The largest collection of the papers of President Theodore Roosevelt, documenting his extraordinary career in the White House and as vice president, governor of New York, and as a naturalist, writer and reformer, has been digitized and is now available online from the Library of Congress.

The digitization of the massive collection comes just before the 160th anniversary of Roosevelt’s birthday. The nation’s 26th president was born Oct. 27, 1858, and died nearly 100 years ago on Jan. 6, 1919.

The Roosevelt collection is online at: loc.gov/collections/theodore-roosevelt-papers/about-this-collection/.

The Roosevelt papers are one of the largest presidential collections held by the Library, consisting of about 276,000 documents and comprising about 461,000 images. It includes letters, speeches, executive orders, scrapbooks, diaries, White House reception records and press releases of his administration, as well as family records.

The collection provides a closer look at Roosevelt as an individual and as a powerful president from 1901 to 1909 who established a tradition of using his position as a “bully pulpit” by appealing to the broader public through the media. Roosevelt strengthened the presidency by seeking to centralize power after a time when Congress and the Supreme Court had dominated government, and he survived an attempted assassination during his unsuccessful run for the presidency in 1912.

Roosevelt was a prolific writer, offering readers a glimpse at the power of his personality and family life. In public service, he was known for confronting such major issues as the regulation of corporations, conservation of natural resources, construction of the Panama Canal and mediation during the Russo-Japanese War (for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize). Beyond the presidency, he was also an influential naturalist. Animal specimens he brought back from a safari in Africa remain part of the collection at the Smithsonian Institution. Roosevelt also nearly died while exploring an uncharted river in Brazil. The river was later named in his honor.

The papers also document his service as vice president before the assassination of President William McKinley, his time as governor of New York, as police commissioner of New York City, as a cavalry officer in the Spanish-American War, his founding of the Progressive Party and his unsuccessful run for president in 1912.

Highlights of the Roosevelt papers include:

• A personal diary from Feb. 14, 1884, where Roosevelt records his reaction to the death of his first wife and mother on the same day. “The light has gone out of my life,” he wrote;
• An 1897 letter signaling Roosevelt’s support for annexing Hawaii and building a canal in Central America while he was assistant secretary of the Navy;
• A listing of “Rough Rider” officers serving with Roosevelt in the Spanish-American War;
• Roosevelt’s letter from 1900 with his first documented use of the phrase “speak softly and carry a big stick;”
• A 1905 letter on the conservation of Yosemite Valley as a national park;
• Roosevelt’s 1912 campaign speech in Connecticut while seeking another term as president on the Progressive Party ticket;
• A 1915 letter criticizing President Woodrow Wilson’s policy toward World War I.

The Roosevelt papers have been at the Library of Congress since Roosevelt sent the first shipment of his papers from his Oyster Bay, New York, home to the Library for safekeeping in 1917. His deposits were made a permanent gift in 1919. Additional contributions to the collection were made by Roosevelt’s family members and his literary executor.

The Harvard University Library also holds a major archival collection documenting Roosevelt’s life and career. The Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University in North Dakota is building a digital library of Roosevelt materials in partnership with the Library of Congress and other organizations.

Previously, much of the Library’s Roosevelt collection was available on microfilm, which helped facilitate the digitization process. More recent additions to the collection were scanned and digitized for the first time during this project.

The Roosevelt project reflects advancement toward a goal in the Library’s new user-centered strategic plan to expand access, making unique collections, experts and services available when, where and how users need them. Learn more about the Library’s five-year plan at loc.gov/strategic-plan/.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States - and extensive materials from around the world - both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

Boston - The annual fall gathering for booklovers, the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair returns to the Hynes Convention Center in Boston’s beautiful Back Bay for its 42nd year, November 16-18, 2018.  Featuring the collections and rare treasures of 130 booksellers from the U.S., England, Canada, Netherlands, France, Germany, Russia, Denmark, and Argentina, the Boston Book Fair gives visitors the opportunity to see, learn about, and purchase the finest in rare and valuable books, illuminated manuscripts, autographs, graphics, maps, atlases, photographs, fine and decorative prints, and much more.

Special events at this year’s Fair include Documentary Filmmaker Frederick Wiseman on the making of Ex Libris: The New York Public Library; political guru Michael Goldman on 1968: The Year of the Century; Aji Yamazaki from the Kyoto Book Artists Society in discussion with Charles Vilnis on Japanese art books; Editor Peter K. Steinberg on Sylvia Plath; and the 17th annual Ticknor Society Roundtable panel discussion on starting a collection. Visit www.bostonbookfair.com for complete event listings.

One of the oldest and most respected antiquarian book shows in the country, the event offers a top selection of items available on the international literary market. Attendees have the unique chance to get a close look at rare and historic museum-quality items, offered by some of the most prestigious participants in the trade.  Whether just browsing or buying, the Fair offers something for every taste and budget—books on art, politics, travel, gastronomy, and science to sport, natural history, literature, music, and children’s books—all appealing to a range of bibliophiles and browsers.

