Many collectors build their libraries around a specific genre, author, or even titles. But in the world of rare books, books are often collectible for more than merely their content; they are beautiful objects of art in their own right. From decorative bindings and illuminated manuscripts, to intricate etchings and hand painted illustrations, the art and craft of books can be truly breathtaking.
Regardless of where you live, maintaining the ideal environmental conditions in your personal library presents specific challenges. Conservation of rare books requires keeping your library at a certain temperature and humidity.
Tomorrow marks the birthday of Edgar Rice Burroughs .The creator of such famous characters as Tarzan and John Carter, Burroughs iconic novels revolutionized science fiction and adventure writing.
Basketball player, copywriter, spy, legendary chef: Julia Child would be 100 years old today, and were still indebted to her legacy of greatness. Child was a pioneer in the culinary world, making high cuisine accessible to a wide audience. Childs cookbooks continue to be popular among both cooking enthusiasts and rare book collectors alike.
In most industries, mistakes cost money--sometimes lots of money. In the world of rare books, however, mistakes can impact a book's value in a quite a different way. Called errata, mistakes made in books may include spelling errors, word omissions, or the use of a different word in place of the intended one.
On Tuesday we lost a legendary novelist, essayist, and polemicist. Gore Vidal passed away at the age of 86. Vidal was renowned as a leading author and political thinker of the modern era.
We all have our favorite--and not-so-favorite authors. The same goes for writers themselves, and through the years many bitter rivalries have sprung up between legendary authors. A look at some of the most famous:
