Author Archives: tavistock_books

Happy Birthday, F. Scott Fitzgerald!

By Margueritte Peterson

September 24th is the anniversary of the birth of one of the most well-known Western writers of the 20th century. Notice I did not say one of the most prolific writers in history, as this novelist only published 4 titles throughout his (unfortunately brief) lifetime. However, it must be said that though these titles garnered only modest success throughout his short life, F. Scott Fitzgerald has since become internationally famous and is known as one of the most important voices of the Jazz Age… not to mention a front-runner of Modern American Literature.

A young Fitzgerald at his desk.

Born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1896, Fitzgerald was loosely related (second cousin three times removed kind of loose… the kind that you can marry in any state, really) to Francis Scott Key – the composer of the national anthem – and was named in his honor. A few months before he was born, his two older sisters died before their 5th birthdays. Fitzgerald cited their death, while he was still in the womb, to be the moment when he became a writer. After spending a few years of his childhood living in Buffalo, New York with his doting parents, the family moved back to Minnesota. At the age of 13 Fitzgerald saw his first work published – a detective mystery in his school newspaper. He continued to write throughout his few years at Princeton University, where, as young men are wont, he eventually came to be on academic probation and consequently dropped out of school to join the army. Around this time, Charles Scribner’s Sons rejected two of his early works, one of which is The Romantic Egotist.

Scott and Zelda after their marriage.

As a young lieutenant stationed in Alabama, Fitzgerald met and fell in love with the daughter of the Alabama Supreme Court Justice. Though Zelda initially accepted a marriage proposal from Fitzgerald, she eventually changed her mind under the impression that he would not make enough money to support the lifestyle she was used to. Once Fitzgerald was discharged from the army, he moved to New York, desperate to make enough money to impress Zelda and win her back. (I feel like nowadays that kind of spoiled behavior wouldn’t fly… unfortunately). Fitzgerald worked full-time for an advertising agency and even repaired automobiles on the side to save as much as he could. However, he was unable to convince the beautiful Alabama socialite, and returned home disheartened. In St. Paul, Fitzgerald took the time to revise his earlier novel The Romantic Egotist into what he renamed This Side of Paradise. This time around, Scribner’s accepted the novel and when it was published in March of 1920 the title sold over 41,000 copies in the first year alone. Fitzgerald became famous overnight – and with the steady income from the book and the demands for more literature, he suddenly was in a position Zelda could accept – the two were married only a week after and by October of 1921 their daughter “Scottie” was born.

In the 1920s the Fitzgeralds spent a significant amount of time in Paris – enjoying themselves with the other American expatriates living there (most notably Ernest Hemingway). Though Hemingway did not approve of Fitzgerald’s marriage to Zelda (supposedly calling her “insane” and believing that she stifled Fitzgerald’s talent out of jealousy), the friendship between Hemingway and Fitzgerald was one of the most important in FItzgerald’s short life. Though they eventually drifted apart, Fitzgerald held Hemingway’s work in the highest regard and strove to achieve the same success his friend experienced.

The young family, in the hold of financial difficulties.

Despite the author’s fame and talent, the Fitzgeralds were in a constant state of financial worry. Throughout his life, F. Scott borrowed money from friends and took out loans – as only his first novel made enough money to support their lifestyle. Though his passion lay in writing novels, Fitzgerald made most of his money by publishing short stories in journals and periodicals – a few notable stories being “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz”, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, “The Last of the Belles” and “The Camel’s Back.” They were well-known as great partiers and drinkers, and as the “belles” of the Jazz Age, they lived up to their reputations. Around 1930 Zelda began to suffer from schizophrenia, an illness that took a great toll on their relationship as well as Scott’s writing. For the rest of her life, Zelda would be treated in Psychiatric Hospitals and wards in both America and Europe (the pair moved back to Maryland in the 30s to give themselves a more stable lifestyle – one that would hopefully allow Fitzgerald a better chance at writing more steadily. These years were far from easy for the pair, and in 1937 Scott moved to Los Angeles to work on (what he considered degrading) film scripts and commercial short stories. He and Zelda’s fiery relationship became too hard to bear and for the rest of his short life he and his wife would be estranged, with her living in and out of mental hospitals on the east coast.

In his years in Hollywood Fitzgerald suffered two heart attacks, the second being the cause of his death at the young age of 44. He was, at that time, working on his fifth novel, The Love of the Last Tycoon, which remained unfinished at his death. A literary critic and personal friend of Fitzgerald, Edmund Wilson, published the work in 1941 after Scott’s death as The Last Tycoon, but an unedited version surfaced in 1994 and was published under the original title. Fitzgerald, though now recognized as one of the most influential authors of the Jazz Age, was not necessarily recognized in his lifetime as such. As stated, only his first novel was as commercially successful as one would expect, given his fame in recent day. (EvenThe Great Gatsby was not the front-runner Jazz Age title we know it as today.) Now, on his 119th birthday, he is one of the most famous American authors ever known. Why is that, you may ask? Well, you’ll have to check back next September 24th on his 120th birthday, when we examine why humanity likes to change its mind!

Just kidding. I have no idea what will be being written next September 24th. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check back though!

The Dying Californian, or, Kate’s 1st Book Fair!

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Kate Mitas, Tavistock Books’ New Right-Hand (Wo)Man, has returned from the Sacramento Antiquarian Book Fair… her first fair (as a worker-bee, that is), and reports back. Beware, readers, as what follows may be a sweetly written, if perhaps slightly disheartening tale!

A lovely setup by Ms. Mitas! 1st Tavistock Books booth done – many more to follow!

