Yeoman's in the Fork Blog

Well folks, we won't be heading to the northwest in good ole BOOKER (the new van), but we will be heading to Seattle via the air in just a few short weeks to participate in the Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair 2010. This is the first outing for Yeoman's in the Fork in the northwest and I hope to see a few of our clients in the Seattle area at the show... I thought I would do this posting to make sure everyone had the link for this much awaited Rare Book Extravaganza! This promises to be a great new spot for us and will hopefully work out as to become a permanent stop on our yearly show schedule.

http://www.seattlebookfair.com/ Mike Cotter, Director of Operations

A year or so ago, we purchased a Ford Transit Connect van to use when we are doing some book hunting and showing at Book Fairs and Trade Shows. As common practice among men, we usually give our vehicles a name. Our vehicle's name is Booker. Booker has been pretty bare and pale white since we got him, but last week we decided to give old Booker a new look. Check it out below:

As some of you know, I was out of the shop and on a vacation/book-buying jaunt around New England last week. The trip was originally slated as a total and complete vacation, but book hunting is in my blood and I simply cannot pass by a shop or flea market without at least a glance. Two or three days into vacation, the first of a series of rare book hunting glorious moments took place when my wife and I happened upon a library book sale in Falmouth, MASS. It was "Fill Your Bag for $1.00 Day"!!!!!!!!!!!!! My bag was filled with books on southern culture that I suppose nobody else cared about along with a few Clancy, Grisham and King First Edition books. I must say that this stop was very special to me as I have to tell you that I was suffering from book withdrawal... As most find it hard to put down a great book, I feel that same feeling for the hunt - THE THRILL OF THE HUNT!!

My greatest find of the trip has to be a RARE First Edition copy of 'The House of Seven Gables' by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The book itself was published in 1851 by Ticknor and I spotted it on a shelf from at least ten feet away. I made my way past a few stacks of new books and gently pulled the copy (IN THE ORIGINAL BINDING) from the shelf. After a quick call to confirm a few issue points, the book was in my hand and I was set to pay hundreds of dollars for it! In all fairness, the book is a second state copy, but is still part of the original 1,690 First Edition copies. The big issue is that one of the many errors had been corrected in this copy. This does not detract from the importance of the find and I could not have been more excited. This book is WHY still go out and hit the roads in our age of internet overload. A nice addition is that the book has a small previous owner inscription that looks to be from a very early owner of the book from the city in MASS where I found it. This Hawthorne had probably never been farther than 10 miles from Sandwich, MASS since 1851!!! The book enjoyed its first plane ride and now resides in Leiper's Fork, TN.

Mike Cotter, Director of Operations

JANE AUSTEN (Persuasion) AND A BOOKGIRL!

Yes. I admit it. I’m one those girls. The ones that reread those same five novels over and over again. I can quote Kiera Knightley and Matthew McFadyen! Would die if she could put on a Regency gown and dance the night away. As my mother puts it, I was born a century too late on the wrong continent. I am a Janeite cleverly disguised as a practical girl with hardly any romantic inclinations. But that Jane Austen knows her stuff. She was a truly remarkable woman who captured each character so faithfully, you could swear you’ve met each and every one of them.

The heroine I most admire is Anne from Persuasion (coincidentally, my favorite novel). To identify with a character who is scarcely mentioned in the entire first chapter of the book she champions might say something about my ego, or lack thereof, but I hold fast to my assessment. Jane’s other heroines (Lizzie and Emma in particular) are almost flawless, admired women who know (or think they know) what they want out of life. Anne, on the other hand, is an average looking girl who was talked out of marrying the love of her life at a very young age by those who only wanted what is best for her, and has resigned herself to caring for her selfish family that has lived well beyond their means since her mother passed away. This vain family refuses to lose face while retrenching and by chance, throws her long lost beau into her way once more. Of course, this is a story we’ve all heard a million times, but in the hands of Jane Austen it is a tale worth reading and rereading. I encourage you to check it out or check it out AGAIN!