Among the highlighted items for sale at this year’s fair will be: the legendary Blue Map of China from the 19th century Qing Empire-one of the rarest, largest, and most aesthetically magnificent maps ever made!; Sylvia Plath’s own proof copy of The Bell Jar; America's National Game by A.J. Spalding, published in 1911-a classic in baseball collecting; an original handwritten manuscript by Martin Luther King Jr. for his first book, Stride Toward Freedom; a newly discovered and never published fourteenth century commentary on The New Testament, published in Paris around 1350; the original unpublished 1980 typescript of Luis Buñuel's last screenplay, Agón o El Canto del Cisne [Struggle or Swan Song]; a rare collection of documents evoking the climax and the dawn of decay of the mighty Medici dynasty, the most influential family of the Italian Renaissance; a rare copy of the first printed Sea Chart to correctly locate Boston, 1647; an elaborately illustrated 16th century gilded vellum folio from Spain of Regla y constitutiones de la cofradia del Sanctissimo sacramento de la yglesia de San Christoval de Granada; autographed letters and memorabilia from the 1960s of Ethel Kennedy and Richard Nixon; a wondrous work of fin de siècle art and occultism-Austin de Croze’s unpublished illustrated poetic collection La Lumière Magique, created in 1920s Paris; and rare and first editions of works by Margaret Atwood, James Baldwin, William Blake, Charlotte Bronte, Albert Camus, Albert Einstein, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Betty Friedan, Beatrix Potter, Marcel Proust, Ayn Rand, Sir Walter Scott, Kurt Vonnegut, and Edith Wharton.

The Fair gives visitors the opportunity to see, learn about, and purchase the finest in rare and valuable books and ephemera. For attendees wanting to start a collection without breaking the bank, there will be dealers offering “Discovery” items priced at $100 or less, including a selection of children's books and decorative cloth bindings. The Fair is an opportunity to learn tips on how to start a collection and talk to dealers who are experts in their specialties.

On Sunday from 1:00-3:00pm, attendees are invited to bring in their own books for FREE APPRAISALS!

Tickets are $20 for Friday night’s exclusive Opening Night event, an opportunity for the public to get a first look at items for sale at the Fair; admission is free on Saturday and Sunday.

Friday, November 16              5:00-9:00pm             Tickets: $20.00 - Opening Night (valid all weekend)   

Saturday, November 17          12:00-7:00pm          Free Admission 

Sunday, November 18             12:00-5:00pm         Free Admission

Hynes Convention Center
900 Boylston Street
Boston, MA
www.mccahome.com

The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair is sponsored by the New England Chapter of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America. A portion of the ticket sales will benefit the Boston Public Library and the American Antiquarian Society. Tickets are for sale at www.bostonbookfair.com and at the show’s box office during Friday evening show hours. For more information, please visit www.bostonbookfair.com or call 617-266-6540.

The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair is produced by CommPromo, Inc. www.commpromo.com 

EVENTS AT THE FAIR

Kyoto Book Artists Society-Aji Yamazaki & Charles Vilnis

Saturday, November 17, 1:00 pm

Learn about the world of Japanese art books with Aji Yamazaki, one of Kyoto’s top dealers, in discussion with Boston Book Company Principal Charles Vilnis, an expert in the field of Japanese printing. 

Ticknor Society Roundtable: Starting a Collection

Ken Gloss, Luke Kennedy Kelly, Alexander M. Koch

Saturday, November 17, 2:30 pm

This year’s Ticknor Society’s Collectors Roundtable will discuss the best ways for new and young collectors to begin a book collection. The panel will feature Ken Gloss, proprietor of Boston’s iconic Brattle Book Shop; Luke Kelly, Harvard University student and award-winning book collector; and Alexander Koch, book collector and Maine Conservation Task Force member.  Ticknor Society Board Member and former president, Chris Morgan will moderate.

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library with Director Frederick Wiseman

Saturday, November 17, 4:00 pm

In Ex Libris, famed director Frederick Wiseman, goes behind the scenes of one of the greatest institutions in the world, The New York Public Library, revealing it to be a place of cultural exchange, learning and community. With 92 locations through Manhattan and the boroughs, The New York Public Library affirms the deeply-held American belief that individuals have a right to know and be informed. Wiseman, arguably one of the greatest living documentary filmmakers, will discuss the making of Ex Libris and will be available for questions on this and other highlights of his brilliant career.  The film will be shown at the BPL Copley Branch prior to Wiseman’s talk, details TBA.

1968: The Year of the Century-Michael Goldman

Sunday, November 18, 1:30 pm Exhibit Hall Theater

Political and cultural historian Michael Goldman has been collecting books on 1968 for decades, to the point where the local monthly publication The Improper Bostonian once opined that the two best places to relive the spirit of the late 1960s were Harvard Square and the book cases in Michael Goldman’s basement! For this presentation, Goldman will explain what it is about the year 1968 that continues to fascinate and frustrate those who remember it, as well as those who missed it, and also why many of its events, music, books, and films remains the focal point of so many in our culture right into 2018.

