I assume all here have heard the humorous (if ridiculously sincere) question, “Where have all the anvils gone?” Cartoons and period films seem to have us convinced that, at one point, anvils outnumbered humans at least 10 to 1. And in the blink of an eye, they vanished. (Spoiler Alert: Of course in reality many were eventually melted down [despite the fact that their whole point was that they wouldn’t melt], and made into more useful things. Like munitions. But opening with that would have ruined this whole blog.) Similar to the anvil is the dirigible. At one point in time, the dirigible was talk of the town, the greatest invention in history. Books were written, pamphlets distributed, and it was the most exciting contraption created. And now? They may not be as popular as they once were, but we’d like to revisit them and show a bit of history from an exciting and creative time in aeronautical engineering.

For those of you that don’t know what a dirigible is, it is an airship. For those of you who don’t know what an airship is, it’s basically a blimp. There is really nothing I can say to those of you who don’t know what a blimp is, because this blog will be lost on you and you might as well exit out of the screen and do something more useful with your time. Like make a sandwich. Or go anvil hunting.

A dirigible, by definition, is a type of lighter-than-air aircraft that navigates through the air under its own power. They gain their lift from large bags filled with a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. There can be non-rigid, semi-rigid and rigid airships, depending on how structured the inside of the gas filled “envelope” is. The airship was the first aircraft capable of controlled powered flight, a phrase that means it was the first flying transportation device controlled by man inside the vessel (as in, precursor to the airplane).

Original sketch for an aerial ship by “Father of Aeronautics” Jesuit priest Francesco Lana de Terzi in 1670.

As early as 1670, a Jesuit Father named Francesco Lana de Terzi drew up plans for a boat lifted into the air by balloons. In 1785 Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard crossed the English channel with a balloon propelled by a hand-powered propeller and wings and a tail for propulsion and steering. It was not until 1852, however, when French engineer Henri Giffard became the first person to make an engine-powered flight when he flew 17 miles in a steam-powered airship. Once Giffard made that trip, dirigibles turned into the hot new engineering transportation device. By 1878, engineer Charles F. Ritchel made a public demonstration flying his hand-powered one-man rigid airship, and went on to build and sell five of his aircrafts. In 1883 Frenchman Gaston Tissandier (lots of French people were really into airships) attached an electric motor to an airship and went down in history with the first electric-powered flight ever made.

Our holding of A Thousand Miles an Hour – in theory, a great idea, if only slightly* unrealistic!

Airships continued to be developed and advances in the field of aeronautical engineering were seen all over the world. Many inventors and engineers gained funds for their research by advertising on the envelope of the airship (similar to blimps today, displaying Coors Light adverts trailing behind them) or by participating in races and publicity stunts. The craze for airships truly reached its peak in the early 1900s, with Count Zeppelin’s rigid airships and the continuous developments to dirigibles throughout their existence. In a title published in 1913, A Thousand Miles an Hour (which, oh, we just happen to have a copy of for sale), enthusiastic author Robert C. Givins has high hopes and the story centers around an idea that “in 1925… [there is] the invention of an airship which launches itself vertically a short distance into space and achieves its travelling by letting the Earth rotate underneath it” (Locke I, p. 91).

A page of D’Orcy’s Airship Manual – which contains illustrations and photographic reproductions of early airships and those used in the Great War.

Airships proved eminently useful throughout World War I, having been described for that purpose years before the war even began in H.G. Wells’ The War in the Air (published in 1908), where the author speaks of the obliteration of entire fleets and cities by airship attack. Many countries did end up using airships for scouting and tactical bombing roles early on in the war, but by 1917 airship operations directly supporting armies ceased by all countries. Acute curiosity, despite the fear airships presented, prevailed about the use of these aircrafts throughout the war (as their role in bombing, and the inexact way it was carried out during the war, served to truly freak out most citizens of every country), and books such as our D’Orcy’s Airship Manual were published, “to furnish here the most up-to-date information regarding the gigantic fleet of airships built by Germany since the beginning of the Great War, a feature which may, in a certain measure, repay the reader for the utter lack of data on the Allies’ recent airship constructions, which had to be withheld for military reasons.”

