The Book Elves have always loved gardening, although they tend to have too little
patience to be really successful at it. Plants grow slowly in the spring, that’s all
there is to it, but the Elves are never lacking in ingenious ways to speed things up. The
50,000-candlepower flood lamps to give the seedlings 24-hour light for a “jump
start” got shut down by the Audubon folks when the local owls began going nutty from
sleep deprivation. Their next project for “getting those plants up and running at
their full potential” (as they put it) involved a set of surplus Army
“all-weather” loudspeakers, and endless tape loop, and a set of self-motivation
tapes they bought on Ebay. It didn't end up doing much for the plants, but the local
robins have been building the most amazing nests since they started playing those tapes...
But before they decided to use an old surplus hot-water heater to "bathe" the
soil with hot-water and we ended up with boiled cabbages and carrots, they finished
our latest catalog-
RECENT ACQUISITIONS for MAY,
2007 is now available as a printed catalog, or on our
website. It features 115 books and catalogs on art and antiques, including
furniture, silver, textiles, painting, metals, ceramics, and glass. Highlights include-
-A lovely copy of an important 1931 exhibition of American folk art.
-A very uncommon 1916 Pennsylvania Museum furniture exhibition catalog.
-Israel Sack's copy of an important American ceramics book.
-A scarce 1887 book on wig-making.
-The catalog to a very important 1879 Wedgwood exhibition.
-An elegant and unusual 1821 book about a set of silver buttons with engravings of 'La
Chasse', inspired by Napoleon's coat.
-The 1851 memoirs of a famous American folk painter.
-A striking 1867 collection of colored designs for marquetry.
-The catalog to the first exhibition of the Pewter Collector's Club of America.
-A rare, early Tiffany & Company Centennial Exposition promotional booklet.
-The 1836 biography of the Father of the American Industrial Revolution.
-A scarce 1853 book on Pietre Dure with 2 beautiful colored plates.
and much, much more!
Request your printed copy, or browse the
catalog on our website.
We have recently received several interesting new publisher's overstock titles-
Fennimore, Donald L. &
Patricia A. Halfpenny. Campbell Collection of Soup Tureens at Winterthur.
Henry Francis Du Pont Winterthur Museum: 2000. “Illustrated with color
photographs throughout, this catalog highlights 121 important tureens, ladles, soup
plates, bowls, and spoons from the collection given to the Winterthur Museum in Delaware
by the Campbell Museum in 1996. Along with presenting fine examples of the silversmith's
and ceramist's art, the collection illustrates the broader history of dining practices,
particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries." Softcover. 9”x12”, 260 pages,
many color and a few b/w illustrations. New. [95074]
Published for $39.95.
Available for a limited time for $20.00
Madigan, M.J. Steuben
Design: A Legacy of Light and Form. New York; Harry N. Abrams: 2004.
“Since its founding in 1903 Steuben glass has evolved to become the epitome of
American crystal, a gift of presidents, and the treasured possession of generations of
collectors. Mary Jean Madigan's text emphasizes the years after 1933, when Arthur Amory
Houghton Jr. curtailed the production of colored art wares to focus on making ‘the
most perfect crystal the world has ever known.’ ” The text and illustrations
provide a breathtaking survey of the glass itself, as well as many behind-the-scenes
period photos of the workmen, studios and showrooms as they have appeared over the past
six decades. Hardcover. 9”x11”, 144 pages, color and b/w illustrations, dj. New.
[95075]
Published for $29.95.
Available for a limited time for $20.00
Nagyszalanczy, Sandor. Tools.
Rare and Ingenious. Celebrating the World’s Most Amazing Tools. Newtown;
The Taunton Press: 2004. Over the centuries craftsmen have transformed inherently
humble objects- drills, saws, planes and levels, into works of art. This beautiful book
offers a breathtaking tour of antique tools that rarely leave the jealous hands of their
owners. In more than 375 color photographs we see tools ranging from calipers in the shape
of ballerinas to a drill shaped like a violin. The old, hand-polished woods gleam, the
antique brass shines, and the dedication and imagination of hundreds of anonymous
craftsmen from other times is evident on every page. Hardcover. 9.5”x10”, 210
pages, packed with color illustrations, dj. New. [95073]
Published for $37.00.
Available for a limited time for $20.00
Speaking of Books…
After a cold start, Spring has finally hit Foggygates- the daffodils we
“naturalized” in the lawn last fall are blooming, there are a pair of mourning
doves making a nest in the bushes by the garage, and the new woodchipper is hard at work
on the piles of brush we collected last fall and this spring.
A quick trip to New York
city in mid-April resulted in a discovery in Central Park- they have almost finished the
restoration of the beautiful Minton tile ceiling in the “Bethesda Terrace”, a
broad walkway under a sandstone bridge in the heart of the park. Installed in 1910, the
ceiling was taken down in the 1980s after rain water seeping through the road above it
rusted out the iron supports. But the 15,000-tile ceiling is almost all back up now, and
they are also cleaning and restoring the wall paintings- the walkway was reopened in early
March, and it’s a sight worth seeing if you are in New York.
We hope you find something of interest here, and until next time, enjoy the Spring!
-Forrest, Betty & Amy (& Freckles, Pyewackett & Ike the horse say
‘hello’ as well)
SPEAKING OF BOOKS...