Sylvia Plath’s Letters & Traces-Peter K. Steinberg

Sunday, November 18, 3:00 pm

Join Peter K. Steinberg for a discussion on the editorial role he served in the recently published two-volume Letters of Sylvia Plath (Faber, 2017; HarperCollins, 2018). He will discuss finding, transcribing, and annotating the more than 1,400 letters in the books. The talk will conclude with the discovery of two lost Plath poems on a piece of carbon typing paper. Steinberg maintains the oldest, continuously updated websites about Plath: (www.sylviaplath.info) and the Sylvia Plath Info Blog (http://sylviaplathinfo.blogspot.com). 

FREE Expert Appraisals!

Sunday, November 12, 1:00-3:00pm

Bring in your own books, maps, and ephemera and discover what they’re worth. Get free expert appraisals from the best in the industry. Learn about details that determine the value of your item and whether or not it would interest collectors and dealers. You might find you have a valuable treasure!

Westport, CT - A rare, 1785 hand-colored portrait engraving of George Washington, printed for and sold by the London publisher Carington Bowles (British, 1724-1793), will be a featured lot in University Archives’ next online-only auction, slated for Wednesday, October 31st. Live bidding for the 283-lot auction is scheduled to start promptly at 10:30 am Eastern time. 

As with all University Archives auctions, this one is loaded with rare and highly collectible autographed documents, manuscripts, books, photos and relics. The full catalog can be viewed now, at www.UniversityArchives.com. Online bidding is being provided by the major platforms, Invaluable.com and LiveAuctioneers.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted.

Major categories in the sale include JFK and many other U.S. presidents, and scientific items (to include Darwin, Freud and Marie Curie). Additional highlight lots will include Bob Dylan’s handwritten and signed lyrics to The Times They Are A-Changin’; John F. Kennedy’s personally owned rosary beads; and a letter written by then-Gen. George Washington, dated Feb. 26th, 1780.

“We’re always strong in Americana, with the presidents and the Rev and Civil Wars, but this sale also has strong foreign consignments, too,” said John Reznikoff, the president and owner of University Archives. “We have many British Monarch items that are tastefully framed and were originally purchased from notable autograph dealer Kenneth Rendell. On top of that I note a very unusual WWII period huge Hirohito document which includes a decorative award that is quite a piece of art. Also, a rare Czarina Catherine (the Great) signed document and a handful of others.”

The Washington portrait engraving - an exquisite framed mezzotint measuring 12 ¾ inches by 9 ¾ inches - has an international pedigree. It was engraved from a painting by Jean-Baptiste Le Paon (French, 1738-1785), with elements of Charles Wilson Peale (American, 1741-1827) and Noel Le Mire (French, 1724-1793). And of course, it’s of a U.S. president, shown in a full-length portrait, with a slave or servant tending his horse, plus historic documents (est. $3,000-$4,000).

With a pre-sale estimate of $50,000-$60,000, Dylan’s handwritten signed lyrics to the iconic The Times They Are A-Changin’, penned on an 8 inch by 10 inch sheet, could end up as the sale’s top lot. The lyrics and signature were authenticated by Dylan’s manager. The bi-fold letter written and signed by George Washington in 1780 is addressed to Nathaniel Greene, the noted Rev-War general. In it he addresses ongoing concerns about supplies for the troops (est. $15,000-$17,000).

JFK’s personally owned rosary beads had been previously gifted, via donation, by Kennedy’s mother, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, in 1974, to Sister Fabiola Parent of the Sinsinawa (Wisc.) Sisterhood and curator and founder of the Sinsinawa Rosary Museum (est. $20,000-$24,000). Also, a copy of the special edition of LIFE magazine from 1961, for the inauguration of JFK, one of only three known copies that were signed by Kennedy, carries an estimate of $4,000-$5,000.

A two-page letter handwritten and signed by the evolutionary theorist Charles Darwin (British, 1809-1882), dated “Jan 31”, should gavel for $6,000-$7,000. The letter is to Darwin’s lawyer, Thomas Salt, and regards the family home in Shrewsbury. Also, items pertaining to aviation pioneer Orville Wright - a check dated Aug. 11, 1917 and signed by him, an original part from his plane and a print of the Wright Brothers’ first flight - is expected to soar to $3,000-$4,000.

A large, Japanese World War II-era document, in which Emperor Hirohito of Japan confers the Imperial Order of Meiji upon Eiichi Yamamoto, with the Star of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, signed in Japanese and dated April 18, 1940, should bring $4,000-$4,500; while an outstanding studio portrait of Wild West showman “Buffalo Bill” Cody in full Western costume, with a hat and rifle, signed by him and with a charming inscription, should garner $3,500-$3,750.

With the baseball post-season in full swing, what fan wouldn’t appreciate a mini Adirondack bat signed by some of the game’s all-time greats? These include DiMaggio, Mantle, Mays, Torre, Banks, Aaron, Bench, Williams, Ford, Perez, Gibson, Clemente, Musial and Rose (est. $3,000-$4,000). Also, a Bicentennial (1776-1976) Executive Service Badge (the short-lived precursor agency of the Secret Service), brass and painted red, white and blue, should make $600-$700.