The Detroit Aircraft Corporation‘s airship. Caption reads: “Showing vertical method of assembly of world’s first all-metal airship.”

Dirigibles enjoyed almost a century of popularity before World War II sparked further aeronautical developments and a series of airship accidents precipitated its waning popularity. After the end of the Great War, dirigible advancements continued (see photograph to the right of the Detroit Aircraft Corporation’s 1929 metal-clad rigid airship) and although the ships were used once again during World War II and thereafter, mainly for surveillance, and the escorting and organization of troops, a series of accidents leading up to an infamous incident in 1937 sparked an international mistrust of dirigibles for public transportation and entertainment. The Hindenberg LZ-129 (of the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin Company) burst into flames (as it used highly flammable hydrogen gas for lift rather than the safer, but much more costly, helium gas) and crashed mere minutes before approaching the mooring site at the end of its journey. Reporters and citizens were there to record and observe the landing, and instead were treated to a horrific display that resulted in the deaths of 36 of its 97 passengers on board (in reality a smaller death toll compared to some other dirigible disasters, but being caught on film certainly intensified the terror).

However, despite the unpredictability and safety complications involved in the first airships, what was once a source of both wonder and apprehension in spectators has actually been turned into an almost catastrophe-proof platform for communication and transport, mainly due to the use of helium (or even hot air) within the main envelope. Though quite obviously production of dirigibles is not as in demand as say, the production of airplanes, they actually are still in operation and are being manufactured for fresh and interesting uses all the time. In any event, the importance of the dirigible as the first aircraft capable of controlled powered flight – paving the way for all kinds of aeronautical developments – cannot be overlooked. The literature of, manuals for and guides to this great invention have served as inspiration for generations of aviation enthusiasts.

Now if only we could find a manual explaining the extremely suspicious disappearance of all of the anvils in the world…

Do you want to know the great thing about the Sacramento Antiquarian Book Fair? (I presume you do, seeing as you are reading this blog.) The great thing about the Sacramento fair is how really and truly a laid back environment it is. The big fairs are beautiful – the sheer amount of awe-inspiring items at an ABAA fair is enough to make your eyes pop. Everyone likes to play dress up from time to time (including me, no matter how I complain), and everyone likes to be served wine and nice salads and walk around like we own the place.

Yours truly. Deception alert: it may look like I am working hard, but in reality I was using my phone to take a picture of “The Right Answers to Tennage Boys’ Sex Questions” to text to my brothers – a hilariously great find at the Sacto fair.

At Sacramento? You wear heels? Then you should be automatically labeled an outcast (not that anyone there cares besides me) – and I, personally, would laugh at you (mainly because I totally tried to wear heels to my first Sacramento fair, of course). It is so casual you could almost swear that half the people there just wandered in from a cornfield or from a local coffee shop simply to gawk at some “old books”. It’s amazing. Another great thing about the Sacramento fair is that it is only a day-long! Short, sweet, and to the point. A seller doesn’t even have enough time to begin complaining about her lower back pain and constant wooziness from standing up so long before – Poof! – it’s over! You load out, you go home, and maybe you watch television with your roommate. (Spouse, friend, children… any of the above, really).

                   Finished product! Beautiful, no?

So I presume that you did not click on this blog to simply hear my thoughts on the dress-code and my old-lady medical problems. You want to hear about the fair itself, right? Load-in, unpacking, and set-up took Vic and me about 2 to 3 hours to complete. That afternoon, fair Promoter Jim Kay offers free pizza and sodas to his hot and sweaty exhibitors, and usually there is a dinner Friday night at Bandera’s that we at Tavistock Books attend with a handful of other Northern California Booksellers (including, this time around, Bookseller Nick Aretakis, Zhenya Dzhavgova of ZH Books, Kim Herrick of The Book Lair, Bookseller Andy Langer, Chris Lowenstein of Book Hunter’s Holiday, and for the first time, special guest Ken Karmiole of Kenneth Karmiole, Bookseller in Santa Monica, CA).

