An Advertisement For A 1769 Slave Auction.Imagine you're an amateur genealogist. You want to learn more about the history of your family. Where do you start? By tracing legal records bearing your family name, of course. But what if in the legal census, the age, race, and gender of your ancestors was recorded but never their names. What if your family members were considered not people but property?This is the dilemma facing not only genealogists but historians when they wish to find out more about the estimated 12 million men, women, and children who came to the United States not...
Old Books, Chemistry, and the Science of Smellology
A Book Patrol exclusive: Scratch n' Sniff this image for“A combination of grassy notes with a tang of acids anda hint of vanilla over an underlying mustiness."I don’t know about you, but when I have difficulty falling asleep at night, I reach for the latest issue of Analytical Chemistry. Take it from me, counting volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is far more effective than counting sheep.A recent issue, however, jumped out of my hands, conked me on the noggin, and made my nostrils itch.“A combination of grassy notes with a tang of acids and a hint of vanilla over...
Strawberry Hill Forever
Horace Walpole's Castle, Strawberry Hill.When you think of haunted houses, tortured heroes, mysterious femmes fatales, ghosts, werewolves, vampires, and dark and stormy nights, what author comes to mind? Perhaps Stephen King, Stephenie Meyer, or Anne Rice? Probably not Horace Walpole. But fans of The Shining, Twilight, and Interview With The Vampire might not be enjoying their favorite scary stories if not for the inventor of the Gothic novel, Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford. Yale's Center For British Art and Lewis Walpole Library have collaborated with The Victoria and Albert Museum to create an exquisite exhibit celebrating the birthplace of...
New ILAB Website Makes Unofficial Debut
The International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB)’s website redesign is now live on the Internet.In an open letter to visitors, ILAB President, Adrian Harrington, said:“After eight years with essentially the same website, we at ILAB have decided to give it a whole new look, with greatly improved and deeper content. It will have a far greater selection of what the ILAB website has always provided: the best rare books in the World, supplied by the World’s best rare booksellers. Over the coming months you will see a great variety of news articles, bookseller interviews and scholarly pieces being added to...
Harlequin Goes Soft On Hard-Boiled
Those who know Harlequin Books only as a major publisher of romance novels will be startled to learn that it has a shady past: It once issued pulp-noir in the murky post-WWII era.Last October they reissued six titles from their Top Secret vault as their Mini-Series Vintage Collection. Hats off.The series’ genesis was as a hip art project in celebration of Harlequin’s 60th Anniversary. The assignment, according to Executive Editor Marsha Zinberg in Harlequin's blog, was to piggy-back onto the success of a recent a 60th Anniversary art exhibition featuring vintage paperback covers from Harlequin's origins and “choose six books...