A document dated 1774, probably a military appointment, signed by Russian Empress Catherine (the Great) II (1729-1796), as “Ekaterina” in the lower right corner, printed in Russian Cyrillic lettering on parchment, is estimated at $3,000-$3,500. Also, a one-page letter written in French and signed by Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), as “Napol”, in which he outlines a grueling marching schedule, penned at Finckenstein Palace in May 1807, should rise to $1,500-$1,600.

A letter written by Union officer David Farragut on July 16, 1862, from his flagship Hartford during the bombardment of Vicksburg, Miss., during the Civil War, on the day Farragut was promoted to Rear Admiral (unbeknownst to him) carries an estimate of $1,500-$1,700; while a newspaper account of the Boston Massacre and the resulting political tensions in its aftermath, as described in the Boston Gazette and Country Journal, July 16, 1770, should fetch $1,000-$1,200. 

As with all University Archives online auctions, this one is packed with important, scarce and collectible signed documents and other items relating to some of the most famous names in all of history. The firm has become world-renowned as a go-to source for rare material of this nature.

University Archives was founded in 1979, as a division of University Stamp Company, by John Reznikoff, who started collecting stamps and coins in 1968, while in the third grade. Industry-wide, Reznikoff is considered the leading authenticity expert for manuscripts and documents. He consults with law enforcement, dealers, auction houses and both major authentication companies. 

For more information about University Archives and the Wednesday, October 31st internet-only auction, please visit www.universityarchives.com.

Miami - HistoryMiami Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate and a premier Miami cultural institution, presents A Peculiar Paradise: Florida Photographs by Nathan Benn. The photography exhibition will open November 9, 2018, and run through April 14, 2019, and feature nearly 100 photographs taken at the dawn of the 1980s across the State of Florida, as well as artifacts, from photographer Nathan Benn. In conjunction with the exhibition, powerHouse Books will release a 200-page volume of Benn’s Florida photographs in November 2018. HistoryMiami Museum will host a cocktail reception on November 8, 2018 from 6-8 p.m. to celebrate the opening of this new exhibition and release Benn’s new book. 

"These Florida pictures are the finest and most personal work from my twenty-year career as a National Geographic photographer,” said Nathan Benn. “They reveal the duality of a place that is vibrantly dynamic while at the same time an imagined paradise.”  A Peculiar Paradise exhibits many never-before-seen photos and artifacts related to Benn’s Florida work for National Geographic.  Benn shot most of these photographs in 1981, a time when Miami became famous for its narcotics-related crime wave and influx of newcomers from the Caribbean. His pictures explore, among other topics, Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, extreme affluence, nightlife, immigration, work cultures, tourist attractions, remarkable Floridians, Dundee’s 5th Street Gym, and the narcotics war. Benn shows a state that is vibrant and marvelously unconventional during a time of over-the-top prosperity for some Floridians while others just tried to survive. The photographs, often exploring political and social issues, take full advantage of Kodachrome films distinctive color palette. 

"For those who live in Florida, this exhibition is certainly a walk down memory lane and offers an unusual look into what shaped Florida into the eclectic makeup we enjoy today," said Jorge Zamanillo, Executive Director of HistoryMiami Museum. "If you are not from Florida, you are sure to be fascinated by the stories of our past that have molded this peculiar paradise that we call home. Through these carefully curated images, you will be intrigued by the issues that were tackled here 37 years ago and those that remain hot button issues today."

A former Director of Magnum Photos, Benn was born and raised in Miami, graduated from the University of Miami, and currently resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico and New York City. 

Daily admission to HistoryMiami Museum to see A Peculiar Paradise: Florida Photographs by Nathan Benn is $10 for adults, $8 for students (with valid ID), $5 for children 6-12, and free for HistoryMiami members and children under 6. Exhibition hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. HistoryMiami Museum is located at 101 West Flagler Street in downtown Miami. Parking is available at the Cultural Center Parking Garage located at 50 NW 2nd Avenue.

Benn will be present at the opening of A Peculiar Paradise on November 8, 2018, and will be available for press interviews and book signing upon request. For more information, high-res images, or to schedule an interview with Nathan Benn, please contact Cynthia Demos at cynthia@thedanaagency.com or 305-758-1110. 

The Library of Congress appointed Suzanne Schadl, academic expert in Latin American studies, as chief of the Hispanic Division. Schadl has more than 16 years of teaching and library experience.

Schadl was curator of the Latin American collections at the University of New Mexico (2008-2018), where she managed Latin American, Iberian and U.S. Latino acquisitions, related library instruction and community outreach.

Prior to this work, Schadl was director of the Gerald and Betty Ford Library at The Bosque School, assistant professor of history at Roanoke College and lecturer in history at the University of Texas in Austin.