And that brings us to fair day! Thanks to Jim’s promotional efforts, there were a steady stream of customers throughout the day, a friendly and collegial environment between booksellers and customers alike. With 61 exhibitors present, it was easy to stay up-to-date with those we don’t see all that often (and staying-up-to-date for me of course means to get in my quota of sarcasm and cuteness – a little something for everyone – before the day is out).

    Up-close and personal view of our display case.

In regards to overall sales, we at Tavistock Books can say that we made back our money spent to exhibit at the fair, with even a slim profit besides. However, as Vic will swear to any who ask, he does not exhibit at the Sacramento fair to sell his way out. He does it to “buy” his way out – a phrase which in the bookseller world refers to when you pick up something priceless at the fair and are able to turn it around and make your money back after the fact, rather than making money at the fair itself. Really, the beauty of the Sacramento fair is how there is something there for everyone. Of course, if you only have the dedication and determination to rifle through shelves and boxes while standing next to a man who you would more expect to see nursing a Budweiser in the local pub and not milling about an antiquarian book fair, who then turns to you and asks what you think about Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poetic work “The Witch of Atlas”… well, let’s just say that the Sacramento Antiquarian Book Fair is a great day filled with lots of surprises! Plan to be in Sacramento September 12th, for that’s the next one!

Tavistock Books is pleased to announce its first catalogue of 2015, our Spring Miscellany… a bit of March Madness, if you will. As is our custom & wont, we list 30 items that reflect our eclectic & diverse inventory, from Jack London [in jacket] to my guy Charles, from WWI to a nice engraving of “The Lady with the Lamp”, from dolls to Cadets, from Mexico to New Zealand. Prices range from a modest $150 to a more robust $7,500.

And throughout, flashes of Ms. P’s humorous touch are evident.

http://www.tavbooks.com/tavistock/images/pdfcatalogs/10_catalog.pdf

A PDF file of the list also available, and may be secured on application to vjz@tavbooks.com or msp@tavbooks.com, where also any queries & questions may be addressed.

Enjoy.

Vic Zoschak (Principal)

Margueritte Peterson (Aide-de-Camp)

Tavistock Books
First Editions, Rare & Collectible Books
with a Special Focus on Charles Dickens
1503 Webster St.
Alameda, CA  94501
510-814-0480
vjz@tavbooks.com
http://www.tavbooks.com

Agoston Haraszthy, pioneer wine maker, “Father of California Viticulture” & also father of Arpad Haraszthy.

In hindsight, we know Arpad Haraszthy was born to make wine. His father, Agoston Haraszthy (also known as “The Father of California Viticulture”), founded the Buena Vista Vinicultural Society in California after the 1857 establishment of his Buena Vista vineyard in Sonoma. Hungarian-American wine maker, writer and world traveler, Agoston Haraszthy moved to the United States in 1842 (when his son Arpad was only 2 years old), first settling in Wisconsin, there founding the first Wisconsin vineyards. A challenging endeavor, he gave up his attempts to grow grapes in the mid-west and moved his family to San Diego, California. Though he was active in political town-goings-on in San Diego, Agoston found he was once again disappointed in the local viticulture possibilities, and the family once more relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, settling (this time for good) in Sonoma. To make a long (& mobile) story short, Agoston finally found what he was looking for in the Sonoma Valley. He and his family settled down. So Arpad Haraszthy grew up surrounded by wine aficionados (for example, Charles Krug was employed at the winery) – it seemed merely a matter of time before he himself entered the profession.

