Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Old and rare books - what happy words!

Still recuperating from a bout with bad food, I drug myself out last week to the annual St. Francis book sale in Greensboro. And had a blast!
I went straight for the old and rare books room. To shorten this story, yes, I went a little crazy with purchases, but old books make me happy. And hunting for them.

I probably paid too much for one, since it has a damaged cover and is missing the title page — the title page, of all things! But it's a bound edition of Harper's Weekly, six issues from 1857, lots of illustrations! I thought it'd be great for research. Want to know the weather in Charleston that year? or the latest fashions? I'm surprised how much international news they had back then.

I got a much better deal on a 1901 biography of Queen Victoria, when her son "the new king" was in, and a 19th century 10-volume history of Scotland (more research). I also picked up a 1900 primer, with cursive and color illustrations, and just some things I'd like to read or with history in them, like Anna and the King of Siam.

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