 “Given her many accomplishments, I am excited about the vision and energy Suzanne will bring to enhancing the public’s discovery and use of the Library’s collections, programs and services in the areas of Latin American, Iberian, Caribbean and U.S. Hispanic and Latino studies,” said Eugene Flanagan, director of the General and International Collections.  

Schadl’s interest in communication networks led her from historical research on obstetric and naturalist publications in 19th century Brazil to grant-funded library projects.

These range from capturing Latin American tweets and translating electronic metadata to engaging diverse communities from the United States and Mexico with print, visual and tactile sources in Spanish, English and Indigenous languages.

Schadl holds a doctorate in Latin American Studies from the University of New Mexico. She is active in the Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials, serving most recently as president. Also notable is her board participation at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (2014-2018) and the New Mexico Humanities Council (2016-2018).

Schadl’s collaborative publications include two books, “Scholarship in the Sandbox: Academic Libraries as Laboratories, Forums and Archives for Student Work” (forthcoming) and “Getting Up for the People: The Visual Revolution of ASAR-Oaxaca” (2014). She has also published articles in several journals on community engagement, including “Tomes! Enhancing Community and Embracing Diversity Through Book Arts” (forthcoming); “Uncommons: Transforming Dusty Reading Rooms into Artefactual,” “Third Space’ Library Learning Labs” (2015); “Cite Globally, Analyze Locally: Citation Analysis from a Local Latin American Studies Perspective” (2015) and “Reference as Outreach: Meeting Users Where They Are (2011).”

 The Hispanic Reading Room, established in 1936, is the first international reading room of the Library of Congress and the center for Latin American, Iberian, Caribbean and US Hispanic and Latino Studies and related areas. The Division prepares the annual research tool “The Handbook of Latin American Studies,” available in print form and online. The Division also houses the Archived of Hispanic Literature. For more information, visit loc.gov/rr/hispanic/.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States - and extensive materials from around the world - both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov, access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

Paris - Iconic images by the earliest masters of photography—as well as contemporary artists who are reinterpreting the processes and subjects of the pioneers—will be exhibited by Hans P. Kraus Jr. Fine Photographs at Paris Photo at the Grand Palais from 8-11 November 2018. 

Spanning facets of the history of photography from 1839 to 2009, Masters of Photography: 19th Century and Now, will feature the work of William Henry Fox Talbot, Julia Margaret Cameron, Louis-Antoine Froissart, Gustave Le Gray, Hugo van Werden, and contemporary artists Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Adam Fuss, among others. 

Louis-Antoine Froissart (1815-1860) was the official photographer for the city of Lyon, photographing scenes and events of municipal interest. In May 1856, Lyon was inundated by one of the worst floods in French history. Froissart recorded the devastation with eloquent exactitude and poetic beauty. His eerily serene landscape of the postdiluvian city, Lyon Flood, records the disaster without depicting the human suffering left in its wake. This fine, rare salt print was presented by the photographer as a gift to the Mayor of Lyon at the time of the flood and remained in the Mayor’s family. Froissart’s photographs of the catastrophe precede the more widely known photographs by Edouard Baldus who was sent to Lyon by the French government in June of 1856.

Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879) sought to record, through the faces of her family and friends, the qualities of innocence, wisdom, piety, or passion ascribed to great biblical, historical, and legendary figures. In Greek mythology, Circe is a goddess of magic, the daughter of Helios, the sun god, and Perse, an Oceanid nymph. Renowned for her vast knowledge of potions and herbs, Circe is exiled to the solitary island of Aeaea by her father for killing her husband. Once there she lures sailors to the island, including the crew of Odysseus, transforming them into swine. For Circe, Cameron used a long exposure and shallow depth of field to give a slight sense of animation that merges the angelic looking Kate Keown with her mythic character, seemingly bringing her into the viewer's presence in the fine 1865 albumen print.

Gustave Le Gray (1820-1884) trained as a painter in the studio of Paul Delaroche and exhibited in the Paris Salon. Le Gray’s unique vision is reflected in his seascapes, the work for which he is most celebrated. A striking ocean view in Normandy, Effet de soleil dans les nuages-Océan (Effect of the sun in the clouds over the Ocean), 1856-57, is one in a series of poetic and meditative seascapes that brought Le Gray international acclaim for their technical and artistic achievement. The albumen print demonstrates his mastery of the medium with a tour de force combination of clouds, sea, and sun and is on display alongside two enigmatic seascapes, from 1994 and 1997, by Hiroshi Sugimoto (Japanese, b. 1948).

In addition to his seascapes, Sugimoto’s Lightning Fields 119, part of his 2009 series will be on view. These dynamic camera-less photographs depict electrical charges, influenced in part by Fox Talbot’s research into static electricity. The images were made using a Van de Graaff 400,000 volt generator. The “lightning field” is formed by the resulting spark. If the charge is powerful enough it creates the capillary effect of electric light dramatically captured in this gelatin silver print from a photogram.