A stereoview photograph of the I. Landsberger & Co. Display of Dr. Henley’s IXL Bitters at the Mechanic’s Institute’s 14th Industrial Exhibition. A bit after Haraszthy’s time there.

However, Arpad did not immediately follow in his father’s footsteps. As a young man, Haraszthy toyed with the idea of becoming an engineer, going so far as to study engineering at the École Polytechnique, France’s then most prestigious engineering school, in 1857. Two years later, however, the young Haraszthy went north to the Champagne region to study the art of wine making. He returned to the United States in 1862, finally ready to begin his work in the vineyards of California. Arpad’s first foray into wine making was not a success, however, and his first sparkling wines were the reason for the board’s refusal to sanction his further champagne making while a member of his father’s Buena Vista Vinicultural Society. Arpad resigned from the organization. Nonetheless, Arpad persevered and, at the offer of a job in Isidor Landsberger’s wine business, moved his own young family to bustling San Francisco to try his hand at his trade once more.

An original set of Haraszthy’s four part Overland Monthly series “Wine Making in California” is for sale on our website.

It was in San Francisco that Haraszthy and his partner developed the sparkling wine that would become California’s first commercially successful Champagne. By 1871, Arpad was not only producing very popular wines and champagnes, but was taking part in the social and academic experiences that being a wine maker afforded him. In 1871 and 1872, Overland Monthly published a four-part series of Haraszthy’s own hand, called “Wine Making in California”. This publication consisted of much research into the art of viniculture, with sections on the history of the introduction of the vine to California, the Golden State’s advantages to growing over other areas, the average prices of grapes and other materials, along with statistics in comparing European wines to California varieties. In Part Four of his research Haraszthy states, “We have endeavored to lay before the reader the true value, actual merit, and real qualities of our wines, without the slightest exaggeration… the circle will continue to narrow until California will proudly place the name of that future-discovered vineyard among those of the choicest of the earth. It will not be overshadowed by the crumbling walls of castle of monastery, whose very dampness is replete with memories… It will be the modest home of an American, surrounded by all the civilizing influences of our bright age, and with no past history but that of the peaceful, patient and noble toils of its founder!” (A copy of the original series for sale here>)

     A middle-aged Arpad Haraszthy.

Arpad Haraszthy continued to be a well-known gentleman around the San Francisco “scene” (e.g., he was a founding member of San Francisco’s Bohemian Club), and carried on his quest to make great wines, despite the fact that the rest of his world seemed to be on the verge of collapse. His wife, Juanita Vallejo, threatened to divorce the winemaker in 1877, and only the persistent imploring of her father on her children’s behalf could dissuade her from leaving. One could only assume that Haraszthy’s social nature had led him astray, as he wrote in one letter to his wife, “With feelings of kindness, I address you this time and ask you once again to forget the past and return to me as my wife. I am not only willing but even anxious to acknowledge to you, all those errors I have committed…” In any case, Juanita returned to her husband, though only for a short time, as she unexpectedly died the following May shortly after childbirth (the child suddenly dying shortly before Juanita). Still, life went on for Haraszthy, and though he raised two children on his own for the rest of his life (he never remarried), he somehow found time to continue dazzling wine-lovers and wine makers with his viniculture research.

SF Evening Bulletin, June 9th, 1888. Arpad Haraszthy’s article on California Viticulture is front and center! View this item for sale here>

In 1878 Haraszthy was elected president of the State Vinicultural Society and “led its campaign for tariff protection against French wines” (Teiser and Harroun, p.10). He also became, not only a member on the Board of State Viticultural Commissioners (which he appeared before state legislature to help create), but its president. The particular cause for the Board was to rally forces against the pest known as phylloxera, which was devastating vineyards all over Europe and California. The pest was eventually vanquished (not before it had time to do significant damage), but strangely the popular Haraszthy was removed from the Board in 1888, with no reasoning (at least to present-day researchers) as to why. After his removal, Haraszthy wrote a detailed review of the Board’s endeavors throughout its first eight years.

