$400,000.00 Could I sell my first born male child to fund this purchase? OMG, I so want[ed] this book. But I leap ahead, for that yearning comes later in the week… the week, actually 11 days, started with a road trip. A Vanilla road trip, but nevertheless, a road trip. Saturday morning, the 3rd of February, Peaches dropped me off at my colleague’s shop in Walnut Creek, Swan’s Fine Books. Luggage was transferred. WC calls were made, and Laurelle & I headed south. Pasadena bound. Yes, we both were attending the 2018 ILAB Congress, being held in lovely Pasadena California. The drive was pleasant, conversation exchanged, and other than 2 idiot drivers doing their best to side-swipe us [Laurelle alertly avoided both. Thank you God], uneventful.
The Congress started with a tour of Old Town Pasadena at 2 pm Sunday. I arrived in the lobby promptly at 1:58. 2:00 pm, no guide. 2:03 pm, no guide. 2:10 pm, Brad Johnson explaining the guide had been confirmed, and the committee’s check cashed, but still no guide. 2:20 pm, no guide. 2:30 pm, I moseyed on over to the bar, where I found Laurelle, and we had a glass of Chardonnay. And a second glass, to down the crab cakes. A 3rd glass was contra-indicated. The guide never showed. I felt for Brad [and Jen, the Congress organizers]… was this a harbinger of the 3 days ahead?
No. IT WAS WONDERFUL! We went to the Clark. We went to the Huntington. We went to the Getty. We went to the Herrick. AND we went to the Petersen Car Museum!! Can you say awesome! OMG, the cars! And there was a Porsche exhibit on! Did I tell you I have an ’82 911SC [the “P Car”] and a ’94 964 Carrera 2 convertible [“Miz White”]. In other words, I was in 7th heaven!
I could write this entire blog on that museum tour, but I’ll just say the coolest car seen, in my not so humble opinion [IMNSHO], was Steve McQueen’s Jaguar XJSS. I swooned.
This visit was Wednesday am, and to be honest, I was sorely tempted to join the Congress afternoon group, so I could revisit the Petersen and see those cars I missed… but no, I stuck with my morning group, and was glad I did, for we went to the Herrick. Howard Prouty, ABAA member, is also ‘the guy’, at this Academy Library. Many treasures there, and I was glad to see them [fwiw, they house Peaches’ father-in-law’s papers, that being Irving Brecher, who wrote the screenplay for Meet Me in St Louis. Those weren’t on display. I survived the disappointment].
Wednesday night. Gawd, I had to put on a suit. It was the Congress “Gala Dinner”. It’s California… couldn’t I go in shorts & flops? Evidently not. Ok, B-Squared it was. Peaches said I clean up pretty well, your call if she’s right. And really, it was a nice evening. A palatable meal, lovely dinner companions, engaging conversation and dancing! Whoohoo, been a while, let me tell you! However, I did not go to the Presidential suite after… getting a bit too advanced in my years to stay up till 3 am, as some of our younger members did.
Thursday dawned, Congress over, the 51st ABAA California Antiquarian Book Fair about to begin. Book fairs are funny animals. They can cheer you, they can humble you, they can confound you, they can elate you. This one was no different. It was the first for my assistant Cassie. She has a nice eye… her responsibility was booth set-up, and a great job she did.
Did I say we had adjoining booths with Swan’s Fine Books & Churchill Book Collector? We did. 30 feet of dazzling material. And how’d we do you ask? Well, we sold some, and we bought some. Like I told folks at the fair who inquired, “I didn’t crash ‘n burn, but I didn’t soar with the eagles either.”
Before I leave Pasadena, I should mention poker. Anybody out there play? James Bryant does, and he’s the new ABAA champion at Texas Hold’em. In case you weren’t aware, the ABAA hosts a benefit poker tournament during the CA Book Fair. Proceeds help fund the ABAA’s Elisabeth Woodburn Education Fund, which sends young[ish] booksellers to CABS, RBS, CALRBS, etc…. I’ve been told over $6000 was raised that evening. While I was happy to contribute my $$ to a worthy cause, I confess, I didn’t make it past the second table. lol
It’s now Thursday, Februay 15th. Cassie & I are back in Alameda, those books not sold are reshelved, and we’re getting back into the daily routine. Put another one in the books. Next year, Oakland. 2020, the ILAB Congress is in Amsterdam. Count ME in!
And oh, what was that $400,000 book…? Shakespeare’s Second Folio. Original, unsophisticated, in a period binding, with an enviable provenance. In the booth across from mine. Christopher, I’ll be calling if I win the lottery.