By Kate Mitas

The Sacramento Antiquarian Book Fair was a great place for a beginner to become acquainted with the book fair circuit, because it’s one of the smaller, low-key venues, as book fairs go (or so I’m told). A blog post by a certain predecessor of mine had actually alerted me to the casual atmosphere ahead of time, but I was still wired going into it: I hardly slept the night before, and so was more than a bit punchy by the time we started setting up our booth on Friday. And by “we” I mean “I,” since Vic mostly left me to my own devices on that score while he browsed other dealers’ booths – much to the amused commiseration of Bill Bastick from Asian Steppes, situated across the aisle from us, who jokingly referred to me as “slave” for the remainder of the weekend. Nevertheless, I eventually managed to get things set up well enough for a first-timer, I think, and did so just in time for free pizza, courtesy of the show’s tireless coordinator, Jim Kay.

As for the fair itself on Saturday? Well . . . it was a little slow for us. Okay, more than a little: if you must know, it was woefully slow. In short, Tavistock Books had a bad fair.

The day started off promising enough: right out of the gate, a nice woman and her granddaughter purchased a hefty five-volume set of California history. Not only did these two ladies seem intent on reading their books from cover to cover together, but, equally delightful, the set’s departure created a spacious gap on the shelves, which I promptly scurried to fill. Then: nothing, sales-wise. Despite heading the next blank invoice “Sacto Fair” in accordance with Vic’s belief that it would lure the fickle gods of consumerism, despite endlessly cleaning the glass display cases and straightening description labels, Booth #37 remained lamentably quiet. Customers squinted at our shelves and even picked up a book from time to time, but almost always put it back, in some cases repeating this procedure with the same book multiple times throughout the course of the day. Passerby lingered over the rarities in the display cases just long enough to raise our hopes, then moseyed on with nary a backward glance while nonchalantly swinging their regulation white shopping bags, each of which was ostentatiously marked “Sold.” The boxes of Americana we’d hauled out for California ephemera enthusiasts were apparently too daunting, or perhaps too tall, for most. Some of the coolest items, the ones I’d imagined would draw hordes of admirers – like our archive of Gold Rush letters and photographs, or a Steamship Yankee Blade ticket – weren’t graced with so much as an appreciative sigh, much less a truly interested customer.

Let’s not forget the King of Tavistock Books… in a surprising choice of an orange Giants baseball cap! (Oh wait… did I say surprising?)

It was hard, I’ll admit, not to feel like the lone museum guard on duty in an empty exhibition hall, especially as many fellow dealers in the surrounding area seemed to be doing just fine. One dealer, in fact, who is a dear and deserving colleague and shall remain nameless, was even doing “just fine” with stock bought, not long ago, from us! We were, and are, sincerely glad for this colleague’s success, of course, but . . . oh, the agony, and the irony. Every now and then, a sale lifted us out of the doldrums and turned us into booksellers again, grateful for the chance to put good material into the hands of people who’d take pleasure in it; one regular at our shop stopped by, and was kind enough to give me props within earshot of Vic (thanks, Jim – don’t spend it all in one place!). But then, inexorably, we’d drift back to our becalmed waters, cursing our luck.

Hard at work!

The one perk of all the deathly quietude was that Vic let me roam the fair, too. For a so-called small fair, there were enough vendors for the main area of the venue to feel almost too packed, and a decent-sized crowd milling about, as well. The best part, for me, was the sheer range of books on display: from Ken Karmiole’s (Kenneth Karmiole, Bookseller, Inc.) impeccable “old books” – his term, by the way, for the lovely array of pre-1800 material at his booth – to pulp fiction and modern firsts at Magus Books and several others, to Andrew Langer’s (Andrew Langer, Bookseller) collection of quirky ephemera and Elizabeth Svendsen’s (Walkabout Books) assortment of uncommon travel-related books, and so much more. Two of my fellow CABS grads this year, Morgan Brynnan (Uncommon Works) and Bill Wickoff (Ephemeriana), had booths, and I was glad to see them again; C-SPAN even showed up and interviewed (at least) Ken Sanders (Ken Sanders Rare Books) and Nick Aretakis (Nick Aretakis, Bookseller).

The unrecorded Armstrong found at the fair. Click for more info!

I wish I could say I scored something amazing, as some of the other dealers reportedly did, and as Vic discovered once back in the shop on Monday, in that he bought an apparently unrecorded Margaret Armstrong binding. But, I didn’t, at least not in that sense. Instead, I rediscovered something I’d already known: the incredible generosity of booksellers. Zhenya Dzhavgova (ZH Books) and Kim Herrick (The Book Lair), sharing the booth beside ours (and doing an enviously far brisker business), popped over from time to time to make sure my first fair was going okay and to provide extremely helpful tips (i.e., “Vic hates it when you stand in front of the display cases too long”). Stephanie Howlett-West (S. Howlett-West Books) explained the miraculous business card system of purchasing; David Smith (D.J. Smith Books) told me about other Sacramento fairs I might want to check out, and gave me a cookie, to boot. Andrew Langer even passed along buying tips – as I was in the process of buying from him. And there were more friendly gestures and kindnesses, too many, from too many people, to list them all. Simply listening to the abundance of trade talk – from Ken Karmiole and Vic discussing the possibility of partnering on a particular item, to Laurelle Swan (Swan’s Fine Books) musing about whether she should have brought more things – was an education in itself.

Some booksellers, smarter and savvier than I, can perhaps make it in this business on their own. For this bookseller, however, who needs all the help she can get, it’ll take a village. Or, maybe, a book fair (or a hundred book fairs).

And as for the persnickety little problem of having had a bad book fair? Vic is teaching me well: we’re acknowledging the hit, reassessing, and getting ready to come out swinging next time.

Seattle, here we come.

-Kate Mitas

The day’s mascot itself!

Playing Hooky? We Look at the Beginnings of the School System and Some of the Earliest Textbooks

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By Margueritte Peterson

Ah, September. The smell of sharpened pencils and new Jansport backpacks (those are probably not still “in” though, are they? I’m getting old) combined with a boatload of traffic going 15 miles per hour on random streets throughout town say one thing: Summer is out… school is in! We thought, given that many of our followers work in the school system – curating, developing collections and managing libraries, among a myriad of other tasks – we would take a quick inside look at the development of the school system around the world and the earliest forms of “textbook” education (reading primers, ABCs… Alphabet Books, and Hornbooks)!

A mosaic from Pompeii of Plato’s academy (source: wikipedia).

Though originally the Greek word for school, σχολή, translated into “leisure” or “that in which leisure is employed” (listen closely kids, and this will surely impress your teacher when she asks you why you aren’t listening), eventually became known as a group to whom lectures were given. The concept of grouping those who need to or want to learn together has been known throughout classical history. Almost all ancient civilizations taught their students in bulk – Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Ancient China, Ancient India… lectures were given to all. Though in these civilizations lectures and schooling were usually only given to someday-to-be military personnel and academics, by the early 1700s obligatory attendance in elementary school became commonplace in many parts of Europe.

An example of an early Hornbook.

Around this time, printing had become more widely practiced, and was becoming available to the general populace of Europe and America. Literacy kept going up, given the new obligatory attendance in schools for the common man, and pamphlets and books were more readily available and distributed. Some of the tools used for schooling in early education are of interest to many collectors today. Reading Primers, Alphabet Books (or ABC Books) and Hornbooks are some of the most popular types that we will glance at today.

In all truthfulness, Hornbooks and Primers could both be considered a type of ABC book. Hornbooks, named quite appropriately, were often the alphabet and a woodcut illustration or prayer printed to a sheet of paper affixed to a wooden paddle. A thin, transparent sheet of horn was then placed over the paper to protect it (hence the name “hornbook”). These early “books” are quite collectible (in case you happen upon one in a dark corner of an antique store), as they are rare. Primarily used between the 16th to the 19th centuries, finding one intact is rare, no doubt due to the use, and abuse, of them by their petite owners! The next iteration in educational publications was the reading primer. The earliest primer known is a Latin text, translated into English as the Salisbury Prymer. It contains the alphabet and a series of Catholic Prayers, and was printed in the late 1400s. Early primers were often religious in theme, and more than somewhat didactic in nature. The earliest primer printed in the American Colonies was The New England Primer. Though originally published in Boston in 1687, it only began to be printed in greater numbers in the later 1700s, on the cusp of the American Revolution. Before this primer, most of what was used in the colonies for education were primers brought over from England with original settlers. The first US edition of The New England Primer contained a myriad of educational lessons – not only did it house the alphabet and religious lessons, but contained pages on vowels & consonants, double letters, woodcut illustrations and acronyms, among others. According to research, around 2 million copies of this title were printed and sold in the 18th century (though there are no surviving copies of those printed before the 18th century… or if you have one, please email vjz@tavbooks.com). Why place so much emphasis into a small book for young children?

Our holding of an early 19th century edition of the New England Primer. See it here>

Such a question brings us back to the developing school system in the Western World! Surprisingly, one room school houses were the norm until the 1920s, when students were finally split up by age and academic level into separate classrooms. Throughout these centuries, only the wealthy and predominant citizens were able to have private tutors and governesses to teach them. A primer allowed a child to learn a good amount on his own, and also allowed a teacher in a room with several different levels of students to assign a certain lesson to different groups. The primer, along with Hornbooks and other ABC books were useful educational tools for both students and tutors/teachers alike, and allowed for many youth to be educated in basic reading and writing skills.

Well, what are you waiting for? Back to the grind – open those notebooks, nibble on that pencil! School is back in session!

New Acquisitions at Tavistock Books

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Before the hectic Book Fair season begins, we thought we’d give a quick run-down of a few of our most interesting acquisitions in the recent past! Click on the pictures or follow the links to be directed to the item in question. Enjoy!

Ambrotype of Mr. & Mrs. James M. Lilley of Virginia, circa 1860s: This VG set of Ambrotypes are of a prominent Virginian and his wife. Mr. Lilley, a surveyor by trade, served in the Civil War as a colonel of the 93rd Regiment of the Infantry of the Line (yes, that is a mouthful!). In 1857 Lilley was granted a patent for an “Improved Instrument for Surveying and Calculating Areas.” This “Compass” was intended to facilitate calculation of oblique-angled trigonometry and finding the area of triangles.” It seems Lilley was simply a mouthful all the time! $275. See it here>

Songs Against Evil, Childrens Songster circa 1879: I don’t know about you, but I happen to love Children’s Songsters! Especially when they have amusing front covers. This 12-page songster published in New York by McLoughlin Brothers contains 5 chromolithographic images. Check out our homepage ‘Childrens’ section to see similar recently catalogued songsters! Our listings are automatically shown by the latest items to enter our inventory. Check out this one here>

James Lilley’s Arithmetic Book, circa 1812: Yes, this manuscript codex on arithmetic is written by Mr. James Lilley (mentioned above) as a child! This notebook begins with Lilley as a 10-year old boy in early 19th century Virginia, and covers all manner of mathematical topics, from Subtraction and Compound Division to Extracting the Roots of all Powers! The journal follows Lilley over a span of 7 years, and after the lessons contains ledgers of a neighboring schoolhouse and farm, as well as documentation on family births and deaths in that time. Also included are his geometry and land survey problems for the year of 1823 to 1824. A fascinating, unique primary source documenting this individual’s mathematical schooling (including current thought and practice) as well as local county history and family geneology. See it here>