In the last few years of his life, Haraszthy did not experience the same popularity with his sparkling wines as he had in his past. In 1900 he went on a mining trip in Alaska with his brother Bela, trying to locate other profitable sources of income, but getting ill forced him back home earlier than expected. In November of 1900, Haraszthy collapsed on a sidewalk in San Francisco on his way home from visiting a friend, and was pronounced dead on arrival at the San Francisco Receiving Hospital.

Arpad Haraszthy’s contributions to the wine-growing community of California cannot be denied any more than his father’s. As a consistent writer on wine and viniculture, he is still considered one of the most important contributors to the California wine community. His contributions were significant enough that in 1978 the Book Club of California published his 1871 – 1872 Overland Monthly essays, Wine Making in California, as a separate volume, thereby paying a modest tribute to this pillar of the California wine trade.

Beautiful rolling hills of vineyards in California wine country. The Buena Vista Winery begun by Agoston Haraszthy is still in operation, by the way, and only an hour-long drive from Tavistock Books!!

A week ago this evening saw me standing at a podium in front of 60 Friends of the University of Tulsa’s McFarlin library. I was there, for last June, Adrian Alexander, the McFarlin’s dean, and Marc Carlson, Head of McFarlin Special Collections, had invited me to speak to the group on the Workings of the Antiquarian Book Trade. I [obviously] accepted.

In case you were interested… taken from the Denver airport. Ouch!

Getting there was not without some trepidation… I flew out on Wednesday, through Denver, which at the time I landed, was reporting blowing snow, with visibility less than a quarter mile. Guess they’re used to such weather, for we got in and out with any big problems, only a short departure delay.

The next day dawned clear in Tulsa, and after a nice lunch with the McFarlin folks, I visited Special Collections, and while there had the opportunity to see their wonderful exhibit on comics in popular culture, Comic Books, Up Up and Away, an overview of American Comic Books. Which, in turn, reminded me that my collection of such [including Daredevil #1] went missing when I returned from my first semester in college…. wonder what that Daredevil would bring today?

From left to right: Adrian Alexander (Dean of the McFarlin Library) with his wife Nicole, Vic Zoschak of Tavistock Books in the middle, and Melinda & Mitch Adwon (President of the “Friends” group).

That personal musing aside, the evening was soon upon us, and it started with a convivial cocktail hour where all mingled, sipped wine & caught up with each other as people are wont to do at such events. A tasty lamb dinner followed [seriously, it was quite good, and when was the last time you could say that about a banquet dinner?]. Then it was my turn…

The Workings of the Antiquarian Book Trade… I started by quoting the old adage, “Want to make one million dollars by bookselling? Start with two.” For the next 45 minutes, I talked about various aspects of the trade, factors that give books commercial value (“Condition, condition, condition!”) and other mundane matters relevant to this quaint business of ours. My formal talk concluded with the traditional Q & A, and from the subsequent informal conversations, I infer the talk was well received.

“Murder by the Indians of a Mother and Ten Children”: A broadside acquired by the McFarlin Library (from Tavistock Books) in 2013, detailing the brutal torture and murder of  William Bond’s family in Upper Louisiana, 1810. One of two copies known. 

I’ll conclude this blog piece by saying that the one point I took considerable pains to convey that evening was the importance of groups such as the McFarlin Friends, by applauding their efforts in support of the library. I did this by talking of two [for all practical purposes] unique items that now reside in their library due to the Friends’ largesse (one of which can be seen to the left).

As to the Workings of the Antiquarian Book Trade… I can confidently say there would not be such a profession without institutions such as the McFarlin Library, and folks such as the McFarlin Friends.

My thanks to both for their hospitality last week.

