Michael Popek's Blog, page 262

Friday Giveaway

This is the last giveaway before the book comes out, so I thought I would make it a little special. Today's giveaway will have three separate prizes; first, second, and third. Let's start with the big one:

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Twain's classic "Huckleberry Finn" published by The Easton Press, 1994. Bound in rich red full leather with gilt decoration on spine and front cover, four raised bands on spine, archival quality paper - Golden Tan Moire Silk end papers and Golden Tan Satin ribbon book mark, gilt all edges. A lovely book.

Second prize is this great set of collected stories by English authors, put out by Scribners in the early 1900s.



Includes authors like J.M. Barrie, Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Thomas Hardy, Sir Walter Scott and dozens more.

Finally, the third prize is this quaint set, "Hours In A Library" in four volumes by Leslie Stephen. Published by G.P. Putnam, 1907. "New" edition, with additions.

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Stephen was a well-known author and critic, and father of Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell.These four volumes contain short vignettes on the books of various authors. Included are pieces on Defoe, Hawthorne, Walpole, George Eliot, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Charlotte Bronte and others.

Contest will run until tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM EST. Soon after, I'll pick three winners for these books.

To enter, leave a comment here, or enter on Facebook or  Twitter.

Good luck!

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Speakeasy And Carry A Big Book

Thought you all might be interested in this essay I wrote for the Wall Street Journal's 'Speakeasy' -

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/10/27/im-a-used-bookseller-and-im-not-afraid-of-e-books/

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Rebel

Very small Confederate Flag, five inches by four inches.

Found in "Satellite!" by Erik Bergaust and William Beller. Published by Hanover House, 1956.

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From Our European Correspondent

I ran into a reader of the blog on reddit yesterday, I had thrown together a small book giveaway for the fine folks at r/bookcollecting. This reader, DiogenesTheSincere , hails from across the pond and had a number of interesting finds, and so I asked if I could share them. Commentary is his:

A four-leaf clover found in S.T. Coleridge's "Biographia Literaria" (printed 1917).This was my last purchase from Bank Street Books (Dumfries, Scotland) on the day the shop closed forever, and as you can see, it bore omens of good fortune. Coleridge is my favourite classic poet. The four-leaf clover is still in there. Hopefully in another 90 years someone will appreciate it.It's actually kind of funny: a close family member has spent all her life looking for one growing, and I stumble across one neatly pressed in a nice book. I guess that's just luck for you.


A cutting of white heather found in a Victorian print of Porter's "The Scottish Chiefs." Unfortunately, not much I can tell you besides the summary. The book is undated and came from an English family member - although the pressed heather indicates it may have been purchased on a holiday up north!


No idea what this is. Found in "The Republic of Plato" (printed 1890). "I have pleasure in promising to subscribe towards the support of the work in this town of the "Queen Victoria's Jubilee" Nurse, through that portion of the Fund contributed by the Dorking Wesleyan Church."


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Both of these come from the same beautiful 1890 copy of Plato's "Republic," which is annotated and underlined throughout by one Elizabeth Budge.

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A WWII-era (1941) Liverpool bus ticket found in a book on the Life of General Gordon (printed ~1890s). The age of the book is a best guess as there is no date to be found. The original owner's ornate signature, and the overall interior and exterior design of the book suggest it is a late Victorian edition, although it could be somewhat younger.


"Molly Eye App" (2007) - written on the back of an AA card in "A Lexicon of Freemasonry" (printed 1919).

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A Safeway garage receipt (I blurred out some parts I wasn't sure about) from 2003, found in "A Lexicon of Freemasonry" (printed 1919). It's nothing to us, but someone will probably find that in a hundred years and find it fascinating. The book was purchased at a small book fair in Scotland - coincidentally, in an old, ornate Masonic hall. It is what I would consider a perfect find - an antique, strange, interesting book full of obscure facts and content. The entries range from everything between ancient Egyptian mythology to entries on the Illuminati. The book itself was written during the Victorian era, this edition being a 1919 print with a few more "up to date" appendices.

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Preservation

[image error] Orange life vest, I believe it was an action figure's accessory at some point. I wasn't able to figure out what it went to, the only clues are printed on the front; the "AJ" logo and the "Air Vest U.S.A.F" stamp.

EDIT: I love the internet. Within moments, nowhere informs us that the vest came from an Action Jackson doll. And sure enough, with a little searching, I found one here: http://www.megomuseum.com/actionjackson/accessory/airforceac.html

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Found in "Bats In The Dark" by John Kaufmann. Published by Crowell, 1972.

[image error] Oh, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks of this Back To The Future clip every time they see an orange vest:



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Friendliness Lives Here

[image error] Advertising card for Tydol Gas. On reverse is calendar for 1951.

Found in Women's Day Magazine, March, 1955.

As I'm sure you can tell, I did some minor upgrades to the site. I'm still working on a lot of the little details, but if you find something that's not working (or can't find something to begin with) - please let me know.


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Giveaway winner

Happy to report that this week's winner was MrCachet - a familiar face around these parts for some time.I'll email you in a moment.

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Friday Giveaway: This and That - contest closed

It's that time again. I tried to throw a little bit of everything in here, from Scottish history to Louisa May Alcott to Winston Churchill. Hopefully there's something in there you will enjoy.

Contest closed - announcing a winner in a moment.

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Friday Giveaway: This and That

It's that time again. I tried to throw a little bit of everything in here, from Scottish history to Louisa May Alcott to Winston Churchill. Hopefully there's something in there you will enjoy.

As always, enter here with a comment, or let me know on Facebook or Twitter.

I'll throw all the entries together and pick a random winner tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM EST.

Good luck!

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Art Mandalay

Small embroidered cross bookmark.

Found in "Back to Mandalay" by Lowell Thomas. Published by the Greystone Press, 1951.


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