Bohemian Club Broadside, Olde Goats Night: This Bohemian Club broadside, printed recto only, was printed circa 1940. “Inspired by the season to a renewal of youth, a select company of ‘Old Goats’ will gambol, cavort and bleat for your amusement on Bohemia’s own green.” This broadside was illustrated, quite humorously, by Francis Todhunter, a California artist often noted for his landscape paintings and architecture sketchings. Check out this scarce WWII-era Bohemian Club item here>

This codex begins with James but 10 years old, as he begins arithmetic instruction under Mr Tilford. The volume continues with Lilley’s voluminous notes for the next seven years, covering a number of mathematical topics, from Subtraction, Dry Measure, Apothecaries Weight, Compound Division, Of Rebate or Discount, Inverse Proportion, A General Rule for Extracting the Roots of All Powers, Promiscuous Questions, etc. This is followed by a 2ll ledger for Lancaster Schoolhouse, then a 5ll ledger for Surry Farm, then a 10ll general ledger. Next are 4ll recording family births & deaths beginning with John Lilley [b. 1772] to James Campbell Lilley [d. 1901 (some later entries obviously recorded in a different hand)]. Next are Lilley’s 6 leaves of pen trials, with the repetition (21x, in this instance) of such phrases as “Contention and Strife make uneasy our life James Lilley 1820” The volume concludes with 43 ll of geometry & land survey problems, cases, etc, dated 1823 – 1824.A fascinating, unique primary source documenting this individual’s mathematical schooling [including current thought & practice], as well as local county history & family genealogy. – See more at: http://www.tavbooks.com/pages/books/41788/manuscript-codex-1802-1875-james-m-lilley/james-lilleys-arithmetic-book-taught-under-the-tuition-of-nicholas-tilford-teacher-of-the#sthash.MAGeqLXe.dpuf

In 1857, Lilley was granted a patent for an “Improved Instrument for Surveying and Calculating Areas.” The text of the patent refers to a new and improved “Compass” that is “intended to facilitate calculation of oblique-angled trigonometry and finding the area of triangles.” – See more at: http://www.tavbooks.com/pages/books/41790/james-m-lilley-mrs-j-m-1802-1875-lilley-mary-c/ambrotype-photograph-s-with-decorative-brass-surrounds-in-union-case#sthash.w69g77Mo.dpuf

“Knowledge Comes, but Wisdom Lingers”: An Inside Look at One of the Most Quoted Writers of All Time

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By Margueritte Peterson

In August of 1809, a boy was born in Lincolnshire, England, who would go on to become one of Britain’s best loved poets. This boy was talented as a writer early on, and together with two of his brothers published a local book of poetry by the time he had turned 17. His family grew up rather close, and though he enrolled in Trinity College, Cambridge in 1827, he was forced to drop out before getting his degree and return home when his father passed away four years later.

Do you know who it is yet? Some of you may have guessed, given the title quote of this blog. Once dropping out of Cambridge, Alfred Tennyson spent the next few years of his life taking care of his family. His second book of poetry, published in 1833, was met with quite a large amount of criticism from readers – despite it having the masterpiece “The Lady of Shalott” in it! Unfortunately Tennyson was not able to take the criticism in stride, and was put off of publishing again for a decade. Though not much time was spent above on detailing Tennyson’s rather homely and happy childhood, it should be noted, due to the fact that it helped inspire much of his creative writing, that within this decade he experienced quite a few hardships – his close friend (and soon to be brother-in-law) Arthur Hallam died suddenly. Not only did his death shake the core of the family, but they then moved to Essex where they lost a large portion of their fortune in a bad investment. Tennyson moved to London, and lived modestly while continuing to write poetry.

After the sting of negativity from his other publication had worn off in 1842, Tennyson published two volumes of poetry, the first with his prior works and the other with all new poetry. This time, he did not need to worry about criticism! The books were regarded as masterpieces and Tennyson enjoyed overnight fame. Throughout the 1840s he continued to publish, and was consistently regarded as one of England’s most talented poets. In 1850 Tennyson published In Memoriam A.H.H. – one of his crowning achievements. Dedicated to Arthur Hallam, his friend from many years before, the poem (133 cantos long) is a meditation on great loss and the search for hope after experiencing such tragedy. Some of its lines are often quoted as Tennyson’s most famous stanzas, such as: “I hold it true, whate’er befall;/ I feel it when I sorrow most;/ ‘Tis better to have loved and lost,/ Than never to have loved at all.”

Tennyson with his wife and sons in the 1860s.

The year that In Memoriam was published held many interesting events for Tennyson, including his marriage in June to Emily Sellwood, a lady (who was 37 when they married) whom Tennyson had known since childhood. Also in 1850 Tennyson was given one of the biggest honors of his career, succeeding William Wordsworth as Poet Laureate (a position he held until his own death in 1892 – the longest tenure of any Poet Laureate before or since). Though he was, given the position, often forced to churn out works for notable British events, he also endured success in the next few decades of his life. In 1855 he wrote one of his most famous pieces, “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” In fact, this piece was so popular that later in Tennyson’s life Thomas Edison used somewhat new technology (wax cylinder recordings) to make some of his earliest recordings – of Tennyson reading his own poetry, this piece in particular. (Listen to it here, though please ignore the creepy animation of Tennyson’s face!)

Our 6 volume holding of Tennyson’s Select Works, including Idylls of the King! Click the image to view.

Tennyson passed away at the age of 83 in 1892. He wrote his whole life, even until his last few years, and (as previously stated) held his royal position as Poet Laureate until his death. He authored dozens of poems, received awards, honors, and was even a favorite poet of Queen Victoria, whom he met on two occasions – the second of which was spent with the Queen explaining to Tennyson how comforted she was by In Memoriam after the death of her husband, Albert. Tennyson and his wife Emily had two sons, Hallam and Lionel, Hallam going on to take over his father’s Baronecy and publish the authorized biography on his father after Tennyson passed away. To this day, lines of Tennyson’s works are often well-known, if not always appropriately attributed to their rightful author. After all, how many of you knew that it was Tennyson who wrote “‘Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all”?