German industrialist and armaments manufacturer Alfred Krupp hired Hugo van Werden (1836-1911) as a trainee in his firm’s engineering workshop in 1854. Three years later, he was working as a draughtsman in the technical office. Early in 1861, van Werden was sent to Hanover to learn photography. Upon his return to Essen, he set up the Krupp works’ photography studio. As Alfred Krupp’s first full-time photographer and distant relation, van Werden’s family connection facilitated his access to the private grounds as he documented all aspects of Krupp’s operation, including the business plant, new technical developments and trials of materials. Van Werden’s 1877 albumen print Krupp firing range at Bredelar. Armor shooting trial is the first in a series of six photographs on view showing the progressive effects of cannon fire on the target’s armor plate. Van Werden’s strikingly proto-modernist photographs unite Krupp’s pioneering conception of photography’s role in advertising and entrepreneurship with his own artistic vision of the medium to show the complex interrelationships of steel—or more broadly, industry—and society.

Masters of Photography: 19th Century and Now will be on view at Hans P. Kraus Jr. Fine Photographs at Paris Photo, Stand C17, at the Grand Palais, Paris, from 8-11 November 2018. The telephone number at the stand is +1 917-273-4609.

New York—Sotheby’s presents the opportunity to acquire one of the rarest and most highly-coveted film posters in existence: an original 1932 film poster for the horror classic The Mummy starring Boris Karloff. A seminal example of the graphic design pioneered by Hollywood studios during their ‘Golden Age of Horror’, this stone lithograph will be offered in a single-lot, online-only auction this month. Bidding is now open and will close on Halloween, 31 October. 

The present poster last sold at Sotheby’s New York in 1997 for $453,500 - at the time marking a world auction record for a single film poster, a title it held until 2014. The Mummy reemerges at Sotheby’s this month with an estimate of $1/1.5 million, which would once again earn it record status. Sotheby’s will exhibit the work in their New York galleries from 14 - 18 October. 

Designed by Karoly Grosz, Universal’s advertising art director, the poster is an early representation of the aesthetics that continue to influence poster design to this day: vivid, painterly splashes of color, a dynamic composition, and minimal white space. Depicting Boris Karloff in the title role that cemented his place as a film icon, and Zita Johann, the subject of his mummy’s desire, the poster was exclusively created for theaters’ promotional purposes and never made available to the public. Given the ephemeral nature of posters from this era — most were pasted over or discarded after a film’s run — The Mummy poster on offer is incredibly rare: it is one of only three examples known to exist and remains in its original, unbacked state. After setting the auction record at Sotheby’s in 1997, the present example was included in the 1999 exhibition ‘The American Century: Art and Culture 1900-2000’ at the Whitney Museum of American Art. 

Among collectors, the posters for horror films of the 1930s are revered as the most desirable of all. This period, known as the ‘Golden Age of Horror,’ ushered in a new genre of cinema and approach to marketing movies. As silent movies gave way to ‘talkies’, horror films employed all the latest technological innovations to craft movies that shocked and provoked. Universal set the template for horror as we know it with a trio of films: The Mummy, Frankenstein and Dracula. These movies tapped into the fears and societal unrest between the World Wars, using Hollywood magic to transport audiences to fantastical worlds where good fought evil. Posters from this era played a key role in horror films’ impact, defining the images that would haunt audiences and loom in the cultural memory. 

Released ten years after the discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb, The Mummy is not only an emblem of cinematic history but a relic of popular culture from the time. The film married the vogue for all things Egyptian with the allure of the supernatural, providing a snapshot of the nation’s interests. The Mummy was unique in utilizing ambiance and aesthetics to create a sense of foreboding, rather than relying on thrill-inducing gimmicks, which makes the poster such a landmark piece of design. Undoubtedly one of the finest posters produced during this groundbreaking era in Hollywood, and the single best-preserved example to ever come to market, The Mummy is an invaluable cultural artifact.

New York - An auction of Rare & Important Travel Posters at Swann Galleries on Thursday, October 25 promises thrills and worldwide destinations, abound with works highlighting transportation as well as renowned graphic artists.

The sale is led by a pair of winter vacation posters. Emil Cardinaux’s St. Moritz, 1918, portrays colorfully clad cross-country skiers and horse-drawn sleighs winding their way through the snow (Estimate: $15,000-20,000). Burkhard Mangold, a pioneer in modern Swiss poster art, is present in the sale with the 1914, Winter in Davos ($12,000-18,000). 

Brightly colored British poster maps are led by Leslie McDonald Gill’s Peter-Pan Map of Kensington Gardens, 1923, and The Country Bus Service Map, 1928, each are estimated at $3,000 to $4,000.

Posters advertising travel by land and air include a scene by Philip Zec highlighting the LMS Railway making its overnight trek to Scotland by moonlight ($12,000-18,000). Harold McCready’s Imperial Airways, 1929, delineates one of the airline’s three-engine aircrafts ($4,000-6,000). Zeppelin lots include Jupp Wiertz’s En 2 Jours vers L’Amérique du Nord!, 1936, which depicts the failed Hindenburg Zeppelin soaring over Manhattan, as well as Ottomar Anton’s Nach Südamerika in 3 Tagen!, 1936, which features the Graf Zeppelin, the sister ship of the Hindenburg, spanning the Atlantic Ocean ($8,000-12,000 and $4,000-6,000, respectively).

