare paper items are usually one of a kind, finding a comparable item that sold at auction helps to determine its value. The most important thing about manuscripts is the information provided in the contents. David Hamilton of Americana Books has been in business since 1993. He is from Atlanta, Georgia. His first book fair was in 1998 in St. Petersburg, Florida. first quarter 2024
LI TERARY TOUR emai lusfor detai ls dfoxlow@dreamvacati ons. com
( 941 )7279670
book lovers’ paradise magazine
Why we do what we do: A word about our mission By Sarah Smith
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he Florida Antiquarian Book Fair celebrates the written word and its important role in the human experience. Our mission is to encourage the collection and preservation of written and printed materials, to promote literacy, and to support educational programs and research into the study of rare books. We are concerned with the preservation of ideas, of our cultural heritage, of the history of civilization as we know it and as it could be. We see significance in context – in a collection that traces the history of surgery, for instance, we will find books containing the first accounts of various techniques for first quarter 2024
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handling blood loss, but we may also find histories of wars and weapon advances that necessitated surgical advances. We study how great fiction both reflects and influences its cultural context and also how the ways that we put things on page have changed, how language has morphed and patterns of thought have shifted. Great books preserve, for us, humanity in its most basic and in its loftiest forms. As Bettina Drew wrote, “The past reminds us of timeless human truths … and is the basis for self-understanding.” When I think over the many who’ve given their time, energies, and considerable talents to creating havens for literacy, arts and the humanities, I am filled with gratitude and with hope – hope for a future in which knowledge and truth are pursued and exalted; in which the greatest ideals and ideas of those who came before are studied, acknowledged and expounded upon; a future in which literacy is a gift that all enjoy and in which books are available for anyone who desires to read them. Richard Barden, manager for Preservation Services at the National Museum of American History, wrote: “[Books] hold our thoughts, the way we think, how we express ourselves, our knowledge, feelings, our art and science, how and why we love. More than any other artifacts, books and documents explicitly reveal our thoughts. They disclose who we were, what we did and why. Books are the surviving and tangible evidence of our past thoughts. …” “Conserving books is saving the past: who we were, where we came from, how we lived, what we did and how we did it. We should not forget; we should not lose the past, which is why it is so important that we conserve books.” Sarah Smith is the manager of the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, now in its fourth decade of celebrating the written word. first quarter 2024
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F AN SHOP