A Warm Welcome to Kate Mitas, Tavistock Books’ Latest (and Most Valuable) Acquisition!

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In late July, Tavistock Books gained a new member of the team, Ms. Kate Mitas. We give you the inside scoop on this bibliophile and what made her travel across the country to Alameda, California!

What drew you to rare books in the very beginning? Was it before your first ever bookstore job?

I didn’t really come into contact with rare books much before my first bookstore job. I come from a family of readers, so there were always books in the house growing up, but no one was a collector. When I did see rare books, it was usually in museums, and they seemed interesting but remote – I think in general I need a certain amount of tactile experience in order to really appreciate a book, rare or not. Also, I had an early, scarring experience with perceived rarity: when I was about seven, I had $3 to spend at a street fair, and I blew it all on some Grosset and Dunlap children’s reprint that came out in the 1950s, just because it looked “old.” And then it turned out to be devastatingly dull, and I swore I’d never judge a book by its cover again. It took a long time, and actually handling some remarkable books, for that promise to become the epic fail it is now.

Time to pry! Where are you from? What’s your background in the book business?

I grew up outside of Dayton, Ohio, and have lived and worked in various places around the country since then. About eight years ago I landed a job at Cellar Stories Bookstore, in Providence, R.I., whose rare book room finally made me reconsider my staunch anti-collecting position. I started out doing the shelving and shipping, and otherwise being a general minion, then became the manager there a year later (a.k.a., Chief Minion). The store has been around for 34 years and is pretty beloved by the community, so it was a great opportunity to learn the basics of the trade – cataloging, buying, sourcing books for customers, and all the rest of it – from an established dealer, many of whose long-standing customers I now consider friends.

About a year and a half ago I moved back to Dayton and put my skills to use assisting at Blue Jacket Books, in Xenia, O.H., which went into new ownership four years ago and has already come into a couple of nice collections. For what it’s worth, during my time there I also learned the knack of herding the owners’ three goats (should anyone wish to know: stuff your pockets with alfalfa and stride purposefully in whatever direction you want them to go, like a general marching into battle at the head of an army that may or may not have gone into full retreat behind her – occasionally it even works!). All in all, it’s been a privilege to work at two shops so dedicated to continuing the trade.

Ms. Mitas herself! Hard at work at her new desk in Tavistock Books.

What would you say is the coolest or most interesting bookstore/library that you have ever been inside of? (I know, I know… left field!)

Hmm . . . that’s a tough one, since I tend to love just about every bookstore or library I’ve been in for one reason or another. I’m going to opt for a small treasure: the Adams family library in Quincy, MA. It was built out of stone by Charles Francis Adams, John Quincy’s son, in order to be fireproof, which sounds formidable, but, covered with ivy and surrounded by a garden in full summer bloom, is remarkably unprepossessing. And inside it’s got to be the most reader-friendly presidential library (and was used for that reason by succeeding generations of Adamses, including Henry): it’s a single large room filled with couches and writing tables, and has books lining the walls two stories high – no second floor, just a balcony running alongside the upper tier for browsing ease, as well as maximum natural light. Most of John Adams’s books are in the special collections of the Boston Public Library, but the rest of the family weren’t exactly slouches, and, really, it just seems like a delightful place to hunker down with a good book. I kind of want to live there, in fact. Minus the huge portrait paintings.
What are you most looking forward to with the position at Tavistock Books?

I have an enormous amount to learn about the antiquarian side of the trade, so . . . pretty much everything! I’m incredibly lucky to have Vic as a teacher, and I’ll get to work with amazing material. What more could I ask for?

Just to be even… what are you least looking forward to with the position? 🙂

Having to pretend I don’t hate the San Francisco Giants. (You said Vic wasn’t going to read this, right?)

What is your favorite book and why? Do you have a favorite literary genre?

I’m terrible at culling my favorites down to one, so I’ll call your favorite book and raise you two of my favorite authors, instead: Italo Svevo and Flannery O’Connor. I love mordant, absurdist humor, and both authors utilize it in very different ways, with very different ends in mind. I do tend to lean more towards modern literature and poetry, but am interested in a lot of genres and periods. Ask me again in a few months, and I”ll probably have different answers for you.

Where do you eventually hope to take the position? What will you do with the knowledge of the rare book trade?

Eventually, I’d like to open a shop of my own, but at this point, that’s very much an “eventually.” In the meantime, I’m going to focus on building up my expertise, do as much as I can to help keep the shop running smoothly, and simply enjoy the education I’ll be getting along the way. I think I’m in for some interesting and fun times, whatever they may bring!

An Interview with… A Record Breaking Rare Book School Attendee! (Who also Happens to be the Head of Tavistock Books)

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The Lord and Master of Tavistock Books recently finished his 21st course at Rare Book School in Charlottesville, Virginia, having started this love-affair back in 1998! To know more, read on!

So, Vic, you’ve just finished another summer at RBS! How was it?

Let’s start with the word, “Inauspicious.” Not a word one would normally associate with Rare Book School, at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville [or, to those with some familiarity, C’Ville]. But the word applies this year. Why? Because after flying 5 hours Saturday from SFO to IAD, then waiting another 7-1/2 hours for the regional flight down to C’Ville [scheduled 10 pm departure, delayed 3 times], IT WAS CANCELLED BY UNITED AT 12:30 am that night! Can you say Super Shuttle? The end result- I didn’t get to sleep till 3 am that Sunday morning. Yikes, was I a tired puppy that day!

However, as in most such situations, there was a silver lining. Guess who was also waiting for the flight to C’Ville? Terry Belanger, Founding Director of Rare Book School. So, at least, during that ‘delay’ time Terry & I were able to converse on many divers topics.

