Just in time for Tax Day, Harley J. Spiller, aka Inspector Collector, releases Keep the Change: A Collector's Takes of Lucky Pennies, Counterfeit C-Notes, and other Curious Currency (Princeton Architectural Press, $19.95). In this upbeat and quirky account, Spiller shares his passion for mutilated money. "Mint" may appeal to most collectors, but Spiller prefers patina--misprinted bills and discolored dimes. Much like a collector of imperfect books, Spiller considers use, even damage, worthy of study and appreciation. He writes, "I thrill to the serendipitous discovery of mangled money, whether it is coaxed out of its camouflage within a muddy tree bed or dusty corner or found smack in the middle of a road." 

Skimming the history of penny production, banknote engraving, and artists who alter dollars and cents (Mark Wagner among them), Keep the Change is slim and selective, e.g., when one thinks of maimed coins, what comes directly to mind are those decorative, elongated pennies cranked out of machines in touristy locales, and yet, they make only a brief appearance in the book's illustrated glossary. (What is the history of those souvenirs? Does Spiller collect them?) And yet its 112 pages are packed with fascinating facts, colorful illustrations, and zippy writing. Those with an interest in money (and presumably, that's just about everyone) will find it enjoyable.  

Photo Courtesy Princeton Architectural Press. 

Last week we profiled a composition book written by Alan Turing during WWII while he was leading British codebreaking efforts at Bletchley Park. Yesterday, that composition book was sold at Bonhams for over $1 million (including buyer's premium) to a bidder in the room who wished to remain anonymous. The manuscript--containing 56 handwritten pages from Turing as he reflected upon Descartes and Leibniz--is believed to be the only extensive Turing manuscript in existence. The composition book sold in just over two minutes of bidding.

Over the past weekend, New York City hosted three antiquarian book fairs. I set out to cover as much ground as possible -- perusing booths, meeting booksellers and collectors, and, inevitably, keeping an eye out for books to add to my collection(s).

First stop: The ABAA's 55th annual New York Antiquarian Book Fair on Thursday evening and Friday. As glamorous as ever, this fair never disappoints. The art headlining Brian Cassidy's booth (above), executed by an anonymous graffiti artist who promotes literacy, would make a fine advertisement for the fair overall -- boundlessly appealing books, artwork, and ephemera that you simply can't find anywhere else. Take for example, what was noticed under the glass at F.A. Bernett Books of Boston, Massachusetts: a collection of vintage lady's hair fashion ephemera. A retro curling iron accompanied by an accordion-style booklet "12 Minutes with the Marcelwaver -- Makes a Perfect Wave" and several action shots of a young woman curling her hair with the "amazing new French invention." Or this (left) scrapbook of newspaper clippings of murders, murder trials, and executions in 1892 and 1893, offered by Michigan's Garrett Scott. The crime clippings were compiled by William Branford, who then presented it to the Chicago Police in 1903. Ralph Sipper of Santa Barbara, California, showed me two lovely first editions and one offprint of the work of New Yorker writer Joseph Mitchell; it was the association copy of Old Mr. Flood (1948) bearing Mitchell's inscription to longtime New Yorker editor William Shawn that really wowed me. New Jersey's Between the Covers garnered some attention on Twitter for its Kathy Acker archive. Props to California's Ben Kinmont Bookseller, purveyor of antiquarian books on gastronomy, who printed an eye-catching limited edition broadside of his fair offerings on pale pink paper.

Seen below is George Koppelman of New York's Cultured Oyster Books showing me a diminutive Charles Bukowski book, purchased in the 1960s for $1, which has proven to be an excellent investment. He shared a booth with Dan Wechsler of Sanctuary Books, also based in Manhattan. The two made headlines a year ago when they announced their discovery of Shakespeare's own dictionary. Indeed CBS was filming at the booth just before I got there (an update on the Shakespeare, Wechsler said, is soon forthcoming).

Second stop: The Manhattan Vintage Book & Ephemera Fair, run by Flamingo Eventz. In terms of traffic, one could not ask for a better location than this one on 66th and Lexington, virtually one block from the ABAA fair. And Saturday morning was busy! At Eastside Books & Paper of New York, NY, I paged through a very cool pen-and-ink sketchbook of "Ugly Faces" by artist William Cruickshank, circa 1880s. I was glad to make the acquaintance of John Kuenzig of Kuenzig Books of Topsfield, Massachusetts, who specializes in books and artifacts in science and technology. He was offering a first edition of Alan Turing's paper, The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis (1954), a prelude of sorts to the Turing manuscript at auction this afternoon. The Fine Press Book Fair within the larger fair was buzzing, and I bumped into our book art columnist Richard Minsky, who praised the work of New York City's Intima Press.

