Wednesday 28 March 2012

New York Antiquarian Bookfair. 2012.

Coming hot on the heels of February's very successful Pasadena Bookfair in California, the ABAA (Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America) moves its Bookfair roadshow to New York in April for the 52nd Annual New York Antiquarian Bookfair.
Held at the the impressive Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Avenue, at 67th street, the fair has a preview evening on Thursday April 12th from 5 to 9pm and is then open friday 13th: Noon to 8pm, Saturday 14th: Noon to 7pm, and Sunday 15th: Noon to 5pm.

This is the Daddy of the international bookfairs. Over 200 of the world's leading dealers, and Me, will be exhibiting a wide range of Books, Manuscripts, Maps, Ephemera, Prints, Posters and just about anything that can be included under the umbrella of collectable printed words and works on paper.

I will be there, at booth A46, right next to the cafe area, no doubt resisting the temptation to blow any profts I might make on what must be the most expensive drinks outside of the Upper East Side Hotel cocktail bars, so I've been told.

I am sharing a booth with James and Georgina Hallgate from Lucius Books, based in York, UK. If you are passing, do stop and say hello. We are approachable (well, maybe me more than James), and will be happy to pass on any gossip that we have picked up during the set up days.


Highlights among my books at the fair will be; A very near fine copy of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles. London. 1902.




A very Rare copy of T. S. Eliot's Poems, hand printed and published by Leonard and Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press in 1919. This copy has the first state text and title Label to the front cover and is an Eliot family copy with the ownership name of his Cousin Abigail inside.



A true first edition, 1st state set of Dickens rare three volume novel, Great Expectations. London, 1861. These volumes all have the first issue title pages and text as per Appendix D of the Clarendon Edition of Dickens Works.




Finely Bound First editions of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-glass. Both are the 1st published London editions, 1866 and 1872, and are lovely copies in fine full red morocco leather bindings, gilt, by Bayntun-Riviere Binders of Bath, U.K.





American Literature is covered as well, including nice copies of Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, 1st edition. New York, 1929,


And Salinger's classic The Catcher in the Rye. Boston, 1951.



Among the earlier books is a copy of the rare 1608 "Judas" Bible. So called because of the miss-print "Then said Judas to the twelve, will ye also goe away" in John, Chapter VI, verse 67.





Bringing things up to modern(ish) times are some Punk items from the late 1970's. These include a full set of all 11 issues of the important San Francisco zine, Search and Destroy, 1977-1979, and 3 contracts, signed by Johnny Rotten (as John Lydon), Steve Jones, and Sid Vicious (using his real name, John Beverly), from the Sex Pistols ill-fated last tour, in which they ended up playing just 7 of the dates, in January 1978, all in the southern U.S, and then split up 3 days after the Infamous San Francisco Winterland gig, which ended with a cover version of The Stooges 'No Fun' as an encore and Lydon asking the crowd "Ever get the feeling you've been cheated? Good Night".





I will also be giving away copies of my lovely new catalogue, so please ask if you would like one.


See you there.


Paul.

Paul Foster Books
49 Clifford Avenue
London
SW14 7BW
U.K

020 8876 7424

Email; paulfosterbooks@btinternet.com

Website; www.paulfosterbooks.com

Member of ABA, ILAB, & PBFA