And you ask, “How was it?” Simply… great. I’ve taken a goodly number of courses [21, since 1998], and all have had aspects of greatness. This one, THE HANDWRITING & CULTURE OF EARLY MODERN ENGLISH MANUSCRIPTS, taught by the paleography expert, and very personable, Heather Wolfe, Curator of Manuscripts of the Folger Shakespeare Library, I would rate in my Top Ten.

How many times have you been to RBS? You hold the record for attendance, no?

Yes, with 21, I’ve been told I now hold the record for “Most courses attended”.

The beautiful Alderman Library, where, deep down inside you can find dozens of RBS students!

Why go every year?

A couple reasons… first, RBS is the premier place where one can find week-long subject-specialty courses on the many divers aspects of the ‘Rare Book World’. And I believe knowledge is a ‘critical success factor’ for those in the antiquarian book trade, so these courses add to my knowledge base.

Second, there are few other places where you’ll find, all at one time, ~ 60 other like-minded folks all not only willing, but eager, to discuss rare books. Such not the case in Alameda CA, where on a given day, I’ll see Steve the Postman & that’s about it! So in C’Ville, one can’t help but make bookish friends… I’m still in touch with folk I met at RBS in 1998, and subsequently.

Third, it’s just plain fun! C’Ville is a fantastic college town, with some wonderful restaurants, and a goodly number of bookstores. What’s not to like?

What, in your opinion, was the best thing about the course you took this summer?

The course focused on the English Secretarial hand, a script, for the most part, totally impermeable to me prior to July 20th. This not to say I’m now fully conversant, not by a long shot, but now I have the tools to decipher much of what I’ll find in front of me. The challenge going forward will be to maintain that little progress I made during the week.

As to the day-to-day schedule, I haven’t detailed that here, for Cynthia Gibson did it recently for an ABAA blog post. My day-to-day was similar, albeit with a different subject.

Not that it’s a contest, but could you tell us your favorite course ever taken?

Probably ILLUSTRATIVE PROCESSES, my first course, taught by Terry Belanger, taken back in 1998.

Would you tell every book enthusiast to go to RBS every year?

Well, certainly I advocate it. I so much believe in what RBS can provide to an antiquarian bookseller that I established the Tavistock Books Educational scholarship back in 2011 [2012?]. For a young bookseller, I’ll pay the tuition to the RBS course REFERENCE SOURCES FOR RESEARCHING RARE BOOKS, taught by Joel Silver, Directory of the Lilly Library [for those interested, details can be found on the RBS website]. So yes, you could say I would tell all to go every year, as I certainly follow my own advice!

When book-minded people get together, dinners and drinks are common occurrences! What is your favorite social aspect of the weeks?

Vic (far rear on the right) and clan at Hamilton’s on the last night of RBS!

Sunday night, after the opening reception/talk, folks sign up for a meal at a nearby restaurant. It’s a great ice-breaker for ~ 10 people to get to know each other, as well as sample the fare of the local eateries. Our 10 ended up at Michael’s Bistro & Taproom, a C’Ville institution. And then Thursday night is bookseller night, where the local bookstores stay open a bit later to accommodate the RBS student’s schedule. After, I always get a half-dozen or so folk to join me at Hamilton’s on the Mall. Been going there since ’98, and haven’t ever had a bad meal, not even a so-so one.

If you stay on the Lawn, then one social aspect is the gathering of folk outside one room or another, and drinking, talking, playing music. Very social… and one can always tell the next morning those that joined in!

All-in-all, a lovely week, and I met some terrific folks I know will be friends for a long time. And while I’m a bit wistful that it’s all over so quickly, I look forward to next October, when the RBS staff announces the 2016 schedule. I’ll be there, you?

Click here to learn more about Rare Book School!

Dire Circumstances at Tavistock Books (Humorous Relief for Your Reading Pleasure)

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Something that has happened often enough at Tavistock Books to admit (as long as my boss does not read this blog) is the dropping of books. My first week Vic left me alone with the store (let’s not even talk about how I neglected to charge a guy spending $600 sales tax or that I accidentally tripped over a globe and bled on the carpet) and while he was out at a Giants game, enjoying the sunshine and the hot dogs, I was pretending I knew how to do leather dressing on a book. I was startled by a customer (you know… human interaction frightens me), and the book slipped out of my hand, slammed to the ground, and both boards snapped off the spine and lay in a messy heap at my feet.

So, logically, the next thing I did was to call my father immediately (meanwhile the book is still on the ground, in case you were wondering) and cry a bit and tell him that I was going to get fired. After about 10 minutes of whining to a parent who was, at that point, probably more than a bit concerned about my overall mental health and what the California air was doing to my brain, I acted my age and called my boss. With only minor cracking in my voice I told him I had dropped a book and broke it. Vic, of course, couldn’t be less concerned and simply said, “okay so… we’ll get it fixed?” I did neglect to mention on the phone that it was a $1000 book, but oh well! I didn’t get fired (clearly).

The point of this blog is to inform other young booksellers the proper etiquette when dropping a book, this especially for all the assistants out there. Once a book is dropped, the first thing you should do is look around to see if anyone saw and/or heard the book being dropped. If the answer is no, breathe a sigh of relief and then pick it up quickly. While casually looking like you’re inspecting the state of the mylar dust jacket cover or the age-toning of the endpapers, inspect the book for any bumping or creasing you may have caused that you could not definitively say was there before. If any disfigurements are found, the first thing you should do is put it in a pile somewhere where human customers go, and leave it out for a day or two. Then, when your boss is sitting right in front of you, casually find it and exclaim over the horrifying tear or crease and start calling customers names in your anger at their casual manhandling of your precious books. The madder you get, the better. Your boss may think you have anger management problems, but so be it. He’ll never know the difference. You could take my route and hyperventilate instead, but it’s really not a good idea. Salt-water wrecks havoc on paper and if you cry on the book it will just make it worse.