Ocean liner posters make a grand appearance in the sale with one of the larger offerings at Swann in recent years. Several works highlight the Cunard Line, including a majestic image of one of their four-funnel ocean liners sailing off into the sunset, circa 1920, and a circa 1925 poster by Kenneth D. Shoesmith, depicting the Aquatania being tugged out of the New York harbor ($1,500-2,000 and $7,000-10,000, respectively). Albert Sebille’s Frenchline, circa 1927, shows a bird’s-eye view of the Ile de France pulling into the harbor ($3,000-4,000).

Lots from a private collection include several posters by Chicago artist William P. Welsh advertising the Pullman Railway Company. Equipped with brilliant colors and Art Deco-styled patterns, the six Pullman posters were created between 1934 and 1935 and showcase the reduced rates, safety and comfort of the rail company.

Works that highlight leisure activities include Andrew Johnson’s North Berwick, circa 1930, which promotes Scottish golf, and Septimus Edwin Scott’s The Tennis Girl, circa 1925, advertises the Geneagles hotel and golf resort ($8,000-12,000 and $5,000-7,500, respectively).

A premier selection of work by Sascha Maurer features examples of his work for The Pennsylvania Railroad, including the cover lot of the sale, Atlantic City, circa 1940, starring a woman shielding her eyes from the bright Atlantic sun with the reflection of Atlantic City’s boardwalk in her sunglasses ($3,000-4,000).

A fleet of colorful works by Roger Broders are led by beach scenes. Antibes, circa 1928, a rare variant without the overprint, showcases two sunbathing women, and La Plage de Calvi. Corse, 1928, features a towel-clad woman standing with her face towards the sky, each are valued at $8,000 to $12,000.  

The Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) is pleased to announce its upcoming exhibition, MCBA/Jerome Book Arts Fellowships Series XIV. On view from November 3, 2018 - January 27, 2019 in MCBA’s Main Gallery, this exhibition features exciting new work from this year’s MCBA/Jerome Book Arts Fellowship recipients: printmaker and book artist Cathy Ryan; artist Ioana Stoian; paper maker and social practice artist Peng Wu; and installation artist Jammo Xu. The opening reception for MCBA/Jerome Book Arts Fellowships Series XIV will take place on Friday, November 9 from 6-8pm. Both the exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.

With generous funding from the Jerome Foundation and technical guidance from MCBA, the Fellowship recipients developed their independent projects throughout the previous year. Since 1985 the Jerome Foundation has helped emerging artists push the boundaries of contemporary book arts by supporting the creation of new book works. Under the previous thirteen series of fellowships and six series of mentorships, Minnesota artists of diverse disciplines—including printers, papermakers, binders, painters, sculptors, poets, photographers, choreographers, filmmakers and others—have created projects ranging from exquisitely crafted fine press volumes to documented performances to one-of-a-kind installations that “break the bindings” and redefine conventional notions of book form and content.

Cathy Ryan is a book artist and printmaker based in Minneapolis, MN. For the Fellowship, she produced Connections, a mixed media printed book installed as an abstract landscape, drawing on themes of nature, perspective, and connection. She holds a bachelor’s degree in art from San Francisco State University, and a post baccalaureate certificate in Print, Paper, Book from Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Her work is included in the 2012 Quarry publication 1000 Artist Books, and, in 2014, she was an artist-in-residence at the Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Red Wing, MN. She is a past recipient of the MCBA/Jerome Book Arts Fellowship in 2011-2012.

Ioana Stoian is a self-taught, British-born artist with a passion for paper. For her Fellowship project, she has created The A-Z of Motherhood, an edition of hand bound books containing 28 pages of custom-dyed handmade paper, juxtaposing specific words and colors to create an energetic harmony. Since 2006 Ioana has been experimenting with two of her main interests—paper folding and papermaking. Her works focus on the harmony between color, structure, and form. Ioana is the author of Origami for All and The Origami Garden, and she participated in the MCBA/Jerome Book Arts Mentorship program in 2014-2015.

Peng Wu and Jammo Xu’s installation, "Arriving Ashore", advocates for global awareness of the refugee crisis. The artists have been in close collaboration with UNITED for Intercultural Action—a European network against nationalism, racism, fascism and in support of migrants and refugees, which has worked in the past 15 years to document the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe. The artists use handmade paper and other sculptural materials to create an installation to commemorate the refugees who lost their lives in the forceful migration. Peng Wu is a sculptor and papermaker working in social practice and public art. Originally from China, he has been based in Minneapolis since 2011. Peng is a collaborating artist with the One World Many Papers project and has had two Northern Spark projects. He received his MFA in visual studies from Minneapolis College of Art and Design. He also has an MFA in product design and a bachelor’s degree in atmospheric physics. Minneapolis-based Jammo Xu is a visual storyteller who works with installation and public art. Also a native of China, Jammo received her MFA in visual studies from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She also has a bachelor’s degree in animation.

