Illustrated - Art, Photography, Architecture, Rare Books
The Weird and the Wonderful: Metropolitan Opera Fine Art
Less a book than a portfolio of rare art prints, this collection of limited edition poster prints–each one of just 25–displays the innovative poster art created for the Metropolitan Opera…. Read more
Literature, Moderns
Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged
“Who is John Galt?” With this question, Ayn Rand began her final novel, Atlas Shrugged, one of the most controversial, influential, and bestselling books of the 20th century. It’s a… Read More
Rare Books
Collecting Stephen King: Six Early Books
When asked why he wrote, Stephen King responded, “There is nothing else I was made to do.” With a growing bibliography of 63 novels, roughly 200 short stories, and a… Read More
Civil War, History
General Grant and Mark Twain: The Story Behind Grant’s Memoirs
As changes in fortune go, the swings experienced by Ulysses S. Grant during the final chapters of his life are somewhat legendary. From an early age Grant was preoccupied with… Read More
Children's Lit
Beatrix Potter: Nature, Love and Success
Ducks, mice, kittens, and of course, rabbits. A menagerie of small creatures inhabits the pages of Beatrix Potter’s books. As a young girl, she loved nature, feeling more at home… Read More
Literature, Rare Books 101
Collecting Camelot: Rare Arthurian Books, Part 2
Someday, I’d like to play King Arthur in a production of Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot. I long ago memorized all of Arthur’s songs and a lot of his dialogue –… Read More
Literature, Rare Books 101
Collecting Camelot: Rare Arthurian Books
When I visited Walt Disney World, one thing I really wanted to do was tug at the Sword in the Stone, right next to the Fantasyland carousel. I’d heard the… Read More
Rare Books 101
The Personal Library: Beach House
The Jersey Shore was my beach. If you can imagine New Jersey as a woman sitting with her legs crossed, I grew up where the calves are. We chased the… Read More
Literature, Moderns
Culture Beat: Highlights of the Harlem Renaissance
Looking to escape the summer heat? You can’t beat a blissfully cool day exploring MoMA’s current show, “One-Way Ticket: Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series and Other Works.” Jacob Lawrence’s masterful Migration… Read More
Literature, Moderns
Greater than Gatsby? Why Tender is the Night might be Fitzgerald’s “intended masterpiece.”
The sick and tired adages regarding the relationship between art and the artist are rarely more evident and appropriate than in the curious case of F. Scott Fitzgerald and his… Read More
Rare Books
The Weird and The Wonderful:
The Silver and Ivory Hornbook
This week, “The Weird and the Wonderful” is taking a look at one of my favorite Bauman items: our ivory and silver hornbook. While most hornbooks were educational devices–functional, utilitarian–this… Read More