(This is, of course, a joke, and I have always told my boss when I drop things.)

(I almost always tell my boss when I drop things.)

(Customers should really be more careful around Tavistock Books.)

The Brothers Fleming: Peter & Ian and a shared Bond

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Everyone knows the name Ian Fleming. It is not, by any means, a new name to the 20th century reading public and almost all could tell you that the great Ian Fleming was the creator of the dashing James Bond and all his escapades. However, all may not know Ian Fleming was not only the author of the Bond novels, but also an English journalist and naval intelligence officer. But he is primarily remembered as an author, who sold thirty million books during his lifetime, with double that sold in just the two years following his death. Made into films, by 2012 the Bond series movies were the second highest grossing film series of all time, trailing only behind Harry Potter.

Peter and Ian as youngsters – so close that it is hard to tell them apart!

We know Ian Fleming was one of five children, grandchild of Robert Fleming (a wealthy merchant banker, founder of Robert Fleming & Co.). But what is known about Ian’s older brother Peter Fleming? Many today may not know or remember this name, but in his time Peter Fleming too rocked the literary world, just as his younger brother would a decade or so later. Peter Fleming, born in May 1907, was an adventurer, a travel writer, and a heartthrob throughout the 1930s and 40s. How then did this popular, adventurous author become overshadowed by his younger brother to the point where almost ten years after James Bonds’ author Ian died young, Peter’s modest gravestone in a quiet town in the Oxfordshire countryside read, “He travelled widely in far places; Wrote, and was widely read. Soldiered, saw some of danger’s faces, Came home to Nettlebed. The squire lies here, his journeys ended – Dust, and a name on a stone – Content, amid the lands he tended, to keep this rendezvous alone.” How one goes from stardom to a modest, quiet life is a very good question indeed!

Our 1st edition listing of Peter’s first book.

Peter and Ian Fleming grew up one year apart, from a well-to-do family, in the United Kingdom. Though it must have been difficult growing up so close in age as sibling rivalries took place, the brothers seemed not to let it get in the way of their relationship and throughout their lives were steady supporters of each others’ careers. Both were trained in intelligence during the course of World War II, both were star pupils at Eton (though where Peter seemed to glide through, Ian was a more difficult case). This, unfortunately, seemed a usual ritual. Ian struggled to make a living as a stockbroker, while a 24 year old Peter was working as the assistant literary editor at The Spectator. Peter answered an advertisement looking for a adventurous soul for an expedition through Brazil, and began his travel writing career. The resulting book, Brazilian Adventure, launched the elder Fleming’s literary career. He married the beautiful film actress Celia Johnson, and for a while his fame was more intense and well-known than Ian ever dreamed he could experience. Unfortunately, in 1947, Peter fell from a horse and suffered a crushed pelvis. After this incident he wrote no more travel books in far-off places, and retired to a somewhat more modest and quiet life.

Goldfinger – one of Ian Fleming’s most beloved stories. Our holding signed by Bond movie stars!

Peter was the instigating force behind the publication of Ian’s first novel, Casino Royale. It was Peter who suggested the change of M’s secretary to Moneypenny. Peter went over Ian’s manuscripts with such a fine-toothed comb that it “earned him the nickname Dr. Nitpick” (Telegraph.co.uk). So why then – if Peter was the accomplished literary scholar, the responsible adventuror, the charming author – is it more his younger brother we remember today? Ian Fleming wrote Casino Royale in 1952, and finished the novel within a short span of a couple months. The resulting story was immediately popular and three print runs were necessary to cope with the large demands made for the book at its publication. Casino Royale introduced the character of James Bond, a handsome and charming MI6 Secret Intelligence Officer, known by his code name “007.” The Bond stories center around this daring spy’s exploits, often involving ruthless villains and pretty women. Ian Fleming enjoyed a decade of immense success following the quick publication of his first five Bond novels, a period which went into a short decline after his popularity suffered a blow under a harsh criticism of his book Dr. No. However, it bounced back once knowledge that his novel From Russia, With Love was hailed as one of John F. Kennedy’s favorite books of all time. At this time Fleming began work on the screenplay of Thunderball, Goldfinger, Dr. No and From Russia, With Love, while also taking the time to publish a beautiful children’s story, Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang.

Unfortunately for Ian, his life was cut short. A life-long drinker and smoker, Ian suffered a fatal heart attack on August 12th, 1964 and passed away on his son Caspar’s 12th birthday. For the years remaining to him, Peter struggled to be a father-figure to the troubled Caspar (who committed suicide at the age of 23), but Peter also succumbed to a heart attack 7 years later, while out shooting with friends. Hunting game was one of Peter’s greatest joys in life, and a primary he pursued the Brazilian adventure mentioned earlier. It seems only appropriate that he would die doing something he loved.

What then, of the intense similarities and differences between these two brothers? Both magnificently talented, if not in similar writing styles, but more their ability to make a splash. Both dependent on the other for support and friendship throughout their lives. On one hand you could make the argument that it is unfair for so much literary popularity to reside in one family. On the other… how lucky we are to have experienced both of their styles and careers from their literary remains!

We Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident… that Thomas Jefferson was the Rockstar of the Non-Digital Age

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On this here week of Independence, we do hereby pronounce our forefathers to have been a great many things. Determined, Intelligent, Eloquent, and… Romantic. Bear with me here – this blog will be mainly a professional, research-filled and patriotic discussion of the drafting of our Declaration of Independence and one of its main men, Thomas Jefferson. However, a paragraph devoted to the man’s love life may or may not have slipped in through the cracks. Don’t judge me, this is as close to a soap-opera as I dare to get and I was not the spark igniting the fireworks between two unlikely candidates. (I slipped a 4th of July joke in there. Get it? God I’m dazzling.) (See there, I did it again.)