IS IT A GOOD READ OR A GOOD CAKE?

For the past decade, one of the greatest festivals I have ever heard of has slipped under my radar. The International Edible Book Festival is an annual event occurring on or around April 1, which is also known as Edible Book Day (a fact that I was also unaware of…). Since its inception in 2000, the festival has been held in Australia, Brazil, Canada, England,France, Germany,India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico,Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, United States of America, and Russia. The festival pays homage to French gastronome Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), famous for his book Physiologie du goût, a witty meditation on food. Check out their site for updates: http://www.colophon.com/ediblebooks.

Michelle Peppard, Online Sales Lead and Assistant Cataloger

J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy certainly ranks with the greatest examples of literature ever written. The prelude to the trilogy, The Hobbit, is also just as beloved by Tolkien fans. Without a doubt, the trilogy is one of the most discussed works in literary history. The connection to Christianity, Paganism, Irish folklore and even the collective mythology given to us by all civilizations of man is obvious. It also contains Jungian archetypes throughout and speaks to anyone who will ever read it on a basic primitive level, while also reaching beyond basic psychology into the realm of the philosophical and spiritual. The classic "good vs. evil" theme is interwoven into a tale of mythological beings who live in a world that is different than our own, but eerily similar in many ways.

I first read Tolkien's masterpiece as a teenager. I was immediately drawn into the beautiful story and the seemingly primordial idea of the quest which Tolkien takes and elevates to a standard that will remain as the example by which all should be measured. I have read it numerous times since and it is the one piece of literature that I will continue to re-read until my death. As I got older and began to learn more about Tolkien, I was even more impressed when I learned that he created new languages and entire histories of the people and creatures that inhabited the world he created.

The brilliance and genius of Tolkien in writing this epic story has been written about and analyzed numerous times over. Many volumes have been written, and will continue to be written, validating it as a masterpiece of literature. It is beyond the scope of this entry to delve into the numerous amount of material that has been written. I will allow others to celebrate the genius of Tolkien in greater detail with much more detailed and documented reasons. My simple purpose is to give my declaration to its greatness and reveal that it is this set of books, above all other works of fiction that is my most beloved and most influential. I leave with just one thought or example of why Tolkien is brilliant...when Frodo, Sam and Sméagol are dangling ever so close to the fire that will forever destroy the evil of the human soul; we find that even in the most pure that is not an easy decision to make.

Keith Wallace, Store Manager

In life, all the scattered pieces one might have gravitate together to form the catalyst that changes their path. It comes without hint, without warning, and strums the very strings that play the song of life. Its tone is that of understanding. An understanding that was perhaps there all along but never really lost the veil with which it was covered and when it disappeared, it brought sight to my blind eyes. For me the wool vanished after reading The Tao of Pooh.

The Tao of Pooh expanded my mind, giving me the perspective and insight that I had been fervently chasing. It offered me a new philosophy, a new viaduct between what was and what should be. The colorful comparing of emotion to anthropomorphic personalities at first seems a bit juvenile and slightly ill-conceived as it is brought about by the lovable characters from the Winnie the Pooh universe. But, after just a few pages you’re whisked away into the deeper recesses of your mind receiving a helping hand towards personal growth in both spirituality and general self inquiry. The education presented through its simple yet profound words and imagery is priceless. I recommend this read to anyone of any age. It will give you the strength of mind only found through self-realization and spiritual awakening. Its holistic views break down the psyches barriers only to build them anew.

The life of a rare book cataloger is not always a pretty one. To most, it brings about no significant eminence. It is an occupation chosen only by those who are passionate. Simply put, it is a game played only by those that love the game.