– Vic Zoschak Jr., Proprietor, Tavistock Books

One of the best aspects regarding the back-to-back California Antiquarian book fairs is the shop’s New Acquisitions! In other words, items that we find at the fair hit our online database in a matter of weeks afterwards. We picked up more than a few interesting items in Pasadena and Oakland, and though they are not yet catalogued, they are something to watch out for in the near future!  Here are a few items to intrigue you and keep you coming back for more (even though our wit and charm does that already, I’m sure):

1. 1793 British Pub Menu, with Pricing Inked In. This menu looks to be from a Pub or Restaurant of some kind owned by John Hargrave, probably called the “George.” Located in Leek, Staffordshire, England, this small menu printed by F. Hilliard has the pricing for “Eating”, “Wine, and Negus”, “Liquors & Punch”, and “Ale, and Porter” written in. The customer spending a total of 18 shillings, 6 pence (an equivalent of almost an entire British pound when converted. In 1793 that was a lot. Someone clearly had an alcohol dependency.) The menu is in Very Good condition, with little wear and age-tone for its age. Want to know its price? I guess you’ll have to email me for it! Email Margueritte at msp@tavbooks.com

2. So You’re Going to Germany and Austria! And if I Were Going with You These are the Things I’d Invite You to Do. by Clara E. Laughlin. “Nowhere else in the bounds of a small and handy volume can the traveler find so accurate and comprehensive and at the same time so sprightly and readable a guide. Miss Laughlin regards the ideal tourist journey as one skillfully blended of movement, of fresh, quick impressions, and of leisurely stays where the ‘feeding’ is richest for your special hunger – whether that hunger be for rest or for inspiration, for shopping or for sports, for museums or for restaurants, for meditation or for dancing…” Laughlin writes in an easy-going manner, with the countries she visits in this handy travel guide separated by city. It includes inserted plates of b/w illustrations and photographic reproductions. A colorful dust jacket on this 1930 volume makes it a beautiful asset to any travel-guide collection!

3. The San Francisco Blue Book… Season 1888-89. Published by the Bancroft Company in 1888. “Being the Fashionable Private Address Directory, and Ladies’ Visiting and Shopping Guide of San Francisco and Surroundings… Containing the Names, Addresses, Reception Days and Country Residences of the Elite of San Francisco…” (yeah, that’s not creepy at all). An extremely early holding of the well-known serial The San Francisco Blue Book, the earliest holding located on OCLC being the 1889-1890 directory.

4. 1963 Chevrolets with the 1963 Chevrolet Finger-Tip Facts: Planned to Help you Sell the Greatest Choice of Chevrolets Ever. This dealer showroom sample catalogue and smaller “Finger-tip Facts” binders are more than just binders with pictures of cars. It includes sections of fabric samples and custom features for passenger cars such as the Corvette, Impala, Bel Air, Biscayne, Chevy II Novas and Corvair Monzas. Many new innovations were introduced to the year’s cars, such as self-adjusting brakes, optional tilt steering, factory AM/FM radios, and vinyl tops in white or black. Also, this was apparently the debut of the 1963 Split-Window Corvette (Vic told me to say that… I’m unsure as to what that means). Very rare to see these two first editions offered together.

My boss had just about had it with people severely dissing the Oakland Book Fair (or, the 48^th California International Antiquarian Book Fair, to be exact) before it ever even happened. Sure, Oakland gets a bad rep in the news – even we know that. But do you know anything about what Oakland does well? Probably not, seeing as the news reports only a bunch of crazy, cruel and creepy happenings in the Bay area city. Let us tell you what Oakland does do well. Baseball, basketball and… Book Fairs.

Look at how beautiful the venue looks behind us. (Yours truly with Hélène Golay of Lorne Bair Rare Books, opening night of the fair. Hence the big smiles. By Sunday afternoon we probably looked more than a little manic).