Minnesota Center for Book Arts celebrates the book as a vibrant contemporary art form that takes many shapes. From the traditional crafts of papermaking, letterpress printing and hand bookbinding to experimental artmaking and self-publishing techniques, MCBA supports the limitless creative evolution of book arts through book arts workshops and programming for adults, youth, families, K-12 students and teachers. MCBA is located in the Open Book building in downtown Minneapolis, alongside partner organizations The Loft Literary Center and Milkweed Editions. To learn more, visit www.mnbookarts.org.

Dallas - Known for his Emmy-winning roles playing curmudgeons, ranging from Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show to Carl in the Pixar film UP, actor Ed Asner’s true character is that of a philanthropist and loving father who shared his passion for comic books with his children. Earlier this year, the legendary actor and founders Matt and Navah Asner opened The Ed Asner Family Center, to offer a host of programs, classes and therapy dedicated to promoting self-confidence in differently abled individuals. They plan to open in their new location in November.  

On Oct. 17, Heritage Auctions is hosting The Ed Asner Family Center Original Comic Art Charity Auction at HA.com/Asner. Today’s leading comic book artists, including Kevin Nowlan, Alex Ross, Jim Lee and more, have donated high-profile work for the online auction.

“The Asner family have always been comic book fans,” said Matt Asner, Ed Asner’s son and President of The Ed Asner Family Center. “We thought, ‘What can we do to raise the eyebrows of people and highlight creativity?’ We are incredibly excited about doing an original art sale. The Ed Asner Center represents unleashing creativity, and what better way of illustrating this than the world of comics?” 

Matt Asner said the core values and programming of the Center are based around creation of an environment that shows the limitless potential of children with different levels of ability, including autism, Down syndrome and developmental delays. “The arts are so important for instilling self confidence in people,” he said.

Matt Asner still remembers his father taking him to newsstands and bookstores while his father was a star on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. “I still remember the first comic book my father ever bought me,” Matt Asner said. “It was an Avengers reprint from 1970. He sees the great, creative atmosphere around comics. He gets it. He saw the creativity, the art and writing involved, and appreciated it.

“We are honored to have 70 pieces of original art from some of the brightest stars in comics in this special auction that we feel could only be done through Heritage,” Asner adds.  

Artists donated both individual work and collaborations, including:

Alex Ross; Adam Kubert, Tom Derenick, Danny Miki, Scott Hanna and Lary Stucker; Brent Anderson; Adam Hughes; Colleen Doran; Barry Crain; Dan Jurgens; Karine Charlebois; Cully Hamner; Eric Powell; Geof Darrow; Jerry Ordway; Jim Lee; Tom Raney and Scott Hanna; Jim Valentino and Steve Montano; José Luis García-López; Kelley Jones and Kevin Nowlan; John Cassaday; Mark Bagley and Andrew Hennessy; John Heebink and Aaron McClellan; Phil Hester; John Heebink and Fred Fredericks; Howard Chaykin; José Luis García-López; Lee Weeks; Karl Kesel; Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz; Michael Allred; Aaron Lopresti; Eduardo Risso; John Romita Jr.; Michael Cho; Barry Kitson; Bobby Rubio; Mike Hawthorne; Philip Tan; Steve Lieber, Mark McKenna and Robin Riggs; Mike Norton; Nicoletta Ceccoli; Ryan Sook; Ryan Stegman; Sandy Jarrell; Fernando Pasarin and Scott Hanna; Howard Porter and John Dell; Tom Everhart; Shawn Martinbrough; Adam Kubert; Sanford Greene; Sam Kieth; Jeff Parker; Tom Derenick; Mostafa Moussa; Danny Miki; Chris Samnee; Scott Hanna and Lary Stucker; Charles Schulz; Paul Pelletier and Sandra Hope; Bill Sienkiewicz; Igor Kordey and Scott Hanna; Paul Smith; Fabio Napoleoni; John Heebink and Don Hudson; Kelley Jones; Scot Eaton and Andrew Hennessy and Kevin Nowlan.

“We are very thankful for the contributions of these artists and the time and friendship of Kevin Nowlan,” Matt Asner said. “Kevin was Superman, Batman and Doctor Strange on this project. We also wish to thank Albert Moy, Spencer Beck, Animazing Gallery and Kurt Busiek for their contributions, as well.”

Select highlights include, Nowlan’s original cover art to Doctor Strange #19 (Marvel, 2017), the original cover art by Lee from Scooby Apocalypse #3 (DC, 2016) and variant cover original art by Cassaday for Captain America: Reborn #6 (Marvel, 2003), published in the popular six-issue series.

Bidding opens Oct. 3 for The Ed Asner Family Center Original Comic Art Charity Auction and concludes Oct. 17 at HA.com/Asner. The Center also offers donors several giving levels and even explains how contributions support various programming. Donations may be made at EdAsnerFamilyCenter.org.