In this week’s Tavistock Books FS list, we focus on the fairer sex, so you’ll find 20 items by & about women… some of whom are quite well known, others deserving of greater attention... some fiction, some factual, but all unified by a connection to a woman. Publication dates range from the 17th C to the 20th, with price points starting at a modest $25 for a Mrs Barbauld’s children’s title, to $9500 for an 1831 edition of Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN.
“Wing Books.” Most bibliophiles, when seeing a citation such as “Wing W-3755”, realize that refers to an entry in Donald Wing’’s 4 volume work, The SHORT-TITLE CATALOGUE of Books Printed in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, British America and of English Books Printed in Other Countries 1641 - 1700. The 2nd edition is preferred, published by the MLA, 1994 - 1998. In a recent search of my website, using the key word ‘Wing’, 58 titles popped out. And while there were outliers such as number 16 in this week’s list of offerings, 42 of the 58 titles will be found in Donald Wing’s reference. This week we offer 21 of those 42.
Dear Gentle reader,
this past August 1st, a milestone was passed… that day marked 18 months since I took possession of Suite 10, 220 S. Rock Blvd., Reno NV 89502. Truly, as many have said before, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” And who doesn’t have fun when working with books? In any event, I spent that day, as I have spent many days prior, unpacking boxes. From those many books that again found a place on a shelf, I have selected 20 to populate this week’s FS List. As per our usual practice, you’ll find eclectic subject matter, from many eras, and price points to fit all budgets.
This week's FS List features a very specific genre of photography… the stereoview. Essentially, the stereoview card presents 2 two-dimensional photographic images, depicting left-eye and right-eye views of the same scene, that when viewed through a stereoscope, is seen as a single three-dimensional image. Stereographic imaging first came on the scene in the 1830s. By the 1850s, the device was beginning to enjoy widespread popularity, with even Queen Victoria expressing her approbation on seeing a demonstration at the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition. In the 1860s, the viewer came within financial reach the ‘common man’, when Oliver Wendell Holmes invented a hand-held stereoscope. People, with this more economically-priced viewer, could now travel the world from the comfort of their own parlor [see our #6 for a trip through Italy].
This past June 9th marked the 154th anniversary of the passing of England’s greatest novelist, Charles Dickens. Achieving fame at the young age of 24 with the publication of his debut novel, Pickwick Papers, he continued to entertain the world with his prose throughout the remainder of his life. And that public readership continues till today, with all of his works remaining in print. For the collectors of his oeuvre, which are many, finding 1st editions are relatively easy, for his the bulk of his books were published in the tens of thousands. What may challenge the Dickens collector are those -iana items that were issued in significantly lesser quantities. To celebrate this great man’s memory, Tavistock Books just issued a list of 20 such items, which may be seen by clicking on the accompanying link.
Enjoy.
I hope everyone had a lovely & relaxing holiday last weekend… here, my grandson recently turned 10, and we celebrated that this past Sunday at a local Tahoe activity camp. OMG, if I could just harness all the energy produced by those 10 year old kids, my monthly Nevada Energy bill would be reduced by half! But, since I can’t, and those bills keep on comin’, needs be I keep on issuing bi-weekly lists, and so with this week's iteration, we again offer a composite of new acquisitions & recently revealed volumes from the 5 boxes unpacked these past 2 weeks.
As I write this introduction to Tavistock Books’ latest FS list, the skies here in Reno are a vivid blue, nary a cloud in the sky, and temperatures are forecast to reach the low 80s later today. I must admit, this is a quite welcome change compared to the weather experienced but just a month or so ago, when, to walk George & Ollie, I had to bundle up to stave off the wind & chilly conditions along the wetlands. Yes, all in all, May is shaping up to be a lovely month. And so too it is in the book world… some lovely volumes have come my way, and forgotten treasures have appeared from boxes as the unpacking continues… from these, I offer 20 titles of a diverse nature, hoping you too find can, from this selection, brighten your May with some bibliophilic flowers.