Some of you may be wondering why the California ABAA fair was in Oakland this year rather than San Francisco, as was in years past. It’s a pretty easy story to tell – two years ago the Northern California Chapter book fair committee learned that the 8^th & Brannan Concourse, where the fair had been held in the city, was no longer accepting contracts for exhibitors. Fort Mason was considered in the running for the setting, but its somewhat ill-suited location and extremely hard concrete flooring (which, in heels, all I can say is OUCH) as well as the fact that they had no appropriate dates available… well, let’s just say it easily lost out to the Oakland Convention Center – a venue more nicely appointed with better parking, easier public transportation, a nice Marriott hotel attached and, dare I say it, a non-leaking roof!

Many sellers went into the fair with more than a bit of trepidation – a perfectly understandable emotion at a new venue in a new city. For some booksellers, fairs can make or break your week, month, or even year in terms of revenue. For us at Tavistock Books, I would say that this was one of the better fairs we have exhibited at in quite a while – and, as a matter of fact, quite a good number of booksellers approached us at our booth (even way out in Siberia, where it was located) and in the course of discussing the fair stated that this was the best California fair at which they had ever exhibited. If you ask me, that is a solid mark of a success!

Though load-in did not begin until Thursday afternoon, our week began way before that, as we had a champagne cocktail reception at the store the Wednesday prior. We had quite a few new visitors to the shop – and it was great to get to know some other booksellers a bit better. Not to say that doing this did not cause a certain amount of stress and mess (we currently have 5 unopened champagne bottles sitting in a water bath of ice melted from a week ago behind our main display case); and as we wanted the shop to look at least somewhat nice and not like someone had broken in and raided our shelves, we did not begin to pack for the fair until the Thursday morning of load-in! We, of course, forgot some basic items, such as bookslips, the cashbox (somewhat important since customers seem to get weird and cagey when you tell them that its too bad you can’t give them change), and a calculator (extremely important for those of us who should have failed basic arithmetic long ago). Luckily, the shop was only 1.7 miles from the venue, and therefore we had many opportunities to go back and forth for what we needed.

Booth 100: Before, During, Almost There & After! (Photobomb by Joachim Koch of Books Tell You Why, Inc.)

Thursday night was the traditional exhibitor reception, which we anti-social & sickly beings at Tavistock Books skipped in favor of a good night’s sleep and a couple Midsomer Murders episodes (oh wait, that was just one of us… and, hint-hint, it wasn’t Vic) – but we were told by word, not to mention the yawns and drooping eyelids seen Friday morning, that it was a great night all around! The fair opened 3pm Friday afternoon, closing at 8. Saturday & Sunday the fair lasted most of the day, and luckily this past weekend buckets of rain poured on the Bay area – driving people away from their paddleboards and tennis games into a Book Fair where it seems they had little choice but to spend money!

Vic and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf oooh and ahhh over a map of Downtown Oakland in the late 1800s.

In regards to the Book Fair in the press, opening evening of the fair Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf was among the crowd browsing books and being amazed by the treasures to be found around the fair. She was particularly taken with some of the items in the Tavistock Books booth, as a matter of fact, as we had two maps of Oakland and Alameda County from the 1880s. (Would link them here, but they did in fact sell at the Oakland Fair. And no, they did not go to Libby Schaaf!) It was not only great press for the book fair but also felt like a warm welcome to the fair’s change of locale. Click here to read about the mayor’s visit (and see another picture of her and Vic, which he is also really proud of).

Vic Zoschak of Tavistock Books, in Booth 100. (Which is really stupendously set up and decorated, a fact that you are all welcome to comment on…)

Now, my boss insists that you indulge me with a few words about administration at the fair. White Rain Productions puts on a spectacular shindig. (I am amazed that Microsoft Word did not yell at me for “shindig.” I have never, ever written it in a sentence). Load-in on Thursday was easy, and despite the fact that our trophy cases needed to be moved and one entire case had no glass shelves in it (a curious phenomenon, if you ask me) we had at least five people come to help us and the problem was solved in relatively little time at all. The concessions at the fair were exceptional (it is not often that you see a delicious Veggie-filled Soba Noodle salad on the menu right next to: “Hot Dog. $5”), with an Exhibitor Hospitality room (there was popcorn… be jealous) and an espresso stand. Advertising for the fair was spectacular – the colorful poster advert to be seen all over the hotel, with even BART announcing the fair on their signs throughout the Bay Area.