Third stop: The New York City Book & Ephemera Fair, run by Marvin Getman of Impact Events, Inc. The venue, St. Ignatius Loyola Church at 980 Park Avenue, was roomy and bright. Wilfrid M. de Freitas of Quebec showed, as always, a variety of great antiquarian books. Brooklyn's Honey & Wax had the prettiest velvet and silk-embroidered binding (on a 1902 illustrated dictionary). Different Drummer Books of Niantic, Connecticut, offered a first edition of Thoreau's Cape Cod (1865) that my husband could not pass up. Me, I was tempted to pick up a first edition of J.B. Mattison's The Treatment of Opium Addiction (1885) from Brooklyn Books, but found instead a better fit (above) for my collection of illustrated surgical books in the booth of Cooperstown, New York, dealer Willis Monie: The Principles of Surgery, abridged by J. Augustine Smith, written by John Bell (New York, 1810).

In between the fairs, I took a 90-minute spin around the Grolier Club's exhibit on Italian Renaissance printer Aldus Manutius, which was fabulous. If you haven't seen it, get there before it closes on April 25.

So ends another successful Rare Book Week! 

New York's Rare Book Week just got better. Saturday April 11 marks the arrival of the New York Book and Ephemera Fair, taking up temporary residence at Wallace Hall at St. Ignatius Church, barely a mile from the Park Avenue Armory site for the Antiquarian Book Fair (NYABF). Organizing the event is Massachusetts-based Impact Events Group, which, since 1981, has coordinated affordable satellite book and antiques shows to coincide with marquee events. (Such as the Boston Antiquarian Book Fair.) Tickets are $15 at the door, and savvy shoppers who purchase online receive a five dollar discount. (In comparison, admission to Antiquarian Book Fair is $20 per day.)  Since the Book and Ephemera Fair is a one-day event, visitors interested in attending this fair and the NYABF on the same day should start the morning at Wallace Hall, then take the free shuttle to the Armory in time for the NYABF's noontime opening.

One of the exhibitors at the Book and Ephemera Fair is Mark Brumberg, owner of Boomerang Booksellers in Northampton, Massachusetts. Brumberg is exhibiting at both the Book and Ephemera Fair and The Manhattan Vintage Book & Ephemera Fair, both organized by Impact Events, because "the shadow shows are the biggest draws for us,"  he said. "I also think Marvin Getman (president of Impact Events) is a great promoter. He knows how to bring awareness to the shows."  Brumberg specializes in modern firsts, limited editions, poetry, as well as in Pioneer Valley artists and authors such as Eric Carle, Barry Moser, and Jane Yolen. His limited edition, signed copy of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, illustrated by Barry Moser will be available at the Fair this weekend. Published in 1985 by Moser's own Pennyroyal Press, this is one of 350 numbered volumes, signed by the illustrator and housed in a cloth clamshell box, and priced at $2,500.  Brumberg is also bringing  a beautiful first American trade edition of Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle, published in 1905 by Heinemann and Doubleday. Complete with fifty-one color plates by Arthur Rackham, this classic, in very good condition, is available for $485. 


Image courtesy of Boomerang Books.



Moser is famous for using lots of models for his work, including himself. Image courtesy of Boomerang Books.

Will you be attending the New York Book and Ephemera Fair? Share your finds with us! For more information about this show, and to purchase a discounted ticket, visit www.bookandpaperfairs.com.

New York Book and Ephemera Fair April 11, 2015 Saturday 8am-4pm Wallace Hall at St. Ignatius Loyola Church 980 Park Ave. (between 83-84 sts) New York

During Rare Book Week in New York City, you can see many treasures on exhibit and for purchase. One of the oldest among them--if not the oldest--is the Liesborn Gospel Book, a tenth-century parchment manuscript in a fifteenth-century wood-carved binding. Les Enluminures, a gallery on 73rd Street, presents the Ottonian manuscript within the larger Idda Collection of sixteen early biblical manuscripts.

In 1945, the Liesborn Gospel was described as "one of the most valuable manuscripts of the gospels in private hands." It has been privately held since then, and the last time it was on the market was 1987. Said dealer Sandra Hindman in a video produced by TEFAF, "In 23 years, I think this is the most unique and extraordinary manuscript that I've brought to the fair. Maybe one of the most unique I've ever owned." The price is $6.5 million.

An opening reception for the Idda Collection will be held tonight at Les Enluminures from 6-9 p.m. After that, the exhibition will be up and available for viewing Tuesday-Saturday until May 2.

What else can you see while in town this week & weekend? Check our listing of 12 great exhibits to enjoy!

Image: Courtesy of Les Enluminures. 

In blue ink on blue paper, author Ayn Rand proclaims her passion for philately. The heavily corrected autograph manuscript of her article,  "Why I Like Stamp Collecting," touts the hobby as "a miraculous brain-restorer." Jacques Minkus' Stamp Journal published Rand's piece in 1971.

Rand began collecting at the age of ten but was forced to give it up when she fled the Russian Revolution. She returned to philately later in life, enjoying the fraternity of collectors, the thrill of the hunt, and the aesthetics of fine stamps. It is, the famous novelist writes, an occupation for "busy, purposeful, ambitious people." No doubt she would have described herself much the same way.    

The 16-page manuscript, along with a copy of the published article, is one of the highlights at this week's New York Antiquarian Book Fair. It will be offered by James Cummins for $7,500. The book fair opens on Thursday evening and runs through the weekend.

Image via James Cummins Bookseller.