I started this "game" several months ago. I got word of an opportunity with Yeoman’s from acquaintances and it immediately piqued my interest. I've always enjoyed reading and needed more outlets to ameliorate my knowledge of history. And to be honest, telling people that I'm involved in the rare and historical book and document business did sound important, almost prestigious. When I started at Yeoman’s, like most jobs, I started at the very bottom. I began with sorting (moving boxes and books around in a very hot warehouse), moved up to janitorial duties (yes that was a step up), before eventually working my way up to cataloging. Even with my interest in reading, cataloging was more difficult than it sounded. Since most of the books I work with are antiquarian, finding information on some of them can prove to be quite the challenge. We always want to be 100% accurate in our listings so determining whether a book is the first edition, if it has the original binding, etc. is a must. Through time, a bit of trial and error, and a ton of patience, I’ve been able to gain vast knowledge and insight into these books and feel much more confident in my ability.

Yes, indeed the life of the rare book cataloger is one of passion. A game I continue to play with a team that does indeed play to win.

The above book has damage to the spine but you can still make out the raised bands and other parts of the book.

(1) Book Cover or Book Board - The front and back covers are sometimes called the books boards.

(2) Joint - The Joint is a small groove where the books boards are attached to the book and bends when the book is opened.

(3) Raised Band - Raised Bands are raised areas on the spine. They were once the result of cords underneath the cover material that held the books covers on but are now mostly decorative.

(4) Tail - The Tail is the bottom part of the book.

The Photo above shows

The Endsheet - The Endsheet is one piece of paper that makes up both the Fly Leaf and the Pastedown. It joins the book block to the cover. Sometimes you will find that this is two separate sheets depending on how the books End sheets were made.

Hinge - The books Hinge is the part that bends when the book is opened.

Fore edge - The Fore edge is the trimmed edge that is opposite of the spine and can sometimes is painted or gilded on higher end books.

Headband - The Headband is a decorative colored cloth band designed to protect the books spine.

The inside pages that make up a book are sometimes referred to as the Text block or book block.
Michelle Peppard, Online Sales Lead and Assistant Cataloger

There are several things that you can have done if a document or pages ofbooks have become damaged or start showing age. Cleaning, washing, bleachingand tear repair are but a few of the methods used to reverse damage.Cleaning is the process that removes dirt or disfiguring material from thesurface of the paper. Washing uses solutions which cause soluble materialsin the paper to be removed. Bleaching whitens darkened pages usingchemicals. Consolidation is a treatment that re-adheres loose or detachedpieces. Lining supports documents by placing them onto a new support paper.Reinforcement and tear repair uses special papers and adhesives to repairpapers. Infilling replaces missing or damaged areas using a variety ofmatching papers and/or similar materials. Spine roll removal uses pressureto flatten and return the damaged object to its original condition. Colormatching is used to restore any missing color or artwork in order to improvethe aesthetic appearance of damaged or repaired areas. Resizing/recoating isthe use of substances to recreate paper texture. Tape removal uses solventsto remove adhesive tape and residue. After one or more of these things havebeen accomplished, it is best to encapsulate the document paper in mylar forease of handling.

Donald Glaister is a book artist now living and working on Vashon Island, Washington. He began his bookbinding career after taking degrees in painting and sculpture from San Jose State College in California, and studying binding privately with Barbara Hiller in San Francisco, and Pierre Aufschneider and Roger Arnoult in Paris. His over twenty-five year professional career in design bookbinding has centered on the exploration, development and use of unexpected binding materials, visual humor, and spontaneous expression, while working within the classical framework of the European binding form. The main focus of his current work is the creation of artist’s books in multiple. Don has taught binding and design privately and as Professor of Book Arts at the University of Alabama. Don’s bindings appear in private collections throughout North America and Europe, and in institutional collections such as the Library of Congress; the Lilly Library at Indiana University; the Ruth Mortimer Collection at Smith College; the Bridwell Library at Southern Methodist University; the Houghton Library at Harvard University; the Cornell University Library; the James S. Copley Library in La Jolla, California; the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York; The National Library of the Netherlands; and The British Library. Website at www.foolsgoldstudio.com. On a personal note, I found Don to be an incredibly knowledgable teacher who after 30 years of bookbinding is still excited to witness the transformation of a pile of paper and some boards into a magnificent creation.

Michelle Peppard, Online Sales Lead and Assistant Cataloger