Presentations by Vic Zoschak (we weren’t lying).

Exhibitors numbered around 190 to 200 (remember, I’m arithmetic challenged, so don’t quote me on the exact number), hailing from all over the world – California to the Czech Republic, Australia to Jolly Old England. Most traveling exhibitors stayed in the Marriot itself, an easy public transport ride (the 12^th Street Bart Station just a half block’s walk from the hotel) from there to the city, to Berkeley, or to the airport. Also, a good number of cute restaurants and cafes surround the immediate area within a couple blocks (try Desco – great food, and if you get there, ask them to turn the music down just a notch for me). On Sunday Vic gave two Seminars, one on Book Collecting and the other on valuing your books (Book Collecting 101 and What’s This Book Worth?, respectively), and I had several fair-goers return to our booth later that afternoon especially in order to tell me he didn’t embarrass me, which leads me to believe that my last words to him before he left for his grand entrance (V: “Alright Ms. P, I’m off!” M: “Brilliant. Don’t embarrass me.”) were probably shared with the general public.

However… as I bring this blog to a close, if you ask me my absolute favorite part of the Oakland Book Fair? It’s that every night I got to go home to my own house, sleep in my own bed, and decide what I was going to wear 20 minutes before leaving home the next morning. There is something to be said for having your home base with you!

See you in 2017, for the 50^th Anniversary of the ABAA’s California International Antiquarian Book Fair!

The Tavistock Books booth with Vic Zoschak!

What words come to mind when you think of Pasadena? Is it “Roses”? Or how about “Jackie Robinson”? If you are a normal member of the human race, these words apply. If you are a bookseller, however, “Bustamante” should be the first word popping into your head. Bustamante Enterprises, Inc. puts on a fabulous Antiquarian Book, Print, Photo and Paper Fair at least once a year in Pasadena (if the ABAA fair is in the Bay area, they do the whole thing twice!). The motto on the bottom of the fair booklet says it all, “The Shows Worth Waiting For”. The Bustamante Pasadena Book Fair, held this past weekend at the Pasadena Convention Center, was definitely worth the wait and worth the trip. The administration was great, as always. Everything was set up to the specifications promised to the booksellers, help was readily accessible, coffee & pastries were easily available. The well-oiled machine of Bustamante Enterprises allows for a virtually pain-free load-in and move-out, the latter important, for booksellers want to able to get on their way quickly (whether it be to home or to a dinner with wine flowing).

Vic Zoschak of Tavistock Books with two up-n-comers in the trade, Laurelle Swan of Swan’s Fine Books and Dessa Kuritz of Churchill Book Collector!

Set-up and administration isn’t the whole story however, as the Pasadena Book, Print, Photo and Paper fair is held in a very nice venue, easily accessible and attended by a good mix of book collectors and institutional customers. The usual list of suspects was in attendance, Ken Sanders Rare Books, Lizzy Young Bookseller, Brad and Jen Johnson of The Book Shop, LLC, Greg Krisilas of Coconut Rose Books & Autographs, Zhenya Dzhavgova of ZH Books and Kim Herrick of The Book Lair were all among the guilty parties. Tavistock Books shared a booth with the lovely and calm Laurelle Swan of Swan’s Fine Books, a relatively new book store in Walnut Creek, CA. In all, it was a weekend of good fun and easy comaraderie, with a steady flow of customers (well, with the exception of Sunday afternoon…when all the book-lovers took off to go watch the Superbowl!) with stellar management & supervision!

On to the next! In case you haven’t heard, the Oakland ABAA Fair opens this Friday, February 6^th and runs until Sunday the 8^th. Come and see us at the Oakland Convention Center, Booth 100.

See you there!