Thomas Jefferson is often known as a kind of “Renaissance Man,” but not many people who could tell you that he helped change the United States into the democracy that we know today could tell you that he was born on April 13th, 1743, the third of ten children. His father, dying when Jefferson was only 16, ended up leaving his estate (roughly 10,000 acres of Virginia and around 80 slaves – no small inheritance) to be divided between his two sons – Thomas and Randolph. Independently wealthy as a teenager, Jefferson was able to take ownership of the land when he turned 21. By the time he gained that land, Jefferson was in the midst of his studies at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg. For a time after his graduation he worked as a law clerk for one of his law professors, George Wythe. In 1767 he was admitted to the Virginia Bar and himself became a lawyer.

In 1772 Jefferson married his third cousin Martha Wayles Skelton, a 23-year-old widow, who just happened to be beautiful, accomplished, and intelligent. Seemingly a perfect match for Thomas, the two seemed to get along very well and in a short ten years of marriage, Martha bore 6 Jefferson children (though only the two girls survived to adulthood). Unfortunately this frequent child-birthing weakened her and she died at the young age of 33. Jefferson never married again, reputedly as a result of a promise made Martha, as she had been raised by stepmothers and couldn’t bear to have her children raised the same way.

During his practices as a lawyer in colonial Virginia, Jefferson was one of the main advocates for the abolition of slavery in the states. Some see an element of hypocrisy to this, as Jefferson himself owned over a hundred slaves even while petitioning to have the slave trade outlawed. The simple truth of the matter seems to be that Jefferson, never having been a good one with savings, could not have run his home with so many acres without substantial help. Jefferson’s sure belief that all men should be free also helped lead him to his views on the governing of the states. He did not think that the King of England should have governance over the states any longer, as they were not treated as equally as British citizens seemed to be. They were stopped at every turn from bettering themselves if it was outlawed by the crown. In fact, part of the Declaration of Independence, drafted first by Thomas Jefferson himself, is a list of the wrongs the British government had done the states since they were first colonized.

Mentioning this historical document gets us into the patriotism of this Fourth of July blog – the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. In 1775, Jefferson began to serve as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress, soon after the onset of the Revolutionary War. Toward the beginning of his interaction in the political world, Jefferson began a lifetime friendship with John Adams. It was, in fact, Adams himself who volunteered Jefferson for the job of writing the Declaration, against Jefferson’s will! Though many thought that Adams should be the one to write the proclamation, Adams insisted Jefferson would be the right man for the job with some guidance from himself. Under these conditions, Congress was persuaded to let a somewhat unknown barrister draft the statement asserting the Independence of a new nation.

Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration in a short seventeen days, and the draft was edited by some of the founding fathers of this country – John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, in particular – before the final revision was presented to Congress on June 28th, 1776. After a final revision in which Congress edited out a section on the slave trade in America (probably much to Jefferson’s annoyance), it was ratified and signed by the delegates on July 4th, 1776. Hence the tradition of celebrating our Independence on July 4th began. (Though, in reality, our Independence took another 7 years and numerous thousands of lives before it was won.)

The Declaration itself caused a great stir, just as one would have expected it to. Supposedly, after hearing the Declaration read aloud by town officials (or even zealous citizens), angry mobs across the states destroyed signs or statues representing “royal authority.” The official copy of the Declaration that hundreds of thousands flock to see in the National Archives in Washington D.C. each year is known as the “engrossed” or “parchment” copy, as it is slightly different from the very first version printed by Dunlap on July 4, 1776. The engrossed version is the copy the members of the Congressed signed.

One of the main effects of the Declaration’s publication was its direct influence on the leaders of the French Revolution, the influence clearly observed in the French Declaration of the Rights of Man & Citizen printed in 1789. In fact, Jefferson himself, while staying in France, helped Marquis de Lafayette with the main drafts before the overthrow of the French monarchy.

Returning to Thomas Jefferson, this author of the Declaration was elected President and took the oath of office on March 4th, 1801, under less than perfect circumstances. According to Wikipedia, when Jefferson took office he was facing an $83 million national debt and an intense battle between the Democratic-Republican and Federalist parties over the Federalists idea of a central bank and tax laws. Jefferson, ever the humble “People’s President” as he was fondly known to the American people, showed up to his inauguration alone on horseback and set his own horse up in a nearby stable. His modest and easy-going nature helped soothe the tensions throughout the country and he experienced very little intense problems throughout the 8 years he spent as president. In fact, his intellectual abilities helped him reduce the national debt, as well as taxes. He won the First Barbary War on North African pirates who were kidnapping and enslaving American Naval Crews. Jefferson arranged the Louisiana Purchase – he spent $15 million and acquired almost a third of what is now regarded as the United States – and also simultaneously considered one of the most fertile tracts of land on the continent. He also helped establish West Point, the United States Military Academy. All of these successes and important moments in United States history occurred simply between 1801 and 1809, during Jefferson’s two terms in office.

Towards the end of his life, Jefferson did not slow down as one might expect someone in his position to have done. He began work on the University of Virginia, believing that unlike Britain, America ought to have an institute of higher learning without the constraints of religious rule. We should also note that the Library of Congress’ great collection began, in large part, with Jefferson’s impressive library, which was sold to the Library of Congress. Nevertheless, by his death Jefferson was in great debt (possibly in part due to his at least $25,000 book collection – this bibliophile sure knew how to collect).

This blog was not meant to be a comprehensive look at the founding of our country, but rather a quick look at an exciting time in the history of the United States of America, mainly through the eyes of our 3rd President, so if you take away anything in anticipation of your Fourth of July weekend, let it be this…

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Happy 4th of July!